8 Team Stages
Learning Objectives
- Develop an understanding of the broad stages a team can go through.
- To be aware of some challenges you may face in each stage and start to think of some solutions to these challenges.
When you first form a team there will always be a period while you are getting to know one another and learning how to work together. Settling into your team and learning how to work with different members of your team can be tricky.
Bruce Tuckmans’s Team Development Model shown below will help you understand the different stages of team development, and some of the challenges you may face in each stage. Even if you think that your team is working well, this model can be useful in understanding what characterises success in each stage and the skills your team can learn along the way and benefit from.
It is important to understand that working cohesively as a team requires time and input from every team member, and rarely happens straight away. Work through this section and the activities in the next chapter to develop some solutions and strategies for if your teamwork becomes challenging.
Stages of Team Formation
The stages were developed by an educational psychologist Bruce Tuckman and their definitions and examples are informed by John/Lynn Bruton and Lumen Learning (n.d.). Work through this activity to learn about each of the stages.
Created by Teagan Menhenett, © Deakin University 2024, licensed under CC-BY-NC, and is a derivative of Stages of Team Development, by John/Lynn Bruton and Lumen Learning, licensed under CC BY 4.0.
Key Takeaways
- Teams rarely experience no conflict or challenges. Being aware of the various stages your team might move through can help you to consider these challenges before they occur and allow you to reflect on them.
