Text 7 Stages of Group Development

How a team functions once it is formed largely determines its likelihood of success. The most highly talented teams must "gel" or they will not be successful. The same holds true for teams in business. Their success depends on how they develop, the norms that evolve in the group, the roles that members perform, and how well they perform a number of important group processes.

Groups, like people and even organizations, have life cycles. They are born, they develop, and most, eventually, are terminated. During this progression, groups pass through certain stages, although the stages may vary in duration from one situation to another, and sometimes even the sequence may be changed. Understanding how group progress can give a manager insight into behaviors needed to help the group function successfully at each stage. Although there are several models of group development, emphasizing different types of behaviors and orientations, one very useful depiction of the process includes five phases: forming, storming, norming, performing, and adjourning. The leader's role is to help facilitate task and social interactions throughout the stages.

Forming. Group members meet for the first time or two in the forming stage and become acquainted with each other and familiarize themselves with the group's task. They may "test" others for potential friendships and mutual interests and see how others approach the task at hand. Emerging leadership functions and interdependencies are often a concern here. A formal group leader might encourage some informal interaction among group members at this stage. Many groups start, even within the first minute of group interaction, to form a strategy for addressing the group's task. This strategy often lasts through the first half of the group’s allotted time to deal with the task. The manager or team leader can sometimes facilitate this task approach by giving some thought and preliminary work to the task before the group meets, and by withholding the setting of the formal agenda for a period of time.

Storming. Conflict generally occurs during the storming stage as group members begin to assert their roles, jockey for leadership positions, and make known their feelings and thoughts about the task. Some members may challenge the leader's position or show hostility to those with whom they disagree or have personality clashes. Others may psychologically withdraw from the group. Cliques may form and subgroups may argue over task or relationship issues. The group leader should strive to keep everyone involved and communications lines open, thus emphasizing the importance of reasonably sized groups. He or she should also encourage members to manage and resolve conflict constructively rather than allowing it either to escalate or be subdued only to rise again later. If member roles and group norms are not successfully negotiated during the storming stage, then the group may never advance to a more productive level of functioning. It is during this stage that the groundwork for having a true team is laid because interaction patterns start evolving at this time.

Norming. Conflicts are largely resolved and harmony ensues during the norming stage, sometimes to the detriment of giving full consideration to minority opinions. In this stage, a sometimes tenuous balance of interpersonal forces is achieved. Members accept their roles, divide work tasks, have largely resolved leadership issues, and mostly share mutual expectations. The leader must promote a balance between maintaining harmony and continuing to strive to achieve the task at hand. The danger for a group at this time is that members may feel good about themselves but not be getting the job done. Most of the time, groups move through this stage fairly quickly.

Performing. A group reaches the performing stage when members have reached a level of maturity that facilitates total task involvement. Members concentrate on solving the problem or performing the task, and they listen and provide important inputs and feedback on issues. They are not afraid to offer suggestions, and they help other group members express their opinions. Conflicts at this stage are over legitimate task concerns rather than petty personality or power issues. Issues are confronted, not ignored. Members are clear on the goals of the group and the means of accomplishing the goals. During this stage, the leader should concentrate on task-oriented behaviors, while maintaining relationships through encouragement, reward, and positive communication.

Adjourning. The adjourning stage occurs when task forces, project teams, and committees complete their task and disband. At this stage, heightened emotion and some depression over separation from the group and its members are accompanied by positive feelings associated with task accomplishment. The leader may want to commemorate this stage with a ceremony to recognize not only the group's accomplishments, but also the positive associations and friendships. This emphasis on the positive should help promote future cohesiveness should the team or some of its members be reunited.

1. Which of these statements expresses the main idea of the text?

1. Groups’ success depends on how they develop, the norms that evolve in the group, the roles that members perform, and how well they perform a number of important group processes.

