Cooperation In Schools And The Workplace: Understanding Tuckman’s Model Of Group Formation

Tuckman’s Model of Group Formation

Cooperation in schools and the workplace is vital in order to reap the rewards of increased productivity, improved morale, and better performance. This increases the efficiency in the work place and allows interactive learning in school. A case study of what happens after a merger was carried out by my group.  We described the procedures of group formation, evaluation of strategies, dissemination of roles, and problem solving. In formation we used the Tuckman’s model of group formation to help us analyze what happened in the process of forming a new group. The model helps us determine whether stages take place, and the kinds of activities that occur during each stage. In problem solving we talked about how group members would talk with each other and problem solve by brainstorming or making a diagram. This is vital because it helps stimulate the learner’s intelligent through participation in a classroom setting. We’ve incorporated the Thomas-Kilmann strategies on relationships and conflict (Black et al.,2019).

Group development is a term used to describe the natural developmental process that an unstructured group goes through as it searches for a common purpose and moves toward unity. This is a sequential process from its early stages to its later stages. It was originally developed by two organizational psychologists—Tuckman and Jensen—and was expanded over the years by many social psychologists.  Divided into forming, storming, norming, and performing stages (Bonebright,2010). Each stage of group development has certain stages of activity that must follow. When groups encounter a problem, they need to solve it in the appropriate stage. Understanding the developmental process of groups will help us understand how people work together.

Formation and organization of the group

Figure: Tuckman’s model of team development

(Source: Largent,2016)

The stage in which a group has just been formed and may not have an actual task. In other words, the members are new to each other’s personalities, backgrounds, and skills and are trying to get to know each other.  In this stage members tend to be cautious about what they say and do not feel comfortable enough with one another to take part in group activities. Group members should be open with one another but additionally, should be polite and courteous as they get used to each other. Classmates formed a group for the case study (Fulk et al.,2010). The group named themselves Quick Brains. Forming with my team is the stage where we first come together to discuss and establish the purpose of our group. Working towards these goals, we are able to identify how we can work together in order to achieve these goals.  The forming stage can be difficult, because it requires two things: first, members need to get comfortable enough with one another to not be afraid of giving and receiving feedback; and second, members need to learn how to give and receive feedback in a positive manner.  The team I was a part of was able to achieve this by all participating in giving and receiving feedback.

Formation and Organization of the Group

This stage is characterized as a time when group members struggle over goals, roles and tasks

Members are trying to define their roles or positions within the group, who is responsible for what tasks or projects, and how each member’s ideas fit into the overall goal. First the group members must define their roles or positions. This step was an important one because it helped us to understand how each person would fit into the group, and what role each member’s skills would be useful for. Group members should be very clear on their roles, it is important that everyone knows where they’re needed and how they can fill that need.  This causes them to be more cooperative towards the goals of the whole group.

Storming is a very common stage, especially in the workplace (Largent,2016). With this it helps to have a positive leader who can help to mitigate the conflicts so that they aren’t so intense. A great way to achieve this is through transparent communication and effective listening skills. This will allow the members of the group to understand each other’s feelings and beliefs, as well as possible solutions they may have.  

This stage is characterized as a time when group members begin to realize that the group is working better together than they could possibly do individually.  Group members begin to accept each other’s different personalities, beliefs and strategies. Members are more willing to share information, ideas and ideas about their role as a team member.  The Quick Brains team was able to accomplish this by keeping up communication with each other through conversations on Twitter and also in real life. The norming stage is the period where members are now able to adapt and accept one another. In this stage, the team may establish a sense of conformity whereby the team may assign roles in order for each member to pick up a specific task or role i.e., task force members, leader, advisers, followers and helpmates (Morita et al.,2014).

This stage is characterized as a time when group members are now more aware of the goal of what they are trying to accomplish through their group work. Group members begin to become more confident in their ability and success as a team member. Group members begin to realize that they are capable of achieving their goals because they have already achieved something that most people would consider impossible.

Evaluation Of The Tuckman’s Model

In this stage, group members are able to complete group tasks more successfully than individual work because they have already established a sense of teamwork, cohesion, and commitment. Members are now able to focus on the task at hand and solve problems as a team member rather than as an individual. This step is important because it allowed the team to complete their project in a more efficient way. The Quick Brains team was able to work together effectively in order to solve solutions for problems that they faced (Natvig et al.,2016).

