🔄 Progression Flow
flowchart LR
F["🌱 FORMING
Orientation
Polite, uncertain"]
S["⚡ STORMING
Conflict
Power struggles"]
N["🤝 NORMING
Cohesion
Trust building"]
P["🚀 PERFORMING
Productivity
High performance"]
A["👋 ADJOURNING
Closure
Disbanding"]
F --> S --> N --> P --> A
S -.->|"Can regress
with changes"| F
style F fill:#dbeafe,stroke:#2563eb
style S fill:#fef2f2,stroke:#dc2626
style N fill:#fef3c7,stroke:#b45309
style P fill:#dcfce7,stroke:#16a34a
style A fill:#ede9fe,stroke:#7c3aed
flowchart LR
subgraph performance ["📈 TEAM PERFORMANCE OVER TIME"]
direction LR
L1["Low
Forming"] --> L2["Dip
Storming"] --> L3["Rising
Norming"] --> L4["Peak
Performing"] --> L5["Decline
Adjourning"]
end
subgraph leadership ["🎯 PM LEADERSHIP STYLE"]
direction LR
D["Directing"] --> C["Coaching"] --> S["Supporting"] --> DL["Delegating"] --> CL["Celebrating"]
end
style performance fill:#f0fdfa,stroke:#0d9488
style leadership fill:#ccfbf1,stroke:#0d9488
📋 Detailed Stage Breakdown
Stage 1
🌱 Forming
"Who are these people? What are we doing?"
Team Behaviors
- Polite, guarded, testing boundaries
- Uncertain about roles and responsibilities
- Dependent on the leader for direction
- Low conflict (people are being careful)
- Excitement mixed with anxiety
PM Actions (Directing)
- Provide clear direction and structure
- Define roles, responsibilities, and ground rules
- Set expectations and team charter
- Facilitate introductions and team building
Stage 2
⚡ Storming
"I disagree. This isn't working. Who's in charge?"
Team Behaviors
- Conflicts, power struggles, disagreements
- Resistance to tasks and leadership
- Frustration with processes and each other
- Cliques and factions may form
- Performance dips — this is the hardest stage
PM Actions (Coaching)
- Facilitate conflict resolution (Collaborate!)
- Reinforce ground rules and shared goals
- Coach individuals through disagreements
- Don't avoid the conflict — work through it
Stage 3
🤝 Norming
"We're figuring this out. I trust these people."
Team Behaviors
- Trust and cohesion developing
- Roles and processes accepted
- Open communication and feedback
- Team identity forming
- Constructive disagreement (healthy conflict)
PM Actions (Supporting)
- Step back — let the team self-organize more
- Encourage collaboration and shared decisions
- Recognize and reinforce positive behaviors
- Focus on removing impediments
Stage 4
🚀 Performing
"We've got this. Let's deliver."
Team Behaviors
- High productivity and autonomy
- Self-organizing and self-managing
- Problems solved quickly within the team
- Strong mutual accountability
- Focus on results and continuous improvement
PM Actions (Delegating)
- Delegate and empower — get out of the way
- Focus on strategic issues, not daily tasks
- Celebrate achievements
- Maintain the environment, don't micromanage
Stage 5
👋 Adjourning
"It's ending. What did we learn?"
Team Behaviors
- Sadness or relief as project ends
- Anxiety about next assignment
- Reflection on accomplishments
- Knowledge transfer and documentation
PM Actions (Celebrating)
- Capture lessons learned
- Recognize individual and team contributions
- Facilitate smooth transition/release
- Celebrate the team's achievements
💡 Exam Tips
Teams can regress. Adding/removing members, changing scope, or leadership changes can push a Performing team back to Forming or Storming.
Storming is normal and necessary. Don't try to skip it. The PM's job is to help the team work through it, not avoid it.
Not all teams reach Performing. Some get stuck in Storming or Norming. The PM's facilitation is critical.
Exam pattern: "The team is having frequent arguments" → Storming. "The team is working well together but still needs guidance" → Norming. "The team is self-managing and highly productive" → Performing.