There are five stages of group development:
- Stage 1: Forming
- Stage 2: Storming
- Stage 3: Norming
- Stage 4: Performing
- Stage 5: Adjourning
When a group is formed it does not get from forming to performing without some growing pains. If a group is successful the adjourning or departure stage will be a bittersweet process.
According to Abudi, in the adjourning stage "the project is coming to an end and the team is moving off into different directions" (2010, paragraph 14.)
A time that was difficult for me to leave a group was my high school class and group of friends. We had a long four year group development in which we went from forming to performing within our high school culture.
At graduation, the adjourning stage, we said our goodbyes some of us in tears. We had literally grown up together. This group was the hardest to leave because we had good chemistry, we worked together in various projects and after school activities. Some of us developed close friendships, and after graduation we would all go in separate directions.
I did appreciate the school's supportive departure and different activities, like graduation, prom and Seniors' Field day that allowed for a all of us to say our goodbyes.
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| Source: Microsoft Office 2010 |
