HOW THE TUCKMAN MODEL HELPS AGILE TEAMS?

The way people do their work depends on the quality of their interactions and relationships with their colleagues.

It is no coincidence that the first value of the Agile Manifesto is: “People and interactions are more important than processes and tools”

Several researchers in sociology and psychology suggest that team dynamics play an important role in surpassing oneself and achieving exceptional performance.

So how could companies stimulate group dynamics that maximize productivity at work?

To help leaders understand the mysteries of human behavior as well as how team members interact, several scientists have invested in research.

Among others, Bruce Wayne Tuckman (November 24, 1938 – March 13, 2016), an American psychology researcher who conducted his research on the theory of group dynamics.

In 1965 he published a theory known as “Tuckman’s stages of group development”.
The latter helps explain quite simply why some teams reach their peak of productivity and others not.

The Tuckman model

From this study, he defined a scheme made up of 4 basic steps: Forming, Storming, Norming, Performing

Forming:

The team comes together and learns about opportunities and challenges, then agrees on goals and begins to tackle tasks. Team members tend to behave quite independently. They can be motivated but are generally uninformed about team issues and goals. Team members are generally on their best behaviour but very focused on themselves.

Storming:

It is the second stage of team development, where the group begins to get to know each other and gain the trust of others. This stage often begins when they voice their opinions; Conflicts can arise between team members when power and status are assigned. They also identify in this step the hierarchy of positions in the group.

At this point, there is often a positive and polite atmosphere, people are pleasant to each other, and they can have feelings of excitement, eagerness and positivity. Others may have feelings of suspicion, fear, and anxiety.

At this point, team members form an opinion about the character and integrity of the other participants and feel compelled to voice their opinions if they find someone shirking their responsibilities or trying to dominate. .

Disagreements and personality conflicts must be resolved before the team can get out of this stage, and some teams may never get out of this stage; Or can re-enter this phase if new challenges or differences arise.

In Tuckman’s 1965 article, only 50% of the studies identified a stage of the intragroup conflict, and in some of the remaining studies, groups went directly from stage 1 to stage 3.

Norming:

“Resolved disagreements and personality clashes result in greater intimacy and a spirit of cooperation emerges.” It happens when the team is aware of the competition and shares a common goal.

At this point, all team members take responsibility and have the ambition to work towards the success of the team’s goals. They begin to tolerate and accept the whims and fancies of other team members. They strive to move on to achieve their common goal.

Performing:

“Once group norms and roles are established, group members focus on achieving common goals, often achieving an unexpected level of success.” At that point, they are motivated and knowledgeable.

Team members are now competent, autonomous and able to manage the decision-making process without supervision.

Dissent is expected and permitted as long as it is channeled through means acceptable to the team.

Adjourning:

In 1977, Tuckman, together with Mary Ann Jensen, added a fifth stage to the four stages: adjourning, which involves the completion of the project and the breaking up of the team (in some texts called “mourning”). An important step in the life cycle of small groups. It is important to ensure that the team has time to celebrate the success of the project.

Leadership strategies to help teams succeed

Undertaking the following actions at each Tuckman phase might help your teams succeed.

What other strategy or practice would you recommend to foster good group dynamics?

There are surely other leadership strategies to adopt during these different phases to help teams succeed in their challenges. What other strategy or practice would you recommend to foster good group dynamics?

If you need help developing and optimizing team performance and productivity, contact our expert agile coaches to support you.

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