Every newly created group goes through a maturation process in order to work efficiently. While the group development process is recognized across many theorists, the exact number of stages within the process is an idea which is often disagreed upon. Most of the processes contain four stages yet Tuckerman added a fifth in 1977. When analyzing this process with a real life situation, such as our groups personal experience, it is important to remember that the development process is a theory, not fact.
Stage 1: Forming
Our group was a little behind the rest of the groups in starting the “ice-breaking” stage because none of us were in class the day groups were created. I think this slow start of getting to know each other might be the cause of our weak start as a group. No one wanted to step on each other's toes and we were all hesitant to take charge. We did not all know each other and that created an environment where we all held back and did not trust each other. However moving into the next stages our group began to grow and work more efficiently.
Stage 2: Storming
We did not get stuck in stage two, which often happens in groups. There was no rebellion of power and in meetings we were productive and rarely got off topic. I attribute this to the outcome of our first blog. After realizing that we needed to step it in gear and really all work together to get the results that we wanted.
Stage 3: Norming
The norming stage in group development is where questions about power and authority are resolved, and the group begins to come together. This is where the “we” feeling begins to take shape, and marks the turning point for many groups. While our group did not really have any kind of “power struggle” we did begin to come together after we did not receive the grade we wanted on our first blog. It was at that point that we all collectively realized that we were in this together, and that we needed to trust and rely upon each other if we wanted to excel. That event proved to be the catalyst our group needed to come together, and the sense of cohesiveness we began to develop allowed us to do much better on our subsequent blog.
Stage 4: Performing
Our group was able to excel is the fourth stage. Again, due to our weak start we were able to fly through the storming and norming stages in a very positive way. This set us up for a strong performance. With a little extra incentive we jumped into solving the task problems. Not only did we have to overcome “breaking the ice” but we also had to dive into writing a successful blog in a very focused manner (We were able to do both). It was as if we flipped a switch and each member contributed effectively while not hindering anyone team member’s work. We were able to communicate and work off of each other. The cooperation that seemed to come out of thin year was abundant between all members and every one's comments were helpful. If there were any disagreements they were not only minor but they were handled maturely and fixed constructively, only to add more strength to the blog. We created goals that were of high expectation, and each member was committed and successful in achieving these. The strong performing stage of our group work was a huge reward for us, as it led to a high grade. The grade achieved would not have been accessible without the work and cooperation of the entire group.
Stage 5: Adjourning
The adjourning stage of the group development process involves reflection, and a general closing to a project. It may involve an award ceremony or an end of the job party. The main goal of adjourning is for the team to leave with a sense of closure, and group leaders should emphasize valuable lessons and work to prepare the group members for future projects. This step in the process did not really apply to our group. Because we did not have an assigned leader, we do not have anyone to prepare the rest of the group for future projects. However, I think we can reflect back on our groups experience and look at a few lessons. Undoubtedly, our first lesson learned came after our dismal first blog attempt, where we did not put forth our best work, and lacked the proofreading and organizational skills to succeed. On the second blog, we moved forward, put forth our best effort, and the results followed. A second lesson our group can take away from the experience is how to be more efficient in our communications. We have been using Google Docs to write our drafts, so that all members can edit and see what others have written before it is published. This has given us the opportunity to work off of each others ideas and proofread others’ work.
Stage 1: Forming
Our group was a little behind the rest of the groups in starting the “ice-breaking” stage because none of us were in class the day groups were created. I think this slow start of getting to know each other might be the cause of our weak start as a group. No one wanted to step on each other's toes and we were all hesitant to take charge. We did not all know each other and that created an environment where we all held back and did not trust each other. However moving into the next stages our group began to grow and work more efficiently.
Stage 2: Storming
We did not get stuck in stage two, which often happens in groups. There was no rebellion of power and in meetings we were productive and rarely got off topic. I attribute this to the outcome of our first blog. After realizing that we needed to step it in gear and really all work together to get the results that we wanted.
Stage 3: Norming
The norming stage in group development is where questions about power and authority are resolved, and the group begins to come together. This is where the “we” feeling begins to take shape, and marks the turning point for many groups. While our group did not really have any kind of “power struggle” we did begin to come together after we did not receive the grade we wanted on our first blog. It was at that point that we all collectively realized that we were in this together, and that we needed to trust and rely upon each other if we wanted to excel. That event proved to be the catalyst our group needed to come together, and the sense of cohesiveness we began to develop allowed us to do much better on our subsequent blog.
Stage 4: Performing
Our group was able to excel is the fourth stage. Again, due to our weak start we were able to fly through the storming and norming stages in a very positive way. This set us up for a strong performance. With a little extra incentive we jumped into solving the task problems. Not only did we have to overcome “breaking the ice” but we also had to dive into writing a successful blog in a very focused manner (We were able to do both). It was as if we flipped a switch and each member contributed effectively while not hindering anyone team member’s work. We were able to communicate and work off of each other. The cooperation that seemed to come out of thin year was abundant between all members and every one's comments were helpful. If there were any disagreements they were not only minor but they were handled maturely and fixed constructively, only to add more strength to the blog. We created goals that were of high expectation, and each member was committed and successful in achieving these. The strong performing stage of our group work was a huge reward for us, as it led to a high grade. The grade achieved would not have been accessible without the work and cooperation of the entire group.
Stage 5: Adjourning
The adjourning stage of the group development process involves reflection, and a general closing to a project. It may involve an award ceremony or an end of the job party. The main goal of adjourning is for the team to leave with a sense of closure, and group leaders should emphasize valuable lessons and work to prepare the group members for future projects. This step in the process did not really apply to our group. Because we did not have an assigned leader, we do not have anyone to prepare the rest of the group for future projects. However, I think we can reflect back on our groups experience and look at a few lessons. Undoubtedly, our first lesson learned came after our dismal first blog attempt, where we did not put forth our best work, and lacked the proofreading and organizational skills to succeed. On the second blog, we moved forward, put forth our best effort, and the results followed. A second lesson our group can take away from the experience is how to be more efficient in our communications. We have been using Google Docs to write our drafts, so that all members can edit and see what others have written before it is published. This has given us the opportunity to work off of each others ideas and proofread others’ work.
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