How to Coach a Team Through the Forming, Storming, Norming, Performing Model
When teams are newly formed, reorganised, or changing roles and remits, it's easy to mistake a full calendar for real cohesion.
But sustainable and healthy high performance doesn't happen overnight.
It’s built incrementally. And intentionally.
One of the most enduring and practical models for understanding team development is Bruce Tuckman’s Forming, Storming, Norming, Performing model.
First proposed in 1965, it outlines the predictable path most teams follow as they move from early connection to high performance.
In this article, we’ll break down the model, explore how to assess where a team is, and share 5 practical activities you can use to support them at each stage.
The Four Stages of Team Development
1. Forming
The honeymoon phase. People are polite, cautious, and unclear about expectations.
There’s excitement about new possibilities, but very little alignment yet.
Psychological safety is low; no one wants to be the first to rock the boat.
2. Storming
Tensions rise as differences surface. Conflict is normal, and necessary.
Members may resist the task or each other. Hidden assumptions get exposed.
Without good facilitation, teams often get stuck here.
3. Norming
Shared norms and rhythms begin to emerge.
Trust builds. Teams get better at navigating tension and giving feedback.
Roles and expectations become clearer, and collaboration improves.
4. Performing
The team operates with high trust and accountability.
People challenge and support each other in equal measure.
The focus shifts to results, experimentation, and continuous improvement.
Bonus Stage 5: Adjourning:
Tuckman later added this stage to reflect how teams end. It's just as important to reflect and close intentionally.
Why This Model Still Matters
Whether you're leading a product squad, coaching a leadership team, or facilitating a new cross-functional group, Tuckman’s model gives you a roadmap.
It helps teams understand that friction isn’t failure, it’s a sign they’re evolving.
And it reminds us that performance isn’t about skipping ahead.
It’s about building the right foundations, one stage at a time. As long as you can clearly diagnose which stage the team is at. Honestly.
5 Practical Activities to Use with Teams
These tools will help you assess where a team is — and help them move forward:
1. Team Timeline Mapping
Best for: Forming or Norming
Ask each team member to plot key moments in their journey: when they joined, major changes, wins, or frustrations. Then explore:
What patterns do we see?
When did we feel most connected? Most stuck?
This surfaces different perspectives and starts to build shared language and trust.
2. The Conflict Spectrum
Best for: Storming
Draw a line from "I avoid conflict at all costs" to "I challenge ideas openly and respectfully." Ask people to place themselves on it. Then reflect:
Where are we as individuals?
Where do we sit as a team?
What do we need to shift?
This creates a safer entry point to talk about tension and feedback.
3. Team Health Check
Best for: Any stage
Invite the team to rate themselves (1–5) on areas like:
Trust
Role clarity
Communication
Decision-making
Psychological safety
Debrief the results together. What’s working? What needs attention?
4. Working Agreements Workshop
Best for: Norming
Get explicit about how the team wants to work together. Use prompts like:
“We will…” (e.g. share wins, assume positive intent)
“We won’t…” (e.g. undermine decisions outside the room)
Co-creating ground rules increases ownership, and creates permission to hold each other accountable.
5. Playful Retro Workshop with LEGO® Serious Play®
Best for: Any stage, especially transitions
Give the team LEGO® bricks and invite them to build a model of “what it feels like to be part of this team right now.”
Debrief the models:
What’s working?
What’s getting in the way?
What do we want to shift?
The metaphors surface insights people often can’t express in words alone.
Curious to learn more about LEGO® Serious Play®? Head over 👉 here.
And Remember: Don’t Skip the Storm
The biggest trap for leaders is trying to speed-run their way to high performance.
But you can’t perform until you norm. And you can’t norm until you’ve stormed.
Tuckman’s model isn’t just a sequence, it’s a reminder that how you build a team matters just as much as what you build together.
If you’re ready to help your team move forward, and need a bit of help getting started, get in touch for a complimentary chat now.
