Discuss the five development stages of a group.
Group and Team Communication
Teams are formal groups
within an organization that have been tasked with specific performance goals. The effectiveness of each team
depends not only upon its size, composition, division of roles, and cohesive structure, but also on the
communication style of each individual. Good leaders can support teams proactively by ensuring their
individual communication skills are well developed.
Researchers suggest that interactions within teams and
groups change over time. Team or group behavior at the first meeting will be different at each meeting
thereafter, as members become accustomed to each other’s personalities, leadership styles, and
communication styles. Researchers suggest the team or group go through stages of development. These
stages are as follows:
* Forming.
* Storming.
* Norming.
* Performing.
* Adjourning
* These stages establish the belief of the group as a whole. Group norms are composed of those behaviors
the group is expected to uphold as a unit as well as individual norms each member of the group is expected
to uphold.
As groups become an increasingly common tool for accomplishing work, it is important to have the
key skills required to be a successful group member. Oftentimes, opportunities arise to design organizational
teams from scratch. Individuals with this task usually have solid skills in organizational communication,
extensive experience within the specific context, and a sound knowledge of the way potential members of the
sub-unit perform.