A Thrilling Journey Through the Wild World of Team Dynamics
17 May 2024 16:12
Agile Workflows
(If you want to jump to the quick humorous take on team development, scroll down to The Wild World of Team Dynamics. It's the next section of this article.)
Informed by the research of Bruce W. Tuckman and Mary Ann C. Jensen, over 100 subsequent studies, and Scott M. Graffius’ first-hand professional experience with, and analysis of, team leadership and performance, Graffius created his 'Phases of Team Development' as a unique perspective and visual conveying the five phases of team development — Forming, Storming, Norming, Performing, and Adjourning — inclusive of a graph showing how performance varies by phase, as well as the characteristics and strategies for each phase.
Scrum Masters, Agile Coaches, Project Managers, DevOps Leads, and other leaders can apply the information to help handle challenges or issues experienced by teams. By doing so, they’ll advance the teams’ (and their own) happiness, productivity, and success.
Graffius' 'Phases of Team Development' is featured and used by businesses, professional associations, government agencies, and universities around the world. Select examples include Adobe, American Management Association, Bayer, Boston University, Cisco, Deimos Aerospace, Ford, Hasso Plattner Institute, IEEE, London South Bank University, Microsoft, New Zealand Government, Torrens University Australia, UC San Diego, U.S. National Park Service, U.S. Tennis Association, Yale University, and many others.
To learn more, read our article, The Performance Level, Characteristics, and Proven Strategies for the Forming, Storming, Norming, Performing, and Adjourning Phases of Team Development.
If you're looking for a quick humorous take on the topic, read on.
The Wild World of Team Dynamics
Buckle up. You're about to embark on a thrilling journey through the wild world of team dynamics — with humorous references to reality TV shows, hot tubs, TPS reports, and more — via the five phases of team development.
Forming: This is where the team members first come together, starry-eyed and full of hope, like a group of superheroes assembling for the first time. "We're going to change the world!" they exclaim, as they exchange awkward handshakes and try to remember each other's names.
Storming: The honeymoon phase is over, and now the team members are realizing that not everyone shares the same vision for saving the world. Conflicts arise, debates ensue, and some members may even question their life choices. It's like a reality TV show, but with more spreadsheets and fewer hot tubs.
Norming: After the storm comes the calm. The team members have weathered the storm and are now starting to find their groove. They establish norms and expectations, like a well-oiled machine. It's like a synchronized swimming routine for superheroes, but with less water and more TPS reports.
Performing: This is the sweet spot, where the team is firing on all cylinders. They're efficient, effective, and unstoppable. It's like watching a group of superheroes finally defeating the supervillain, except the supervillain is a looming deadline.
Adjourning: All good things must come to an end, and so must our team's journey. The project is complete, the world is saved, and it's time for the team members to go their separate ways (where applicable). It's like the end of a Marvel movie, but with more exit interviews and fewer post-credit scenes.
So there you have it, the quick humorous tale of the Phases of Team Development!
And here's “The Wild World of Team Dynamics: Forming, Storming, Norming, Performing, and Adjourning”, a short video based on this article.
How to Cite This Article
Graffius, Scott M. (2024, May 17). A Thrilling Journey Through the Wild World of Team Dynamics. Available at: https://exceptionalagility.com/blog/files/wild-world-of-team-dynamics.html. DOI: 10.13140/RG.2.2.29791.06561.
About Scott M. Graffius

Scott M. Graffius, PMP, SA, CSP-SM, CSP-PO, CSM, CSPO, ITIL, LSSGB is an agile project management practitioner, consultant, thinker, creator, multi-award-winning author, and international keynote speaker. Founder of Exceptional PPM and PMO Solutions™ and subsidiary Exceptional Agility™, he has generated over $1.9 billion for Global Fortune 500 companies and other organizations he has served. Businesses and industries range from consumer products to AI, e-commerce, music, streaming/OTT video, television, film, video games, financial services, government, and more. Graffius and content from his books, talks, workshops, and more have been featured and used by businesses, professional associations, government agencies, and universities around the world. Examples include Microsoft, Oracle, Broadcom, Cisco, Adobe, Gartner, Project Management Institute, IEEE, Qantas, U.S. Department of Energy, U.S. Tennis Association, U.S. National Park Service, Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, Boston University, Bayer, London South Bank University, Warsaw University of Technology, Hasso Plattner Institute, American Management Association, Virginia Tech, University of Galway Ireland, Yale University, and others. He delights audiences around the world with dynamic and engaging talks and workshops. He's presented sessions at 90 conferences and other events across 25 countries. Visit https://ScottGraffius.com to learn more.
About Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions
Shifting customer needs are common in today's marketplace. Businesses must be adaptive and responsive to change while delivering an exceptional customer experience to be competitive.
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