Leveraging the Tuckman Ladder Model for Team Development

Project leaders must help team members progress through the five stages of development.

A project may have a solid plan, abundant resources and the most talented team members in the world,
but it won’t mean much unless the team can collaborate and execute together at a high level.

That’s why developing an effective team is one of the key responsibilities of a project leader. By
encouraging teamwork, providing motivation, managing conflicts and developing trust, project leaders
can help achieve the team performance necessary for meeting project objectives.

Scaling the Ladder

Just like meeting someone new, starting a project with a new team can be awkward. It often takes time
before team members trust and understand each other in the way that’s necessary for project success.
So, how can project leaders help their team quickly progress from a medley of new team members to a
well-oiled machine that delivers results?

The Tuckman Ladder is one popular method. This model outlines the five stages of development that
teams must go through:

Forming: Team members are introduced and learn about their roles and responsibilities on the project.

Storming: The team begins to discuss the project work and technical decisions. Conflicts may crop up
during this stage, so it’s important that project leaders work to resolve issues.

Norming: The team starts to work together. Team members learn to trust each other and adjust their
behaviors and habits to support the common goal.

Performing: The team is functioning as a well-organized unit and collaborating effectively to deliver
results.

Adjourning: The team disbands as its work is completed.

It’s up to project leaders to ensure that their team is continuously climbing these rungs of development.

The amount of time a team spends in each stage, however, will depend on a number of factors, including
team size, dynamics and leadership. “It’s important that project managers recognize that they will need
to progress through each of the first three stages in order to get to the performing stage, which is what
you want to achieve as soon as possible,” says Kiron Bondale, DALSM/CDAI, PMI-ACP, PMI-RMP, PMP,
senior consultant at World Class Productivity Inc., Mississauga, Ontario, Canada. “A good project manager
can help to reduce the time the team spends in each of those first three stages.”

Project leaders are responsible for making sure their team doesn’t get stuck in any of the early stages of
team development, which can keep them—and the project—from reaching its full potential.

“There are many reasons why a team could get stuck,” Mr. Bondale says. “There might be interpersonal
conflicts within the team, a lack of real progress toward project goals, a lack of alignment or shared
understanding toward project outcomes, or a perceived lack of support from the project manager,
sponsor or other key stakeholders.”
To keep teams progressing toward the performing stage, project leaders must leverage interpersonal and
communication skills and establish transparent lines of communication with team members, Mr. Bondale
says. He also suggests establishing initial working agreements for how team members will interact.

“The project manager should model the types of behaviors they wish to see from their team members,”
he says. “They need to be present, to actively listen and to develop the ability to pick up on what is not
being said—as much as what is being said—to understand how the team is doing.” Tuning in to these
team dynamics can make the difference between a project team that stagnates in the early stages—and
one that develops into a full-fledged, effective team.

Developed by PMI for PMIstandards+™ with contributions from Kiron Bondale, DALSM/CDAI, PMI-ACP,
PMI-RMP, PMP. ©PROJECT MANAGEMENT INSTITUTE, INC.