Reference #463: Organizational Culture and Leadership

A model for the stages of group evolution was summarised by 1956 by Bennis & Shepard, then described "poetically" by Tuckman in 1965 as forming, storming, norming, and performing.

Initially, a group is brought together to learn or to accomplish some task, either by a leader or by accident owing to a crisis. In the forming stage, the group works to resolve questions of identity and role. Each individual answers who they are to be in that group.

In the storming phase, members face questions of authority and influence. Who will control whom in the group?

When norming, the group determines at what level of relationship they want to operate, and how they would like to interact with each other. This is the question of intimacy.

After resolving these questions, the group reaches the performing stage. At this stage, they can focus on accomplishing their task.

Schein. Organizational Culture and Leadership, 2017. (127-130)

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