How to Set the Foundation in the Forming Stage of Team Building

Becoming a part of a new team or organization is like stepping into a whole new world. The feeling of uncertainty and inhibition compounds when your entire team is starting afresh.

The idea of fitting into a brand-new group sounds overwhelming but can be easily navigated under the right leadership.

Known as the Forming Stage in Bruce Tuckman’s Model of Team Development, this initial phase is crucial for building a strong and cohesive team. It’s a stage to form connections, break down barriers, build trust, and gear up for future success.

The forming stage lays the foundation for a healthy and productive team environment, where group members are ready to take on challenges and achieve the team’s goals.

Let’s take a look at how you can master the forming stage for organizational excellence!

From Forming to Performing: Mastering the Forming Stage of Team Development

Understanding Tuckman’s Stages of Group Development

Before diving deeper into the forming stage and its importance, let’s start by understanding Tuckman’s stages of group development.

Proposed by psychologist Bruce Tuckman in 1965, Tuckman’s theory or model illustrates the natural progression of team development across different phases. He proposed that the evolution of a team goes through five stages of team development: forming, storming, norming, performing, and adjourning.

Here’s what these stages of team development signify:

Stage 1: The forming stage

The forming stage is the first stage. This is where team members come together and begin establishing rapport, assigning roles, and setting expectations. Being the first of the earlier stages, it is marked by uncertainty, cautiousness, and leader dependence.

Some of the key features of the forming stage include:

The group leader plays a dominant role in offering direction and guidance during this stage
Team members may feel hesitant to share ideas, express opinions, or take risks
Teams may test and explore boundaries, expectations, working styles, communication modes, ground rules, etc.

Stage 2: The storming stage

The next stage, the storming stage, is when the gloves come off, and the claws are out. You’ll notice a shift in team dynamics, with conflict, competition, and resistance getting in the way of the team’s goals. Each team member will attempt to assert themselves and challenge the status quo, resulting in power struggles.

The key traits of the storming stage include:

The team leader now plays the role of a mediator as they participate in firefighting activities
Team members begin expressing their disagreement on goals, roles, procedures, and more
There may be some resistance to the group’s decisions and norms, with team members questioning leadership or general direction

Stage 3: The norming stage

Fortunately, the tumultuous storming stage paves the way for the third stage—the norming stage. Here, teams will start establishing norms, defining roles, and setting expectations clearly and amicably.

In simpler words, things simmer down to normalcy as team members feel a sense of belonging and commitment toward the mutually agreed-upon shared goal.

Key characteristics of the norming stage include:

Team members will feel more connected to other team members and their goals
Teams develop standardized processes, operations, and workflows
There will be an increase in team collaboration and cooperation as teams identify optimum ways to work through their differences, if any

Stage 4: The performing stage

The performing stage is typically the final stage of group development (the keyword here is “development” since what follows is team disbandment). For this reason, some variations of Tuckman’s model contain only four stages, ending with the performing stage.

Here, the team has achieved synchronous harmony, peak performance, and maximized productivity. The resulting high-performing teams function perfectly together and deliver success at every turn.

Notable traits of the performing stage include:

High levels of team performance and productivity leading to effortless goal attainment
Strong relationships and trust among team members
Shared commitment to the team’s success and concerted action to achieve team goals

Stage 5: The adjourning stage

The fifth stage is the adjourning stage. This is when the team has achieved its goal and is ready to transition to the next project. In some cases, the team may also break apart to take on new roles and challenges and form a whole new team.

Some features of this stage include:

The team may reflect on shared experiences and celebrate achievements
Team leaders may collect feedback from team members or conduct post-project reviews
Parting ways may also evoke an emotional response, with team members experiencing a sense of loss or sadness

That’s a high-level view of the five stages of team development, as proposed by Tuckman.

⭐️ Friendly Note: The transition across the five stages of team development may not always be linear. Teams may revisit earlier stages or go back and forth, and may even create their own version of team norms. That said, having this developmental sequence framework allows leaders to steer team development as they transition from a group of strangers to cross-functional teams!

The Importance of Forming Stage in Team Development

So why have we decided to focus on the forming stage alone in the blog post?

Well, the first meeting with a new team sets the tone for how the team will perform over the course of their project.

Here’s why we consider the forming stage to be a foundational step for a successful team:

Building trust and confidence: The forming stage grants team members the opportunity to get to know each other and cultivate trust. Building rapport instills confidence as the team gears up to solve problems and work together
Establishing clear roles: The initial phase involves assigning clear roles, responsibilities, and expectations. Defining these right at the beginning of the team development process leaves little room for misunderstandings and miscommunication
Nurturing a positive work culture: In the current time and age, collaboration and cooperation are two key pillars of success. The forming stage enables this by creating a positive and inclusive work environment where every team member feels valued
Laying the groundwork for team success: As team leaders encourage team members to participate and feel like a part of the group, there will be greater cohesiveness amongst group members. Such sentiments help navigate challenges and resolve conflicts that may arise later during the other stages of team development

Challenges in the Forming Stage

Undoubtedly, the forming stage is the genesis of the team structure. However, it’s not immune to challenges.

