Re-forming

While taking counseling classes years ago, I encountered a group dynamic concept by psychologist Bruce Tuckman. He proposed that all groups develop according to this memorable phrase of stages:

·       Forming

·       Storming

·       Norming

·       Performing

He later added a fifth stage – adjourning. Some have adapted that to mourning or transforming.

Recently, I was listening to the book Sapiens by Yuval Noah Harari. One section focused on how we as a human species have developed the skill to create our own rules and guidelines beyond biological instincts. For example, church doctrines, business laws, or how to play a game. If a large enough group of people believe in the defined rules, a stable and functional environment can be created.

This brought me back to Tuckman’s stages. It dawned on me that I had always thought of groups as small entities, but this concept applies to our cities, our states, our nations, and our world. The other aha that I had is that this process is cyclical and ongoing. Putting these two ideas together put some perspective on our present situation.

Essentially, the pandemic has greatly altered the way we all interact with each other. So, a new “group” has emerged. We are forming a new way of doing things. This stage is full of uncertainty and confusion. We have lost much of our “normal” routines. As we have become aware of the depth of our situation, the storming has come. We are angry with the circumstances. We are taking it out on each other. We are raging against the change that Covid-19 has placed upon us.

But, just like every other group that has ever been formed, new norms are developing. We are finding ways to navigate the new environment. In time, the revised rules and guidelines will integrate into our daily lives. The storming will subside, and the “group” will find powerful ways to perform effectively.

It is very comforting to me to see our present situation through this lens. I am encouraged that there is an actual process going on that is establishing a new “normal” for us. The path to do this is not without grief, pain, and doubt. However, history shows us that we will move forward, we will learn to adjust, and we will be stronger in the long run for it if we choose to embrace the process.

One other lesson arises from this as well. These stages are cyclical. We must remember that nothing stays the same for long. We will be continually re-forming our groups, big and small. The promise, though, is that we can get to performing (living) well if we do our part to get through the storming and the norming. We can do this. Let’s work together to get it done.