Building productive teams

What is the Tuckman model?

Key takeaways:

The Tuckman Model of Group Development is the best known, most widely used model of team formation. Developed by Bruce Tuckman in the 1960s, refined in collaboration with Mary Ann Jensen in the 1970s. It describes the evolution from a group of individuals to a team.

There are 5 stages in the Tuckman Model:

Forming stage: This is when the team first comes together. Team members will try to get to know one another, they engage in superficial interactions and they desire to get on with their work. Your job in leading the team is to keep them active, and in doing the work, they will start to get to know one another.

Storming stage: Conflicts arise as personalities emerge so this stage is intensely psychological. They will argue with the tasks they are set, they will argue with the leadership they receive, and they will argue with one another.

Norming stage: Team settles, focuses on work, and trying to find ways of working with one another. They are finding norms of behavior, patterns of working which work for the team.

Performing stage: Characterised by high productivity, collaboration, and achievement of shared goals. They provide creative input, support in problem-solving, guidance and support with difficulties as well.

Adjourning stage: Acknowledgement of team breakup, mourning for lost collaboration. Acknowledge that something valuable is being lost and celebrate what you had so the team can comfortably move on to their next team role.

Plus...the Transforming stage: Occurs when team composition or tasks change, may lead to regression in team performance. when people from the team leave, when new people join the team, when the team has different work to do, it changes enough that the team may no longer be in the performing stage.

Keep in mind: The cycle of stages may not always be rigid, influenced by various factors. The Tuckman model is a hugely flexible model, and it's one that every manager should know, should understand, and be able to call to mind when they are working with a group that needs to develop into a team.

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