Here are some challenges that team leaders can expect during the forming stage:

Navigating uncertainty and ambiguity, especially when team members are unsure about their respective roles, responsibilities, and goals. This can also result in inefficiency or unproductive patterns
Depending heavily on team leaders to provide support, guidance, and direction. It also stifles autonomy and creativity among self-motivated team members
Addressing resistance to change as team members may not be willing to experiment with new ways of working or stay open to new ideas. This issue may particularly be prevalent when team members are used to working in a particular way
Establishing trust and rapport within a new team takes time and consistent effort. There is no magic formula to build a solid foundation of trust unless the entire team is willing to put in the work
Conquering the fear of failure as team members may be afraid of making mistakes. This also curbs their risk appetite and ability to try new things

Best Practices for Navigating the Challenges of the Forming Stage

Sure, there may be challenges, but nothing that effective leadership and competent conflict management skills cannot handle. Of course, having ClickUp for Project Management hedges the bets in your favor.

ClickUp is the ultimate productivity tool that strings teams together. While we’ll be touching upon how you can leverage ClickUp for the forming stages, you can employ it across the five stages of team development.

From adding new team members to tracking team progress, you can take charge of everything with ClickUp. That said, here are a few leadership strategies to ease the growing pains of team formation:

Drafting a team charter

Styling meeting notes in ClickUp Docs — *Use tools like ClickUp Docs to document the team charter and share it with the team members*

Team leaders must bring the new team on the same page. To do this, they must formalize and document the intent behind putting together this team in the first place.

Creating a team charter is one way to go about it. It captures the team’s mission, goals, roles, responsibilities, and processes. It acts as the North Star for the team, influencing their decisions and working norms.

Use ClickUp Docs to build a charter that you can use to adapt to your team’s specific needs. It includes meeting notes and a team wiki, and serves as an excellent tool for knowledge management and team collaboration.

By declaring the team’s purpose right in the early stages, you clarify expectations right at the outset and establish a foundation for accountability and aligned action.

🧠 Remember: Make this charter a living document. Revisit it frequently to make appropriate adjustments to keep up with your team’s evolution.

Conducting icebreakers sessions

Hosting icebreaker sessions is a great way to encourage open communication, break down barriers, and ease tensions among team members.

Start with activities that are light and fun but purposeful. This could include a scavenger hunt, office trivia, or a day out at a gaming arcade. After all, the objective is to discover common interests to get the ball rolling and inspire trust.

If you’re struggling with ideas, you can get started with ClickUp’s Ice Breaker Whiteboard Template.

ClickUp Icebreaker Whiteboard Template — ClickUp’s Ice Breaker Whiteboard template allows teams to pick ice breaker questions and visualize responses to bring teams together

This template offers:

A collaborative space for team members to engage with each other
A visually dynamic environment with interactive elements to pique interest
An indicative list of questions or prompts to get conversations flowing
Customizations to match group requirements and maximize participation by individual members

Soon enough, you’ll notice the team come together across the ClickUp Whiteboard and thrive!

Download This Template

Adding structure to teams

Establishing a structure for your team is crucial in the forming stage.

You can start by defining roles using meet-the-team templates and communicating these throughout the team. It ascribes accountability for certain tasks, actions, and activities and sets baseline expectations.

ClickUp Team Management Plan Template — Assign clear roles and responsibilities with well-defined timelines and priorities with ClickUp’s Team Management Plan Template

Next, you can reinforce this using tools like ClickUp’s Team Management Plan Template. This template helps:

Establish clear guidelines for communication, decision-making process, and task management
Define roles and responsibilities to ensure that the team begins to understand how their individual efforts contribute to the team’s objectives
Lend stability and reduce uncertainty, allowing the team to build momentum and graduate to the storming stage

Download This Template

Planning team-building activities

Team-building would be a common and recurring theme in the forming stage. After all, it’s the glue that binds teams together.

Intentionally schedule team-building activities to foster camaraderie and strengthen the team’s connection. Plan a mix of activities that cater to different personalities, geographies, and availability—some that require creative problem-solving, others that help remote teams bond, and a few informal social interactions scheduled outside office hours.

Further, make team-building an ongoing commitment rather than a one-time initiative. Doing this consistently will allow your team to connect while also improving team performance and collaborative efforts.

