Are you in the storming phase?

As I reflect on the last couple of weeks, I am reminded about Tuckman’s stages of group development, i.e. forming, storming, norming and performing.  Although Tuckman was saying this in the context of teams, i.e. that these phases are all necessary and inevitable in order for any team to grow, face challenges, tackle problems, find solutions, plan and deliver results, I personally think they apply to this new way of working we have been catapulted into.

 

If I’m honest, we’ve had a bit of the ‘storming’ phase in our household this week as me and my family get to grips with new ways of working, new ways of schooling, new uses of technology and finding new rhythms that work for us all.  I am sure you have had your own challenges too, whether you have a family at home or live alone.  Different challenges, but challenges nonethless.

 

With this in mind, I wanted to encourage you that this is all normal!  It is unrealistic for us to expect it to all be smooth sailing and a seamless transition as if nothing should change other than where we work.  This is an unrealistic expectation.

 

And I wanted to remind you that the norming and performing phases will eventually come.  We will find our feet.  We will find our new ‘normal’.  In the meantime, don’t beat yourself up if you are experiencing a little more storming than you would like.  This is just not normal times we find ourselves in.