Navigating the Stages of Team Development

Understanding how teams evolve is crucial for leaders, managers, and team members alike. One of the most widely recognised models of team development is Bruce Tuckman’s Stages of Team Development, which describes how teams progress from first coming together through to becoming mature and high-performing. Recognising and appreciating these stages—Forming, Storming, Norming, Performing, and Adjourning—can help teams navigate challenges and achieve their potential. Here’s an overview of each stage, how you can positively influence your team’s progress, and how facilitated team days can make a real difference.

 

The Five Stages of Team Development

 

1. Forming

 

When a team first comes together, members are typically polite, cautious, and focused on understanding their roles and expectations. Relationships are not yet established, and team goals may be unclear.

 

What you can do:

 

• Provide clear direction and define goals to reduce uncertainty.

 

• Foster open communication by encouraging team members to share their strengths and aspirations.

 

2. Storming

 

As individuals begin to assert themselves, differences in working styles and opinions may surface, leading to conflict or frustration. This stage can be uncomfortable but is essential for growth.

 

What you can do:

 

• Acknowledge and accept conflict as a natural part of team development.

 

• Focus on resolving issues constructively by promoting active listening and mutual respect, and creating safe spaces for sharing opinions.

 

• Keep the team focused on their shared goals.

 

3. Norming

 

The team starts to gel, with roles and expectations becoming clearer. Trust builds, and members begin to collaborate more effectively.

 

What you can do:

 

• Celebrate small wins to reinforce a sense of team spirit

 

• Strengthen relationships by creating opportunities for team bonding, including social events, away days and smaller interactions during team meetings or using chat facilities throughout the day

 

• Encourage feedback (including peer to peer and upwards) to fine-tune processes and communication.

 

4. Performing

 

At this stage, the team operates at its peak. Members work independently and collaboratively, with a shared commitment to achieving results and making the most of each others’ strengths. 

 

What you can do:

 

• Empower team members by delegating tasks and trusting their expertise.

 

• Sustain motivation by revisiting goals and celebrating progress.

 

• Keep challenging the team to innovate and improve.

 

5. Adjourning

 

When a team disbands after completing its objectives, or radically changes for example after a merger, members may experience mixed emotions—pride in their accomplishments and sadness at parting ways.  And it’s healthy to acknowledge this sense of sadness: this stage is also known as ‘mourning’. 

 

What you can do:

 

• Acknowledge and celebrate the team’s achievements.

 

Allow team members to express their emotions about this ending and transition.

 

• Provide opportunities for reflection to capture lessons learned.

 

How I Can Help Your Team Navigate These Stages

 

While understanding these stages is valuable, moving through them effectively often requires focused effort and external support. This is where facilitated team days can make a real impact. As an experienced facilitator, I create tailored sessions that:

 

• Help teams address challenges, such as merging different working styles or overcoming the fallout from organisational changes.

 

• Build trust and improve communication, accelerating progress through the Storming and Norming stages.

 

• Identify and resolve barriers to high performance, setting teams up for long-term success.

 

Each team is unique, and my approach reflects that. Drawing on my experience working with legal teams, I ensure that every session is practical, relevant, and aligned with your goals.  And fun – as I believe away days should be enjoyable as well as practical. 

If you’d like to help your team thrive—whether you’re just starting to gel or striving to reach peak performance—I’m happy to help.  Get in touch to arrange an initial conversation and I’d love to work with you and your team.