We’re currently exploring the five stages of group development as identified by Tuckman and Jensen (1977). Today, we’re looking at the Forming Stage – a time when the group gets to know one another, tests the boundaries (both within the rules and with the leadership) and becomes more dependent on one another.
Peter Barnes (2002:43) gives examples of what can be expected during the forming stage:
- Considerable anxiety
- Questions about the appropriateness of behavior
- Polite communication
- Minimal productivity
Here are some ways you can provide the support necessary to help your youth group move from the forming stage of group development towards more productive phases:
- Give clear expectations – By going through your youth group’s hopes and fears, as well as clearly laying out the basics of what the group can expect from you and the youth work program, you will be able to help quell a lot of potential anxiety in the forming stage of group development
- Identify ground rules through a group agreement – Take time and have the group identify what are some acceptable and unacceptable behaviors for their group
- Provide a safe place for opposing opinions – This is also identified in the expectations and group agreement, but youth will feel more safe to move beyond ‘polite’ to ‘real’ when they know the boundaries for their views. By allowing youth to express their views in the forming stage of group development – even if they aren’t positive or mainstream – this will allow you to contradict incorrect information that young people may have internalized
- Provide tasks that build confidence, understanding of team dynamics, roles and abilities – Take the time for team building activities and teach the group about team roles. You can also help them identify their learning styles and their individual intelligences. These activities will provide time for your team to bond during the forming stage and will develop relational capital that they can draw on when they begin to feel tension in the next stage
Doing all of these basic steps early on in the forming stage of group development will help lay the ground work for the next stage which we will explore next week: the Storming stage.
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