2. There are several models of group development

3. The process of group development includes five phases.

4. The leader's role is to help facilitate task and social interactions throughout the group development.

2. Find in the text English equivalents of these words and phrases.

1. імовірність	17. знайомитися (2)		33. відмовитися взяти на себе чиїсь повноваження
2. бути спаяною (про групу, команду)	18. спільні інтереси		34. ворожість
3. бути вірним, справедливим (відносно чогось або когось)	19. підходити до завдання		35. не погоджуватися
4. розвиватися (3)	20. що виникає		36. особистісний конфлікт
5. стадія, етап	21. взаємозалежність		37. віддалятися від
6. життєвий цикл	22. становити інтерес		38. сперечатися
7. завершуватися	23. заохочувати		39. намагатися
8. послідовність	24. братися за виконання завдання		40. змушувати всіх брати участь
9. надати можливість зрозуміти сутність (чогось)	25. відведений час		41. група прийнятного розміру
10. опис, зображення	26. розглядати завдання		42. розв'язувати конфлікт
11. стадія формування	27. попередній		43. загострюватися
12. стадія штурму	28. утримуватися (від чогось)		44. придушений (конфлікт)
13. стадія нормування	29. порядок денний		45. зростати, посилюватися
14. стадія виконання	30. траплятися		46. вести переговори, обговорювати умови
15. стадія завершення	31. відстоювати		47. просуватися
16. полегшувати, сприяти	32. намагатися захопити лідерство		48. закласти фундамент, основу
49. модель взаємодії		58. небезпека		67. засоби досягнення цілей
50. випливати		59. досягати		68. розпускатися
51. на шкоду, за рахунок		60. рівень зрілості		69. розставання з групою
52. приділити увагу		61. надавати важливу інформацію та коментар		70. супроводжуватися
53. думка меншості		62. надавати пропозиції		71. відзначати (подію)
54. досягнути слабкого балансу сил		63. доречні справи, пов'язані із завданням		72. визнавати досягнення
55. брати на себе роль		64. розглядати питання		73. возз'єднуватися
56. поділяти спільні очікування		65. ігнорувати питання
57. підтримувати баланс		66. усвідомлювати, чітко розуміти

3. Find in the right column definitions of the terms.

Life cycle	the stage in which conflicts are resolved
Forming	the stage in which group members have reached a level of maturity
Storming	the stage in which task forces, project teams and committees complete their task and disband
Norming	the stage in which group members declare their roles and try to get into leadership positions
Performing	a series of stages a group passes through from being born till being terminated
Adjourning	the stage in which group members meet and familiarize themselves with the group’s task

4. Are these statements true or false? Correct the false ones.

1. The order of stages in the group development is invariable.

2. If a manager knows how groups develop, it helps him or her ensure the group’s success at each stage.

3. In the forming stage, leadership functions and interdependencies may be of interest to group members.

4. Only formal interaction is allowed in the forming stage.

5. The formal agenda for addressing the group's task is always set within the first minute of group interaction.

6. To keep each group member involved in communication during the storming stage, the group size must be rational.

7. The leader should subdue any conflicts in the group.

8. Minority opinions can be disregarded during the resolution of conflicts in the norming stage.

9. In the performing stage, there may be much disagreement among group members over trivial personality or power issues.

10. In the performing stage, there may be some uncertainty over the means of achieving the group goals.

11. Support, reward, and positive interaction are means of maintaining relationships between group members in the performing stage.

12. Members of the group may feel unhappy in the adjourning stage because the task has been accomplished.

13. If the team or some of its members are reunited, existing positive associations and friendships will promote future cohesiveness.

4. Answer the questions.

1. What does the word "gel" mean in the text?

2. What is the leader's role during the group development?

3. At what stage do group members familiarize themselves with the group's task?

4. How can the team leader help the group to form the task strategy?

5. In what cases may conflicts in the group arise during the storming stage?

6. Why is it so important to discuss member roles and group norms during the storming stage?

7. What processes take place in a group during the norming stage?

8. What threat may the group face in the norming stage?

9. What kind of behavior is characteristic of group members in the performing stage?

10. Why may the group leader want to have a commemorative ceremony in the adjourning stage?

4. Write a summary of the text.