Forming, Storming, Norming & Performing

There’s a business theory that actually encourages, or at least recognises and harnesses the way people can be disruptive at the start of a meeting. You may already know it.

It’s called

Forming

Storming

Norming

and Performing

Here’s how it works.

Forming
When a group of people first get together, they form. Watch them. They start to form tentative little groups, or give nods and show revealing body language.

Storming
It’s not unusual for disagreements to arise quite quickly. People start to storm. Often these disagreements are not real disagreements or even particularly germane to the issues in hand. It’s just that some people love to get up on their hind legs and disagree.

Let them do this. It’s fine. This is just the way that some people behave. Or maybe they’re worried about something. Or maybe they need to express their self-importance. Either way it’s okay for them to do this at this stage in the proceedings.

Norming
Once a few speeches have been made, then good sense starts to sink in, and common ground is found. Even the worst of pompous asses can preen themselves into a state of agreeability.

Norming means that we’ve discovered who we are, and what we’re here to do.

Performing
This is when things start to happen. The group has realised its purpose and is now contributing to the general good. Success can happen now.

On a practical note, if your meeting seems to start off on a disagreeable track, then don’t worry.

They’re just forming-storming-norming. They’ll soon be performing.

You may have to allow up to 15 minutes for people to get things out of their systems.

Exercise 30:

If you weren’t previously aware of forming, storming, norming & performing then it’s a gift.

Watch out for it all the time. This knowledge is priceless in meetings.

> Setting the Preconditions for Creativity