Free Essay on the Stages of Small-group Development Revisited

The article, Stages of small-group development revisited, by Tuckman and Jensen (1977) appears in the Group and Organization Management journal and highlights the different levels of development for successful teams. The article gives an analysis of the various aspects that teams must meet before they can be successful and perform the specific duties and objectives by the teams. The article highlights how organizations form groups within the larger company model and the different traits that are expected from individual clusters in a particular setting. These are compounded and compared to Tuckmans stages of development for teams and the pertinent aspects that must be present before a team coordinates and works together as a single entity. The article gives an indication and examples through measuring the Tuckmans model using a small group and the expected results that the group can meet in the long-run.

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Summary

The article uses the Tuckmans theories and models to interpret and develop the best stages that are essential in a good team. There are, however, three underlying aspects that must be present before developing the individual stages of development. There needs to be content that relates to what the team does and the different conceptual issues that the team is looking to do. The content aspect is essential in giving an indication of the approaches and the points that are to be achieved by the group. The process to meet the goals and objectives that have been set is also an important aspect that needs to be addressed. There is a need for a set-out plan or approach that gives an indication of the different tools and processes that the team will implement in meeting the specified goals. Feelings are also an important issue that needs to be addressed among the various groups. Tuckman notes that teams have different characteristics and traits that stem from the individual feelings of team members. It is, therefore, essential to ensure that a group addresses the feelings of individuals within the teams for it to meet the goals and objectives as initially planned.

Tuckmans five stages of team development are; forming, storming, norming, performing and adjourning. According to the article, the different stages need to be met if a team is to succeed in achieving the goals and objectives. Different teams have various methods and approaches to each of these stages. The forming stage is the first stage where individuals weigh up various aspects and give content on the points that should be met by the team. The forming process is marred by anxiety and uncertainty as individuals do not know the approaches that need to be used to meet the goals and objectives of the team. Team members look to their leaders for guidance and direction on the procedures that should be used to achieve their aims and objectives. The storming stage is the most controversial and takes a lot of time before people can move to the next stage. The storming stage is characterized by disagreements and emotional uproar as each member of the team defends their ideas and individual traits that they want to be pursued. Many teams spend a lot of time on this stage, and some teams break as a result of disagreements. The norming stage is characterized by calm and collected people who drive different ideas and look to implement the suggest models. The stage is critical in developing and uniting the team.

However, some teams may regress to the storming stage if they do not have the best processes to address any eventualities at this juncture. The performing stage integrates all the aspects that have been discussed, and the team members engage in working to the recommended aspects and decisions met. There is an investment in the necessary tools to ensure the success of the team with every member being on the same page. The final stage is the adjourning stage where there is the disengagement of relationships that were created within the team. It is a critical stage since it ensures that individuals can reflect on all the stages and use the lessons learned in any other team. The authors of the article highlight the importance of ensuring that every stage is amicably resolved since a team is only successful after meeting all these stages. The article is an indicator of the systems and changes that can be expected while developing different teams and systems.

Conclusion

The authors conclusion is that team development is essential for success. Every team member needs to understand the stages of team development and their influence on the overall results to ensure that the teams resolve and pass every stage amicably. Some changes can be expected at every stage, but these are all as a result of individual traits among group members.

The resource is valuable in my field since it gives the importance of teamwork and how every stage can be developed to gain maximum results. Every step is important for any team; therefore, team members need to adopt approaches that can help in developing the best tools for the team through all the stages.

Reference

Tuckman, B. W., & Jensen, M. A. C. (1977). Stages of small-group development revisited. Group & Organization Management, 2(4), 419-427.