This stage is characterized as a time when group members recognize that their work together has been successful. They are now able to complete tasks in a more productive manner because they have developed a greater sense of teamwork, cohesion, and commitment. This allows members to focus on the task at hand without worrying about how it will affect the other members or the team. The Quick Brains team was able to accomplish this by helping each other with problems with their ideas, working together to accomplish the goal. This stage is characterized as a time when group members are able to recognize that the group has successfully completed the goal, they set out to achieve (Wilson et al.,2010). This step is important because it allowed the team to achieve their goal in a successful manner and in an efficient manner.

Tuckman’s model for team development is a useful tool that allows effective teams to learn, study, and grow. It is not the only way to develop expertise or create effective teams. Developing a team requires more than just having the right people in the right seats. It also requires developing a teamwork culture which should start with a culture of trust and respect among team members. During our team formation, we were able to come up with our own team norms regarding the way that we would operate and what we expect from each other. The norms that were established among us was to respect each other’s opinions and the idea of criticism.  (Serenhov et al.,2020).

In this case, the program was successful because it helped the group members to work together as a team and respect each other’s opinions. The team members were able to understand that it is important for them to have a good understanding of their roles within the team and how they can contribute to achieve their goals as one. It is also important for us as individuals not to operate in isolation but be able to work with others in order for us to accomplish our objectives.  (Natvig et al.,2016).

Leadership theory to understand the evolution of roles with progressing tasks:

 A leadership theory we established allowed the evolution of roles within the team. We became stronger as a group because of our responsibilities to the group and the fact that we were able to cooperate amongst each other to come up with solutions to problems. There was a change in members’ roles towards one another and they were able to adjust accordingly. One might think that it would be difficult for them to adjust because they are part of a group but they did adjust and slowly but surely, they have become comfortable with their roles within the team and have been able to function as a team for our goal. This leadership theory allowed the group members to believe that we are all equal and important. This theory has been valuable to us as a team because it gave us the opportunity to evaluate our roles within the team and establish norms that were important in order for us to function as a team (Wilson et al.,2010).

The Tuckman’s model worked well with our group because it allowed us to reflect on each of our responsibilities and how they can affect our performance during a task as well as how they can make us more effective in coming up with solutions. This theory was a transformational leadership theory that guided our team to be more effective towards our mission and goal (Wright,2013).

Thomas Kil-mann strategies of conflict resolution is a process in which alternative solutions are created to solve problems. In the Quick Brains team, there were many disagreements of how to accomplish their goal. The team had to learn how to work together and come up with alternative choices. Working together at the same time helps the team to develop their strengths. The Quick Brains team was able to learn more about each of their strengths and how they can help one another with their weaknesses. Quick Brains was able to develop their team as a cohesive unit and come up with strategies for them to work together as a team.

 During the project when members had experienced miscommunication resulting in conflicts, we solved them with the techniques learnt. This was important because it allowed the group members to learn how they can work together in order to achieve what they have set out to accomplish at the beginning of this project. Thomas Kil-mann strategies of conflict resolution is a process used in order to create a more open environment for group members by allowing them to express their concerns in a safe way. It also allows group members to develop alternative ways of solving a problem. The Quick Brains team was able to accomplish this by getting their ideas on paper and talking out their problems as well as listening to each other’s ideas. The Quick Brains team was able to accomplish this by coming up with multiple solutions, then finding the best one that will work for them.

Individual roles/responsibilities are important so each member knows what they are responsible for doing within the team and how their actions affect others on the team.

Thomas Kil-mann has said that the problem-solving process is an important part of effective teamwork. Each member of the team that helped create Quick Brains was able to work together in order to come up with a solution for a problem they faced. The Quick Brains team was able to accomplish this by knowing how their group interactions will help them achieve the goal they have set out to achieve. In the end, Quick Brains was able to complete their project in a timely manner and with a higher level of quality than they expected. They have developed strong teamwork skills and learned how to resolve conflict as a team. This is important because in the future, they can use what they have learned to complete other projects that they encounter while working within a team.

Working together in this project has helped the Quick Brains team develop skills and ideals that they can use to help better their company. For example, they were able to learn how to work together and develop teamwork by using strategies such as brainstorming, problem solving and Thomas Kil-mann strategies of conflict resolution. .

The Gibbs reflective cycle on Quick Brains was developed through the use of a Gibbs frame of mind. The Gibbs frame of mind is a framework that shows how thoughts, feelings, and behaviors can be reflected on in order to come up with better ways to handle situations and make decisions. Each member also had an individual frame of mind so that they could reflect on their own decisions as well as why and how others made certain choices. This allowed the Quick Brains team to develop more self-awareness and to set and reach goals that they could work towards. This is important because it allows the team members to understand one another and how each individual makes certain choices as well as what decisions that others on the team make.

