The core idea
Tuckman’s 1965 review proposed forming, storming, norming and performing as a way to understand group development. Adjourning was added with Jensen in 1977. Teams may need orientation, negotiation of roles, shared working norms and coordination around the task. The model is a heuristic: actual teams can revisit issues, change membership or develop in less orderly ways.
Source and attribution [1]Using it in practice
Ask what the team needs now rather than declaring its stage. Clarify purpose, decision rights and expectations when people join. Distinguish disagreement about work from personal hostility. Make working agreements specific enough to observe and revisit them after a major change. When a project ends, plan knowledge transfer and acknowledge contributions instead of letting closure happen by accident.
An example, not a reported case
Worked example · illustrative
A newly combined HR and payroll team argues about priorities. Calling this “storming” explains little. A facilitated session reveals conflicting deadlines and no agreed escalation route. The team maps dependencies, allocates decisions and tests a shared weekly triage. When another service is added, it revisits the agreements rather than assuming it has permanently reached “performing”.
What to watch for
Bullying and discrimination are not healthy developmental stages. The model does not establish how long any stage lasts or guarantee that all teams experience each one.
Take it into your next conversation
Three useful questions.
- What is unclear about the shared task?
- Which disagreement needs a decision?
- What must be revisited after membership changes?
Related terms
Go to the evidence
Sources & attribution
[1] Tuckman, B. W. (1965). Developmental sequence in small groups. Psychological Bulletin. ↗
The core idea is an original summary of the cited work. Application notes, examples and sketches are our interpretations, not quotations or reproductions of the authors’ figures. Publisher records may require access to read the full original work.
Published 2026-09-20 · Reviewed 2026-09-20. Editorial approach