This stage of team development in Tuckman's model is often accompanied by resistance and negative attitudes of the participants towards the situation. This stage is inevitable and plays an important role in the formation of the team.
Many try to skip storming and go straight to norming. However, such behavior is also a manifestation of this stage, because it is based on resistance. There is a psychological barrier in a person that makes it difficult to implement changes.
Resistance, despite its negative side, has a useful function. It helps people act purposefully and avoid dispersion. It is a natural mechanism that allows you to maintain stability and, at the same time, adapt to changes.
Storming, like other phases of group chinese overseas europe data package development, has certain directions – resistance vectors. Let's consider each of them:
Resistance to the task. People begin to doubt the feasibility of the task. A participant may consider it pointless. In constructive communication, this may be expressed as honest feedback about the goal, an effort to understand the essence of the task and the role of each team member. In more radical situations, resistance may manifest itself in sabotage or sabotage.
Resistance between participants. In this case, participants try to reduce each other's influence, but at the same time recognize the importance of the task.
Resistance to the leader. Here, participants begin to question the decisions, authority, and even the personality of the leader.
Unlike the previous stage, storming has a more branched structure, consisting of unaccepted ideas and proposals that are revealed through dialogue or actions. The essence of this phase is to hinder, limit or prohibit.
The distinctive feature of storming is that each person is inclined to it, since he has his own opinion, which he is not ready to neglect.
Just watch children argue. This is a very clear example of storming. When a conflict of interests arises, children begin to repeat the same phrases, trying to impose their position without any arguments.
Storming stage
Source: shutterstock.com
Eventually, one child wins the argument. The winner is not always the strongest, because the argument does not involve physical confrontation. If the reason for the disagreement is the question of who will play with a toy, the winner may not even be the owner of the toy.
Storming is associated with a type of resistance or conflict that is not always expressed physically. In negotiations, it may simply be a verbal confrontation. In long deal cycles, it may manifest itself in a series of discussions. For example, when a sales manager becomes part of a client’s project team. The team “grinds in” or goes through combat coordination, to use military terms. This is an important stage that cannot be neglected in the interaction process.
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In his book SPIN Selling, Neil Rackham describes a situation where a salesperson tries to close a deal prematurely:
— Salesperson: Mr. Robinson, now you know that our offer best suits your needs. All you have to do is sign here (closing-assumption).
— Buyer: Wait a minute, I’m not sure yet and haven’t made a final decision.
— Salesperson: Mr. Robinson, I have explained to you how we can increase the efficiency of your office and reduce costs. If you will set a delivery date... (closing-assumption).
— Buyer: No, I need time. I won’t give you a precise answer within this week.
— Seller: But, as I said, our product is in great demand. We can deliver it tomorrow, but if you put it off until next week, it will take several months (closed-sold out).
— Buyer: I am willing to take the risk.
— Seller: Would you like to have a trial installation within a month or would you like to save money and pay up front (alternative closing)?
— Buyer: You need to leave my office right now. Will you come out voluntarily, or will I have to call security?
The person responsible for storm management does not hinder the participants in the process of their involvement in the process at the very beginning of this phase. Then he ensures that the necessary proposal is voiced at the end of the phase, when all participants have already expressed their points of view, discussed and started to consider the last idea.
Therefore, it is necessary to give the participants time to “storm” and voice the key proposal at the end of this process.
The salesman in Neil Rackham's story accepted the buyer's norming offer and walked out of the office.
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Alexander Kuleshov
Alexander Kuleshov
General Director of Sales Generator LLC
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