1.1.

2 Group Dynamics I
Date: Thursday 30.09.2021
Time: 11:35-13:05 (90 min)
By: Erik Sundberg & Trine Tamm

Objectives Learning Outcomes

(1) tools and competences in leadership and youthLK1
work
articulate and exemplify the importance of leading yourself b
(4) increase leadership quality and engagement inLK10
YFU understand fundamental models of how groups form and ho

General Overview & General Flow of the session

In this session, the participants will learn about the 5 Stages of group development and the Leader’s role
in each.

Time Name & Description of Methods

10' Intro – Group vs Team
15' Introducing Tuckman's 5 stages of group/team

30' Tuckman Theater

25' Leader's role in each stage in groups

10' Conclusion

Materials list
1 prepared elevator flipchart, 5 prepared colored thicker papers of each stage, adhesive tape/fix, markers,
25 printouts on Tuckman's 5 stages

Reflection This went well, because... Improve this in the future

Resources
Creating Effective Teams, Susan A. Wheelan (2010)
Detailed flow of the session
09:50-10:00 (10 min)
Intro, general about groups.
What’s a group? What’s a team?

Having two flipcharts ready: Ask the participants to define what is a group. Write points on a flipchart.
Then ask the participants what is a team. Write down those points on the other flipchart. Finally ask
them what is the difference between the two.

“When two or more individuals are classed together either by the organization or out of social needs, it is
known as a group.”
“On the other hand, a team is the collection of people, who are linked together to achieve a common
objective.”

“When people share an elevator ride, they are a group; when the elevator gets stuck and they need to
escape, they become a team.”
Have prepared two flipcharts with 2 pictures of the elevator group vs team

Debrief:
- Why are we asking you to differentiate between these two? Is it important? *connect with the
morning question*
During this course we’ll use these terms quite interchangeably, since that’s how people regularly
speak, but keep this distinction in mind!

10:00-10:15 (15 min)

Explaining Tuckman's 5 stages
Reasons why you should be excited for REPETITION!
- Common language as a group
- Learning is a mindset, not something that happens to you
- We will always go deeper and ask the question about “how is this connected to my leadership?”

Introducing and explaining Tuckman’s 5 stages of group (team? ;) ) development

Using 5 flipcharts with titles of each stage, here the facilitator takes the time to explain them, one by one
and how they interconnect. After that’s done, facilitator hands out printout #1.

10:15-10:35 (30 min)

Tuckman Theater
To assure participants truly grasped the model we will do a short theatre exercise. Pax will be divided
into groups, one group given each stage of group development. They’re then given 10 min to prepare a
short play representing their respective stage. In a random order they are asked to perform the plays
(max 2 min!), and the other participants then have to guess which stage it is.

10:35-10:45 (10 min)

Tuckman Theater Debriefing
This ends with a 10-minute debriefing (that’s done informally and requires the special setup of everyone
sitting in a circle):
- Was it hard to come up with examples of each stage?
- Was it hard to recognize the different stages?
- Do you agree with these stages? Do you think groups work like this?

10:45-11:10 (25 min)

Leader’s role in group work
Participants are then asked to write down on papers concrete things they think the leader can do to
facilitate both being in the stages, but also moving between the stages (maybe between the spaces)?

Each pax first individually on the customized pages in their notebook writes down concrete examples
what a leader can do for each stage (5 min)

Make 5 groups of 5 people, each group has to consist of different stages representatives from the
theater groups i.e. find a completely new group than you were acting in.
 - Was it hard to come up with examples of each stage?
- Was it hard to recognize the different stages?
- Do you agree with these stages? Do you think groups work like this?

10:45-11:10 (25 min)

Leader’s role in group work
Participants are then asked to write down on papers concrete things they think the leader can do to
facilitate both being in the stages, but also moving between the stages (maybe between the spaces)?

Each pax first individually on the customized pages in their notebook writes down concrete examples
what a leader can do for each stage (5 min)

Make 5 groups of 5 people, each group has to consist of different stages representatives from the
theater groups i.e. find a completely new group than you were acting in.

Each group goes to a flipchart (we make 5 flipcharts titled after each stage) with one of the stages and
writes down all the suggestions they came up with regarding the leader's role. (5 min)

Each group then presents their findings. After each presentation, the other groups gets to make own
suggestions that the group writes down and incorporates it. (2 min presentation + 1 min input from the
rest)

11:10-11:20 (10 min)

Conclusion
Go back to everybody sitting.

IF WE GET TIME: Questions for the whole group by the facilitator, informal discussion.
Q: Which of the named/listed methods have you used before? Were they done consciously or
unconsciously? How did they work?
Q: How do they see leader’s role changing throughout the process?

Outro: hope you understand the basic of the theory, and we will continue working with it in the next
session.

__________________

Some ideas about the leader’s role in the different stages:

Forming
- Making everybody learn each other’s names
- Direct the team, and establish clear objectives, both for the team as a whole and for individual team
members.
- Help them to get to know each other.

Storming
- Establish processes and structures.
- Build trust and good relationships between team members.
- Resolve conflicts swiftly if they occur. Provide support, especially to those team members who are
less secure.
- Remain positive and firm in the face of challenges to your leadership, or to the team's goal.
- Explain the "forming, storming, norming, and performing" idea, so that people understand why
problems are occurring, and so that they see that things will get better in the future. Coach team
members in assertiveness and conflict resolution skills, where this is necessary.
- Make the group aware of different work styles and strengths.

Norming
- Step back and help team members take responsibility for progress towards the goal (This is a good
time to do some more team-building activities).

Performing
- Delegate tasks and projects as far as you can. Once the team is achieving well, you should aim to
have as light a touch as possible. You will now be able to start focusing on other goals and areas of
work.
Adjourning
- Take the time to celebrate the team's achievements – you may work with some of your people again,
and this will be much easier if people view past experiences positively
Norming
- Step back and help team members take responsibility for progress towards the goal (This is a good
time to do some more team-building activities).

Performing
- Delegate tasks and projects as far as you can. Once the team is achieving well, you should aim to
have as light a touch as possible. You will now be able to start focusing on other goals and areas of
work.
Adjourning
- Take the time to celebrate the team's achievements – you may work with some of your people again,
and this will be much easier if people view past experiences positively

To add space, add rows within the merged area.