Every group goes through predictable stages, although not every group completes them all. Progression through the stages can be enhanced and encouraged through particular activities. Pseudocommunity/Forming Stage:
This stage includes forming an atmosphere of safety and acceptance and avoiding controversy, differences, and disagreements. Individuality, intimacy, and honesty disappear as people act as if they have the same beliefs, understandings, and life histories. Activities associated with this stage include: Ice-Breakers, De-Inhibitizers/Energizers & Ceremonies/Creating a Group Commons Chaos/Storming Stage: The phase of chaos occurs once conflict and competition comes out.
This struggle is noisy, uncreative, and unconstructive unlike healthy conflict that occurs in genuine community. Activities associated with this stage include: Trust-Building & Group Initiatives Emptiness/Norming Stage: Despite the connotations, emptiness is a positive stage meant for rebirth.
During this process, other members of the community must listen as individuals share their weaknesses without feeling the need to offer advice or pretend as if they were not speaking. This stage includes cohesion, sharing, trust-building, creativity and skill acquisition. Activities associated with this stage include: Self-Reflections, Trust-Building, & Group Initiatives Genuine Community/ Performing Stage: As a genuine community, the group itself becomes its own contemplative entity that is larger than the sum of the individuals. It is self-aware and examines itself.
Genuine communities are tied to a type of emptiness and vulnerability that proves immensely difficult and often impossible to sustain. Within a genuine community exists a freedom to be wholly accepted and acceptable for being ourselves. Activities associated with this stage include: Social Responsibility Adjourning, Transforming, and Mourning Stage The final stage of group formation revolves around the completion of the group. Activities associated with this stage include: Closing These ideas stem from a combination of:
Stages of Group Development (Bruce Tuckman) & Stages of Community-Making (Scott Peck)
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AuthorVrindy Spencer is constantly seeking inspiration on topics of personal and human development, leadership, community, connection, and intimacy (with self and others). Archives
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