Organizational Development - Forming, Storming, Norming and Performing - PROLIM (2024)

The effectiveness of a team in an organization depends on how well they coordinate, develop and perform as a group. Forming a team and working towards achieving goals takes time. To accomplish specific goals team members, have to understand their development as a team. They will have to go through multiple stages as they change from being an individual to a teamwith common goals.

The most commonly used framework for a team’s development includes Forming, Storming, Norming, and Performing. Any team building process or any task undertaken by the team goes through these four stages.

Each stage of team development helps with the self-evaluation process and analysis of the team’s behavioral patterns and changes at any point in time. This helps maximize the team building process and its productivity.

Forming – The forming stage is one where you create a team, defining clear-cut goals, and roles. At this stage, the team members are trying to figure out their role, are in a positive frame of mind and are looking forward to working on the project. The team lead plays an important role at this stage because team members’ roles and responsibilities aren’t clear. This is the stage where the energy is focused mainly on transforming a group of diverse individuals into a high-performance team.

Storming – This is the second stage in the development process. There are conflicts to gain control, pushing the boundaries defined in the forming stage. There are major brainstorming sessions, where team members exchange ideas and determine how to work cohesively.

Norming – Team members resolve their differences and work around their individual expectations, resolve problems and start working as a team. A group consensus is achieved to establish rules and style of working. Team members are clear about their roles and responsibilities. The group has a sense of identity and becomes a cohesive unit. Members strive to work together, trust each other and adapt to the needs of the team. A sense of camaraderie develops with team members communicating with each other, sharing ideas and helping each other.

Performing – At this stage, the group becomes a high-performance team. They have established a way of conducting the business. The team becomes achievement oriented, productive and can handle conflicts and misunderstandings in a dynamic fashion. Team members know how to work with each other and contribute collectively to reach their goals.

PROLIM Managing for Excellence

PROLIM operating in a global economy helps organizations achieve their PLM business goals with strong teams bringing diversity in the workplace. This offers a number of benefits including, improved understanding of the marketplace, enhanced creativity, problem-solving ability in teams, and better use of talent.

How you begin and create a high-performing team is important. It is also crucial to take it forward and end the project well. Share your thoughts below.