Stages of Group Formation: A Guide

Making a team or group is exactly like maintaining a healthy relationship. Just like a relationship, every member of the group has to be patient, give relentless efforts, and also requires support and understanding from the other members of the group. These key factors make the group recognizable as a group. Every member changes from being a collection of strangers to a united group with a common goal.

A group is an assemblage of many people. In simple words, it can be understood as a collection of two or more two individuals coming together to interact with each other; so that they can achieve the same goals and objectives of an organization or a company. This lays the foundation of a company.

Introduction

Our discussion so far has focused on the group as an organization, not on individuals within the group. This is similar to describing a car by its type and colour without looking at what is under the lid. External factors are what we see and experience, but internal factors are what make it word. In groups, internal factors are people in a group and how they interact with each other. For teams to function effectively, people in the team must be able to work together to contribute to team outcomes. 

But this does not happen automatically: it progresses as the team works together. You have likely had some experience in being assigned a group to work on a school project or project. When your group starts to meet, you probably look at each other, not knowing how to start. At first, you are not a group; you are just individuals assigned to work together. 

Characteristics of a Group

1)  Size-

A group is formed with at least two members. Usually, the number of group members in a group ranges from 15 to 20 members. It becomes difficult to manage a large group. Therefore it is said that the more members in a group the more complex it is to manage.

2) Goals-

The reason behind the existence of a group is having certain goals to achieve among the group members. A group cannot exist without a goal.

3) Norms-

A group must have certain norms for effective interaction with the group members.

4) Structure- 

Based on the roles as well as the positions held by the members, the group has to have a structure.

5) Roles- 

The group leader assigns a certain role to every group member which they have to achieve in a given time.  

6) Interaction- 

Interacting with the members is very crucial for the group as it increases the bond and motivation to work efficiently. The interaction among the members can occur in various ways. It can be a face to face interaction or a telephonic interaction, in writing form or any other manner.

7) Collective Identity- 

A group is an aggregation of individuals. The individuals are separately called the members and collectively called a group.

Types of Groups

There are two types of group as follows:

1) Formal Groups- 

Formal groups are those groups that are formed by the management of an organization or a company to achieve certain goals and objectives. It is further classified as:

a)  Self-directed Teams- 

The group of employees who are authorized to make their own decisions are called self-directing teams. It is independent and also self-governing in nature.

b) Quality Circles- 

Several employees who meet every week for an hour to talk about their problems and are classed together to the same fields come under the category of quantity circles. They also identify the causes of a problem and find out the solution to take necessary steps in this regard.

c)  Committees- 

A committee is formed by the management of an organization for different matters to identify and discuss the issues of the company and arrive at a conclusion. It can be a standing committee, or an advisory committee, or an audit committee, or a grievance committee, or can be an Adhoc committee.

d)  Task Force- 

Taskforce is a temporary committee where the people belonging from different fields are grouped for the performance of the task.

2)  Informal Groups- 

Informal groups are formed by the social and psychological variables operating in the workplace. The creation of such types of groups is very spontaneous due to the common interest, social needs, physical proximity, and mutual understanding among the members. 

Five Stages of Group Development

1) Forming Stage- 

The very first stage of group development is the forming stage. This stage presents the time where a group is just formed and the members are starting to come together as a team. In this stage, the members are learning what to do.

2) Storming Stage- 

The storming stage is the second stage of group development. In this stage, the group members have understood the work and therefore the dispute and the competition are at a high level.

3) Norming Stage- 

This is the stage where the group becomes fun and enjoyable because the interaction among the members is easier, productive, and cooperative.

4) Performing Stage- 

At this stage, a sense of belongingness is established because the talents, skills, and experience of each group member are acknowledged. The work becomes more flexible.

5) Adjourning Stage- 

This stage is very crucial in group development. This stage shows that the project has come to an end. 

Tuckman's  Five Stages of Group Development

Psychologist Bruce Tuckman developed his team development model in 1965 to explain how healthy groups come together over time. The Tuckman model identifies five stages in which teams develop: build, whirl, adapt, perform, and reverse. Each of the five stages of team development represents a step towards team building. As team members climb the ladder, they move from a group of strangers into a well-functioning group that can work toward a common goal. Here are five stages of Tuckman team development that are described in detail:

1. Structural phase development team: The stage for making the first phase in the Tuckman team development stages and is the same as your first day at a new job or new school. At this stage, most members of the group are extremely polite and are still very happy about their future. Since team flexibility and team roles have not yet been established, a team leader will often take over the reins of individual members. 

2. Storm development group: The storming stage is like when you reach that point with a new roommate where you start noticing their little idiosyncrasies that reach your nerves. In groups, conflicts often arise as a result of conflicting working styles between team members. Some people may even begin to question the group's goals discussed at the outset and then stop altogether. This has a negative and depressing effect on those who continue to work hard as the previously established group processes no longer work well. 

3. The general phase of group development: Tuckman's next phase is the general phase. This is when the team overcomes its previous conflicts and begins to see and appreciate the strength of its team colleagues. At this stage, team members are increasingly respecting those in leadership positions. Now that everyone has started to get acquainted with the team's processes, team members feel more comfortable as they work to accomplish new tasks.

4. Phase development team play: The playing phase is the most exciting of all stages of development. At this stage, your team's performance is excellent. This high level of performance means that all team members are self-sufficient and confident enough with their problem-solving skills to be able to work without supervision by leaders. Everyone works like a well-equipped, non-confrontational machine and moves in sync toward the same ultimate goal.

5. Phase development team development: The fifth phase of the Tuckman development sequence is the retreat phase. This last phase was actually not added to the Tuckman model until 1977 and is the most tragic of all stages of team formation. The postponement phase assumes that project teams are only available for a set period of time; once the task of the group is completed, the group itself disintegrates. You can compare this category with separation as group members often find it difficult to separate from people and build close relationships with them. In fact, this stage is sometimes called the “mourning period” because it is common for team members to feel lost when a group is disbanded.