At some point, most team or group leaders find themselves in the center of significant change where they are both trying to move forward and keep the team intact. This is particularly true for start-ups and new endeavors, but this applies to any emerging program, department pivoting towards a new remit, or rapidly growing group that is trying to implement a new vision and mission.

There are numerous frameworks and philosophies about how to navigate changing times, but an enduring approach often mentioned is the "Forming, Storming, Norming” model, initially introduced by psychologist Bruce Tuckman in 19651. It is often used to understand the stages teams go through as they evolve, overcome challenges, work toward common goals and provides a useful roadmap for leaders to guide their teams through what can sometimes feel like treacherous times.

The Stages of "Forming, Storming, Norming"

Forming, Storming, and Norming are all necessary for achieving high team performance. To prevent deadlock and maintain team cohesion, leaders must navigate teams through the stormy waters of conflict and ambiguity and also help them embrace change and disruption. Here are descriptions of the stages and key practices that leaders can use to help teams thrive through these rapidly changing landscapes.

Forming:

This initial stage is when individuals come together as a team or when a new context arises. In science, this is typically an exciting and hopeful time when team members are engaged but potentially uncertain about the roles and expectations. The goal of this stage should be to explore possibilities, allow for creative brainstorming, and align on the broad strokes of what the vision and mission are.

The role of the leader: Whether a leader has chosen each team member or members have been assigned, this is the foundation on which all the work will or will not happen. Leaders need to provide both structure and blue sky thinking to enable members to explore productively what the end goals and objectives are for the company, program, or initiative. Leaders are also responsible for setting the tone for team dynamics and should be modeling good leadership behaviors like being open, respectful, and actively listening to others in the room. The more attention that is played to the role of having team members get to know each other, the work, and their preferences, the easier and more efficient the Storming phase will be. During this time, leaders should be facilitating and building relationships with the other members since they will need to understand the diverse personalities on their team and will need relationship capital and trust to resolve conflict during the storming stage.

Storming:

This stage is the most chaotic and challenging as scope, roles, and implementation are put into practice. During this phase, team members begin to assert their personalities and opinions, often leading to conflict and confusion. The storming phase can expose deep-seated differences in working styles, communication preferences, and priorities. It is also the stage most ripe for misunderstanding and miscommunication as people try to move forward and make progress quickly. Working through these tensions are essential for the team’s growth and development. It’s important to remember that it’s better for these issues to emerge here and be addressed than later in the work.

The role of the leader: Successful leaders in this phase act to mediate and focus energy, helping to resolve disputes and channel differing opinions into productive collaboration. Open and respectful communication, patience, and resilience are essential during this turbulent period. People will have disagreements on the “best way” to do things, and the leader is in charge of finding the common ground to make progress on the bigger mission and keeping that direction clear and shared throughout this time. Leaders should hold the space for people to respectfully disagree, ensure people feel heard, not let perfect be the enemy of good, and focus attention on the end goal. It is important for the leader to set the expectation of leading with and assuming good intent, rather than making assumptions. Leaders will benefit from implementing a decision-making framework for the team and defining clear roles and responsibilities. If the team can maintain a positive attitude and embrace the challenges of this stage, they will come out on the other side with a naturally developed sense of camaraderie and a higher degree of trust.

Norming:

In this stage, expectations are clear and conflicts are resolved more easily. Collaboration occurs more effectively since group norms are established. There is a shared sense of cohesion and mutual respect that results in improved team performance.

The role of the leader: This stage is the calm after the storm. Team members should have a better sense of expectations for themselves and what they can expect from others. With that, they can more easily hold one another accountable for achieving goals. The leader’s role here is to empower the team to take on more autonomy and resolve disagreements independently. It is also good to discuss and formalize the norms at this stage, rather than leave them unspoken. Clarity here is essential. Sometimes groups have been through a hard “storming” period and may be unwilling to push too hard for specifics for fear of raising hackles. But this is exactly the time to define values, direction, and working culture and to make sure everyone is on board. Leaders should continue to reinforce the team mindset, and celebrate and recognize achieved milestones.

Final Tips to Keep in Mind

Embrace the Storming Phase as Part of the Process: Change often leads to uncertainty, which can spark the storming phase as individuals adjust to new realities, shifting roles, and changing expectations. Leaders should not shy away from this discomfort. Instead, they should foster a culture of inclusivity, allowing team members to voice concerns and work through disagreements constructively.

Be Proactive in Shaping Norms and Values: Leaders should be intentional in establishing clear values, norms, and objectives, ensuring everyone is aligned around a shared purpose. If this is not modeled and maintained by the leader, bad behaviors can become rampant, trust will deteriorate, and team dynamics will suffer.

Create a Culture of Learning and Adaptability: Leadership should focus on creating a learning environment where experimentation, feedback, and flexibility are valued. This will help teams move through the forming, storming, and norming stages more efficiently and lead to greater innovation and resilience.

Adapt Leadership Styles to Fit the Situation: Leaders themselves must evolve as teams progress through these phases, so it is essential that leaders keep a pulse on the team’s challenges and needs.

The Path is Neither Linear nor Static: Not every team reaches the Norming stage quickly or consistently. Longstanding teams may return to earlier stages if they encounter significant disruptions like changes in team members (especially team lead), deviations in remit, or significant change in the operating landscape.

Tuckman later added a fourth phase and fifth phase, Performing and Adjourning. The Performing stage is where the team works at its optimal level, having developed a deep sense of trust, purpose, and efficiency. If a team reaches this stage, they also exhibit continuous team improvement in which they can effectively balance and focus on both innovation and execution. Not all teams will, can, or need to reach this stage as the Norming stage will enable stable progress. The Adjourning stage as the name implies is when the majority of the work is complete and the team disbands. At the end, the leader should be sure to express appreciation and gratitude for the team’s contributions and job well done. Should the band ever need to do a reunion tour, this will help ensure the members will be willing to play again.

References and Resources:

Tuckman BW. Developmental Sequence in Small Groups. Psychol Bull. 1965 Jun;63:384-99. doi: 10.1037/h0022100. PMID: 14314073.

Kumar S, Deshmukh V, Adhish VS. Building and leading teams. Indian J Community Med. 2014 Oct;39(4):208-13. doi: 10.4103/0970-0218.143020. PMID: 25364143; PMCID: PMC4215500.

Lynda Silsbee. The Four Stages Of Team Development. Forbes. 2023 June 29.

For additional reading related to this topic, we recommend Team Assessment Using GRPI and Leadership when Cultures Clash.