In-Depth Look at Tuckman's Ladder and Subsequent Works as a Tool for Managing a Project Team

Bruce Tuckman's 1965 research on modeling group development, titled 'Developmental Sequence in Small Groups,' laid out a framework consisting of four stages a group will transition between while members interact with each other: forming, storming, norming, and performing. This paper will describe in detail the original Tuckman model as well as derivative research in group development models. Traditional and virtual team environments will both be addressed to assist IT project managers in understanding how a team evolves over time with a goal of achieving a successful project outcome.