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The Importance of Multimodal Learning Preferences
When you think of 'multimodal learning preferences,' what comes to mind? For most, the VARK (visual, auditory, reading, kinesthetic) model …
Encouraging collaboration and cohesion in teams is often harder than it looks. Each team member brings different skills, experiences and perspectives to the table, and that can inspire creativity just as easily as it can spark friction. It’s up to leaders to encourage their team to work together and ensure everyone is pulling in the same direction. Tuckman’s stages of group development offer leaders a roadmap for doing just that. With this model, leaders can better understand how teams naturally evolve, so they can create a team that knows how to work together to drive the organization forward.
Many leaders assume that if you hire a group of smart, skilled individuals, success is guaranteed. But the truth is, you can’t expect every team to gel the moment they meet. Even the most talented teams will fumble when they’re just starting out, not because of poor leadership or a lack of people skills, but because it takes time for the group dynamics to mature and for teams to figure out how to work as one.
Enter Bruce Tuckman, a renowned psychologist who, in 1965, laid out exactly what many leaders learn the hard way: that each and every team grows and develops over time in stages. His model maps out the natural evolution of group dynamics, from awkward beginnings to high-functioning collaboration. It details how roles are established, trust is built and initial friction eventually turns into alignment and connection.
By understanding Tuckman’s model, leaders can learn how to anticipate the bumps in the road and cultivate the relationships that turn a collection of skilled individuals into a collaborative powerhouse of a team. This model serves as a powerful reminder that great teams aren’t built overnight. They’re grown, stage by stage, step by step, with patience, intent and deliberate effort from their leader.
The Tuckman Model offers a clear roadmap for understanding how teams, like people, grow. He breaks this process down into five stages, each offering unique value. Movement through these stages is not necessarily linear.
This initial step sees the leader creating a team. As the members get to know one another, they’re politely cautious, unsure of the norms and still testing the waters. Think of this as the “first day of school”: everyone is figuring out their roles or starting to form relationships, and that means excitement is bound to mix with uncertainty.
The storming phase is when tensions and conflicts within the group arise, as they inevitably do. Tensions overshadow progress as priorities and personalities begin to clash. Imagine a band practicing for the first time. It’s going to be disorienting, loud and probably a bit uncomfortable.
It’s important to remember that storming isn’t a sign that the group is failing but an indicator that the real work is beginning. Tension is natural as employees establish their roles and responsibilities, and going through conflict is necessary for employees to build trust with one another and align on their goals. Leaders need to recognize this messy middle stage as a necessary step toward team development.
During the norming step, the team’s norms and routines are starting to be established. Trust and collaboration improve as the team tackles objectives and challenges together. They know the structure and the rules they’ve created, and now they’re beginning to feel comfortable working together.
Performing is the fourth stage of the Tuckman Model. The team has hit its stride and is functioning at its best. The team is aligned, self-directed and motivated to perform, perhaps even taking it a step further and demonstrating initiative and innovation.
This stage is all about closure and transition. As the work wraps up, employees can reflect on their experience and start to prepare for what’s next. Teams are in the adjourning phase when final deliverables are accomplished and progress is celebrated.
Keep in mind that not every team is going to move through these stages cleanly or linearly. Some teams will inevitably circle back to earlier stages, many times due to turnover, newfound goals or unresolved conflicts. That is entirely normal and to be expected.
The important thing to remember is not to rush your team through these stages. Each stage holds unique value, and guiding your team through the stages steadily is the key to success. Take your time and support whatever your team needs at each point of the process to ensure long-lasting cohesion, trust and performance.
The Tuckman Model for group development serves as a guide to building strong, high-performing teams. Leaders can use this model to streamline the process of uniting teams, including making onboarding smoother, facilitating conflict resolution, building trust and increasing resilience. While leaders can’t force connection, they can meet their employees where they are, understand what they need and help them move forward as one.
During each cycle of development, leaders have a role in supporting team members to encourage long-lasting, productive cohesion:
The best teams are not assembled or high-performing from the start. Instead, employees grow into their roles as members of a team through shared experiences, challenges and support from one another and their leader. Tuckman’s stages of group development enable leaders to learn more about how teams develop and use this knowledge to turn their teams into productive assets.
Like the Tuckman model, the Situational Leadership® framework gives leaders a lens for diagnosing team dynamics and responding with intention to enhance cohesiveness. The Situational Leadership® Essentials course from The Center for Leadership Studies (CLS) uses the Situational Leadership® approach to teach leaders how to adjust their leadership style to fit each team member’s needs and develop their team to address current and future challenges.
Learn how to build strong and effective teams as a leader. Explore our myriad leadership courses, and contact us today for more information.
