The Five Phases of Teams

Many of us have experienced working in teams—in fact, when you consider playing games as a child, creating group presentations in school, or collaborating on the job, all of us have been a part of a team at one time or another.

When I think of the process a team goes through, I immediately think of three stages:

1. Assembling the team
2. Working together on the project
3. Disbanding once the project is finished

But did you know that there are actually five phases that teams go through? That may sound like a lot, but each phase is important and moves the team forward towards becoming a strong, successful unit.

The five phases are:

1. Forming: Where the team is created—people may be excited or anxious about the upcoming task.

2. Storming: I’m sure many of us have experienced this stage—this is where the team deals with conflict, confrontation, defensiveness, and competition. Unfortunately, many teams never get past this phase!

3. Norming: Where the team really develops a sense of unity and each person is able to express criticism constructively (sounds ideal, doesn’t it?).

4. Performing: Here, the team is able to collaborate productively. Members are satisfied with the team’s progress and have the ability to work through problems. Go Team!

5. Adjourning: Where we bid farewell to our team. Hopefully, you will have pride in your team’s success as you say goodbye.

For more insights on teams, and for an in-depth look at each of these phases, check out our exciting new course on The Art of Team Building and enjoy three FREE video tutorials to get you started towards building a successful team.