5 Stages of Group Formation

Identify and describe the five stages of group formation

-Forming
-To connect with other people.
-Set up goals.
-Little work is done.
-Storming
-Group roles and rules emerge.
-Lots of tension and conflict.
-Struggle for leadership
-Conflict
-Constructive – make the group more successful
-Destructive – tear the group apart
-Two people with two different ideas don’t agree with each other

-Norming
-Establish standards of behavior norms and rules will operate in order to reach their common goal.
-Cohesion
-The group starts to get along and start to bond and consider themselves a team.
-Avoid dominating over members.
-Stay focused, and be respectful to one another.
-Work together not against one another.
-Groupthink

-Cohesion = good (good sports team working together)
-Groupthink = bad (The Challenger space shuttle explosion happen because of group think)
-Performing
-Lots of productivity
-The group is productive, cohesive, and committed to the task – morale is high
-Adjourning
-The group assesses the successfulness of the task and decided whether or not to in touch with each other.

The five different stages of group formation are “Forming” in which people connect with others, set up goals yet little work is done in this phase. The second stage of group formation is “Storming” in which group roles and rules emerge which cause tension and conflict. There is also a struggle for leadership. The two types of conflict are Constructive where the group is more successful and there is also destructive where two people don’t agree with each other and tears the group apart.

The third stage of group formation is “Norming” which establishes the standards of behavior norms and rules. Through out this stage “Cohesion and Groupthink can occur and it could determine whether the group is successful or not. Cohesion is the good thing that can come out of it because the group starts to get along and bond with each other. The fourth stage of group formation is “Performing” where lots of productivity occurs and the group is cohesive and committed to finish the assignment. The final stage of group formation is “Adjourning” and this is where the group acknowledges the successfulness of the assignment and decided whether or not they would want to work together in the future.