Climbing the Tuckman Ladder: Move Your Team to Peak Performance
In a world that is continually changing, organizations (boards, businesses, departments, etc.) are generally in constant state of flux. More and more people and organizations are required to remain “nimble,” but what people don’t realize is that even those organizations that successfully embrace a nimble or agile culture still have a solid foundation from which to operate. This is never more apparent than when organizations have solidly performing teams that are able to persevere despite roadblocks, challenges and setbacks.
Some of you may be aware of the Stages of Group Development by Bruce Tuckman. The premise is that all teams will progress through the same stages. However, teams will move at different rates and some may get stuck or backslide before reaching the pinnacle of performance, especially if there is not conscious effort to keep the team moving forward. These stages are universal to all teams regardless of the group’s members, purpose, goal, culture, location, demographics and so on.
Team dynamics change each time a team member leaves and/or you bring on a new member. To some degree each time a change happens, you start the process over. If you have the right foundational pieces in place such as “job descriptions” (roles, expectations, limits of authority, evaluation criteria, etc.), policies, procedures, established group cultural norms, and onboarding programs in place, your team will move through the stages back to peak performance much quicker.
Below is a brief explanation of what each stage is, what you may see at each stage and what can help your team move up the ladder, step by step, to reach peak performance.
Stage 1: Forming
What is it? Forming is when the team comes together. This can be at an original formation or when the members change such as through leaving or additions, both of which creates “new” team dynamics that take time to form.
How do you know you’re here? Common behaviors seen in this stage include:
High dependence on leader due to uncertainty and a lack of trust among team members
A lack of open, honest and productive debate regarding how to carry out the team’s responsibilities which can lead to questioning of the team’s purpose
Members are starting to get to know each other but the desire for independence remains
Climbing up the ladder: Possible actions to take to help your team move up to the next stage include:
Provide clarity on the team’s purpose and help them understand the “why” behind the formation of the team
Define roles, responsibilities, levels of authority and high-level goals; establish “rules of engagement” that support cultural norms for how the group will interact, behave in meetings, etc.
Engage in team building that will allow members to get to know each other which will help them picture how they will be able to work together going forward
A consistent onboarding process will help bring new members up to speed quicker; consider developing a mentor-mentee program, especially for newcomers
Stage 2 - Storming
What is it? The group is starting to gain a better understanding of what’s expected of their team. Yet, they’re also dealing with internal competition while they begin working together as there’s still a shaky foundation and a good amount of uncertainty about each other. Luckily, as they get more comfortable with each other, they’re more likely to work through their questions or issues.
How do you know you’re here?
The team starts to get along better as they grow more familiar with each other; however, you may see cliques and power struggles
Members will start to rise up as formal or informal leaders (this also could lead to power struggles if there are challenges among potential leaders)
More and more questions are coming up such as about how the group will divide responsibilities, who can direct what, and how the work will be evaluated
Climbing up the ladder:
Proactively address foundational questions including concerns around authority; consider documenting leadership roles and who will be responsible for what elements of the team performance and outcomes
Compromises and coaching techniques may be required to keep the group moving forward
Leaders must recognize that just because there’s not outward conflict doesn’t mean there aren’t still underlying issues with members that aren’t rising to the surface; these still need to be proactively sourced, given voice and addressed in the group
Stage 3: Norming
What is it? The team is feeling comfortable with each other at this stage. They are beginning to trust each other as well as seeing and valuing the different skill sets each member brings as they collectively work toward a common goal.
How do you know you’re here?
There is open and free flowing communication throughout the group
There is optimism and camaraderie among the team as they are able to work independently and center around a common belief of purpose
The team responds well to leader facilitation and can reach agreement on important decisions and action plans
The team starts to have more fun together
Climbing up the ladder:
Continue using the team for important decision making, but allow smaller decisions to be delegated to subteams
Leadership is respected by the team but should be less “hands on” as the team becomes more self-directing and able to find consensus, ownership and accountability on its own
Settling on process and procedures assists the team with achieving results as they work toward their goals
Stage 4: Performing
What is it? We’ve reached peak performance! This stage is when the team is highly productive, with strong relationship dynamics, commitment and unity around purpose.
How do you know you’re here?
There is a greater awareness of “why” the team is doing what it’s doing which allows for more strategic alignment and decision making
Due to the solid foundation of trust that has been built, productive conflict can occur as members feel safe to take risks and experiment as they work together to problem-solve
There is a high level of autonomy as members “own” their role on the team, are committed to high achievement and have accountability to each other
Optimal Outcomes:
The team achieves optimal outcomes when they are in the Performing stage; they are able to successfully complete their charter or objective(s)
Stage 5: Adjourning
What is it? This stage only applies for impermanent teams. This is when the project or initiative has completed and the team disbands, perhaps returning to their homebase team or transferring to new teams and restarting the Forming stage with the new group.