⚡ Template Archive: Need a more structured way to bring your team together? Checkout the ClickUp Meet the Team Template so you can easily introduce new hires, highlight skills and get the ball rolling as a manager.

Setting clear goals and expectations

Define clear goals and expectations right from the start to ensure team alignment and offer them a sense of direction. Set small goals for small groups and composite ones for larger groups.

Use features like ClickUp Goals to define Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-Bound (SMART) goals. With ClickUp goals, you can keep track of your team’s progress in real time.

ClickUp 3.0 Goals simplified — *Keep track of your team’s progress in real time with ClickUp Goals*

Aligning goals quantitatively and qualitatively influences how a team operates and hopefully succeeds.

Big and small groups will understand what success looks like and can work towards it more meaningfully.

If required, break down big, hairy, audacious goals (also called BHAG goals) into smaller, more achievable sections and dive right into them. Such focused and targeted action improves your team’s chances of achieving goals faster.

clickup goals feature — *Set, view, and track team progress on ClickUp using the Goal View*

Scheduling regular check-ins and meetings

Scheduling regular check-ins and meetings is a leadership strategy for keeping your team on track and remaining responsive to changes. Frequent dialogs also allow team leaders to address any issues head-on and during the early stages.

Use team collaboration software, such as ClickUp, to schedule and manage these touchpoints.

Whether through shared calendars or video conferencing tools, ClickUp ensures that nobody misses a beat. Keep the meeting focused and efficient with a clear agenda. Earmark time for other members to raise concerns, seek clarifications, or make recommendations.

The ClickUp Calendar View is a savior when it comes to conducting regular check-ins with the team. This way, everyone knows the rhythm of one-on-one, too, creating predictability on both ends.

content calendar in clickup calendar view example — *Use the Calendar View on ClickUp to schedule regular meetings and check-ins with the team*

Here are some questions you can ask during your one-on-one:

How is everything going today? Tell me about last week.
What has energized you and challenged you in your role [over a period of time]?
How is everything going with the people you work with/on your team?
How are you progressing toward your bigger career and life goals?
What are you committing to between now and the next time we meet?

💡 Pro Tip: Remember that one-on-one needs to be personally curated for each employee that you manage. A copy-paste approach might not work. Use a mix of questions like general questions, career questions, goals/aspirations alignment, and team-based relationship questions to make the check-in successful on both ends. But don’t just stick to the script, and improvise as needed.

Creating a positive and supportive environment

Building a positive and supportive environment, especially during the forming stage, is crucial for creating winning teams. For starters, it sets the tone for team collaboration, which drives performance and productivity.

Next, it takes away the fear of failure and encourages team members to experiment and push boundaries. Finally, it makes teams more compatible and fosters trust.

Team leaders can encourage a culture of open communication by staying approachable. It’s important to take feedback through anonymous surveys and forms. You can try ClickUp Forms, which are super-customizable and make it easy to gather feedback from teams.

🧠 Remember: Express a genuine interest in your team’s wellbeing and create a safe space for them to voice their concerns. Recognize and celebrate milestones and work together to overcome challenges. Address misunderstandings promptly and promote mutual respect.

These leadership strategies help teams thrive and make them more resilient in the face of challenges.

Conditional Logic in ClickUp Forms to Streamline Internal Requests — *ClickUp Forms allows team leaders to develop surveys and feedback forms to capture the team’s inputs*

Providing necessary resources and support

Equipping your team with the right tools and resources is essential for their success. ClickUp is a great medium to ensure that everyone has access to necessary resources—whether it’s information, training, or software.

Identify ways to maximize team performance and enable your team by offering them the right tools and resources at the right time.

Plus, you can always use ClickUp Integrations to keep your system modular. It boasts 1000+ integrations with tools across the board, so your team doesn’t have to constantly switch either.

ClickUp 3.0 App store simplified — *Integrate ClickUp with other tools to add necessary resources to support your team*

Your active role in eliminating barriers, delivering to team requirements, and addressing any gaps empowers teams to stay focused on achieving their goals without unnecessary setbacks.

‘Forming’ Success With ClickUp

To summarize, the forming stage of group development is a critical phase as it lays the foundation for your team’s future. By recognizing the challenges associated with this stage and addressing them proactively, leaders can transform a collection of skilled individuals into a high-performing team.

We’ve shared an assortment of strategies that team leaders and project managers can embrace to navigate the complexities of the forming stage effortlessly. These will also help you pave the way for sustainable growth and collaboration amongst future teams.

ClickUp can be your perfect partner in team development. It is feature-rich and gets the job done easily. So what are you waiting for?

Sign up for ClickUp to employ all the tools, templates, and resources shared above, and start building your dream team today!