Quick Brains members felt comfortable being themselves while working on the project as they were able to know that the other members of the team would receive them the way that they were able to. The Quick Brains team was able to accomplish this by each member accepting each other for who they are and knowing how their actions affect others on the team. The group was also able to achieve this by knowing their individual roles within the group and which ones needed improvement as well as not making certain choices that would affect other people.

The team’s evaluation of their actions and thoughts was a substantial part of the Gibbs reflective cycle. The Quick Brains team was able to accomplish this by each member knowing his/her role within the group and how they were able to contribute to their goal at hand. They were also able to understand how they were making certain decisions while working on their project and what the results of their decisions were. This allowed them to see what they would need to improve on in order for them to meet the goals that they had set out to achieve.

Gibbs reflective cycle analysis of Quick Brains was done through a focus group interview. A focus group interview is a method of producing in depth information about the behavior of a group of people that are from the same category. The analysis of Quick Brains helped to create greater understanding of how the team learned during their time at the HCI Research and Development Center as well as what their goals were in order to meet their goals. Furthermore, it allowed them to see what they needed to improve on in order for themselves to be able to meet those goals.

Conclusion

With Gibbs reflective cycle, Quick Brains was able to set standards and goals for themselves that were realistic and that they could set for themselves.  By using this process, the team was able to accomplish their goal of better teamwork skills, learning new strategies that they can use in the future, as well as being better prepared for the tasks that lie ahead of them. Quick Brains will be able to use this process when they are working on future projects so that they are able to improve themselves and their work ethics. Without the process of Gibbs reflective cycle, Quick Brains would not be able to achieve their goals as well as they were able to.

Gibbs reflective cycle action plan in order to have a cohesive group, individual members of the group need to take part in a Gibbs reflective cycle activity. This will allow them to be able to create better relationships with each other as well as with their work peers and managers. Allowing members of a group to be able to reflect on themselves will allow them to become more comfortable with each other and help them become more self-aware.

Figure: “Gibbs reflective model”

(Source: Yaacob and Asraf, 2021)

Conclusion

The Quick Brains team was able to overcome the hardships they faced and achieve their goal by using the Benne and Sheats Theory of Group Roles. This theory helped them to accomplish this by developing each member’s role so that they can carry out their tasks in a timely manner as well as maintaining a higher quality of work than they would have produced had they not used this theory. This is important because it teaches them how to work within a group and develop skills that will make them more successful in their future endeavors.

 Reference List  

Black, S., Gardner, D.G., Pierce, J.L. and Steers, R., 2019. Team Development Over Time. Organizational Behavior.

Bonebright, D.A., 2010. 40 years of storming: a historical review of Tuckman’s model of small group development. Human Resource Development International, 13(1), pp.111-120.

Fulk, H.K., Bell, R.L. and Bodie, N., 2011. Team management by objectives: Enhancing developing teams’ performance. Journal of Management Policy and Practice, 12(3), pp.17-26.

Largent, D.L., 2016. Measuring and understanding team development by capturing self-assessed enthusiasm and skill levels. ACM Transactions on Computing Education (TOCE), 16(2), pp.1-27.

Morita, P.P. and Burns, C.M., 2014. Trust tokens in team development. Team Performance Management.

Natvig, D. and Stark, N.L., 2016. A project team analysis using Tuckman’s model of small-group development. Journal of Nursing Education, 55(12), pp.675-681.

Peralta, C.F., Lourenço, P.R., Lopes, P.N., Baptista, C. and Pais, L., 2018. Team development: definition, measurement and relationships with team effectiveness. Human Performance, 31(2), pp.97-124.

Serenhov, O. and Kaldera Hollu Pathiranage, P.P., 2021. Team Development in Global Virtual Teams: Application of Tuckman’s Team Development model.

Super JF. Building innovative teams: Leadership strategies across the various stages of team development. Business Horizons. 2020 Jul 1;63(4):553-63.

Wilson, M.P., Benedict, J.A., Snow, G. and Havercamp, M., 2010. Team Development and Beyond. Journal of Extension, 48(5), p.5TOT5.

Wright, E., 2013. Project team development and how to accelerate it. PM World Journal, 2(10), pp.1-7.

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