Page 336 - Nutrition Counseling and Education Skills: A Guide for Professionals

Performing

The fourth stage, Performing, is not reached by all teams. High-performance teams work smoothly without
conflict or the need for supervision. Members are highly motivated, competent, and able to make decisions.2
They are interdependent and proud of their accomplishments when real work is accomplished in the cohesive
group.1,13 The facilitator may use a participative approach.

Employees consult as a team

Teams may recycle to an earlier stage when changes occur. Employee turnover with newcomers joining the
team, for example, or a change in supervisors may result in returning to the Storming stage as people need to
become acquainted and learn to work together again.

Some add a fifth stage of Adjourning.2 If the group’s task is complete, the team may be dissolved. Because
members’ identities and prestige may be tied to the group, adjourning may create a difficult transition for
employees.

CASE ANALYSIS 3

Give examples of how Betty might observe evidence of the stages of group development?

Characteristics of Group and Team Dynamics

A group or team without a task or purpose does not need to exist.13 The task, purpose, or goal must be well
defined and agreed upon by group members. The study of group dynamics includes the review of norms, roles,
status, power, synergy, cohesiveness, and consensus.12

Norms

Norms are accepted standards of behavior or codes of conduct established in groups, whether one is a
newcomer, a seasoned veteran, or the leader of the group.1 Norms may be defined by an organization’s culture,

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