Have you ever thought about group dynamics? Have you ever noticed that people in groups tend to bond in predictable ways?
Can you anticipate how people in new work teams will interact with you and each other? There will always be eventualities that we can’t anticipate, of course. But by understanding the natural cycles of group interactions, you’ll be better able to predict, plan, and be ready for what comes next.
Group Dynamics is the way any two or more people interact. It’s about how they communicate, how they establish boundaries, how they collaborate, and how they work for and against each other. It is relevant in many fields of study, including business, biology, sociology, and psychology. Understanding the pattern can even help us better navigate our own, personal relationships.
The Stages of Group Development
Let’s read about Bruce Tuckman’s model of “forming, storming, norming, and performing” to learn about the stages of group development and to practice English.
Forming
When people first meet, they tend to be formal, polite, and reserved. If there is an established authority figure, like a team leader or teacher, the other participants usually defer to this person at this stage. They are eager to learn more about how they might fit in and contribute, and what they might get out of the group.
Storming
Once people have had a chance to understand the purpose of the group and their own roles within it, they begin to relax their social niceties. Conflicts have a tendency to arise at this stage, as people start to show their true colours and assert themselves. Expect to have your boundaries tested, as people not only try to discover what they can get away with, but also seek to learn who you are and what you are made of.
Norming
At this point, people have begun to settle into their roles and have found a way to accept, and maybe even appreciate their differences. The participants feel safe enough to risk offering ideas and constructive criticism, and to ask for clarification and help.
Performing
Finally, the group has reached a level of high cohesion and efficiency. The participants feel like part of something valuable, and work towards common goals. People appreciate each other’s strengths and weaknesses, and are willing to work collaboratively and step in for one another as is reasonable and required.
The Catch
While it is tempting to see the stages as linear and clear cut, it is far more likely that groups will shift from stage to stage over time. When there is major disruption, like a member leaving or someone new coming in, the group tends to revert back to the forming stage. And poor management can keep a group stuck in a cycle of forming and storming indefinitely. Consider this model not as an absolute, but as a guide and a way to think about group dynamics.
Conversation Questions
1.) Describe the idea of group dynamics. What is it about?
2.) How do groups tend to develop, according to Tuckman’s theory?
3.) Does Tuckman’s model fit with your ideas about how groups form?
4.) Can you think of an example of this model from your own experience?
5.) How can using this model improve an aspect of your work?
6.) How can using this model improve an aspect of your private life?
Apply the model to different types of relationships. How does the theory bear up, in your opinion?
1.) a romantic relationship
2.) a parent/child relationship
3.) raising a puppy
4.) group therapy
5.) a new manager in a company
6.) a customer and small business owner
7.) a friendship
8.) Roommates
Further Reading
Tuckman, B.W. (1965). ‘Developmental Sequence in Small Groups,’ Psychological Bulletin, 63(6).
Stein, Judith. Using the Stages of Team Development. Mit, Human Resources.
Wikipedia
