Group Development

This blog is going to look at the development of groups using the four stages of Tuckman’s theory. Tuckman 1965, came up with the theory of “team development theories”. This theory involved four stages, forming, storming, norming, performing and adjourning.

When the group is in the forming stage, it is literally coming together; it is where there is discomfort within the group about their new task or position in the team. For the group expedition, it was clear that for the planning stage of the expedition was the forming stage, when the members of the group were all involved, however reluctantly, in the working out of the route and writing of the route cards.

What could be seen on the expedition especially was that although the group normally worked well together, there was a split that was even more prominent through the distribution of the group. Three out of the four members remained together, whereas the last group member was always up in front of the group, refusing to walk with them. This was clearly the storming stage of the group development; which is when there was the case of several people who appeared to be trying to lead the group, some were more determined than others.

The group did not reach the norming stage until the camp area had been set up. This was when the bickering had stopped, when the group had set up tents in the early afternoon, and was spending a bit of time relaxing, playing cards, and then taking in the surrounding views.

The following day, after packing up from a frosty night, and continuing on the expedition; there was an assent that needed to be climbed, it was at this time that the group finally started to be fully working together to ensure that all members of the group were able to get to the summit safely. This point of the expedition clearly shows the performing stage of Tuckman’s theory; which is when the group clearly begin to concentrate on the task in hand by using mutual support and ensuring that all the other group members were interacting together well.

Upon the decent from the decent from the ridge, which was the final stage of the expedition, it became clear that the group was slowly entering the adjourning stage of the group development. It became obvious when the group reached their final destination, the mountaineering hut; the group entered the full stage of adjourning. They were no longer required to work together to ensure each other’s’ safety or enjoyment.

In accordance to Priest and Gass 1998, “Properly orchestrated small-group interactions can exponentially increase a group’s ability to accomplish tasks,…” this quote shows that it is as much down to the group leader to assist the cohesion and development of the group as much as the group members. This information could have been useful within the forming stage of the development of the group, when the group were in the planning process of their expedition.

http://www.teambuilding.co.uk/Forming_Storming_Norming_Performing.html

Applying Psychology to Sport, B. Woods. 1998

Acquiring Skill in Sport, B. Sharp. 1992

Effective Leadership in Adventure Programming, S. Priest and M. Gass. 1997