5 Agreements and Forming, Storming, Norming, Performing
What does high performance look like, and how do you get there?
Every team aspires to operate at its best, but achieving high performance is often easier said than done.
Countless team development tools and models exist, each offering unique value. One model I frequently use is Bruce Tuckman’s well-known Forming-Storming-Norming-Performing model.
Developed in 1965, it remains a timeless framework due to its simplicity, memorability, insight, and enduring practicality. Plus, the categories rhyme!
Tuckman outlines four stages of team growth:
Forming
In this initial “honeymoon” stage, team members are getting acquainted. They are typically polite, on their best behavior, and focused on establishing: What are we here to do? Who will do what? What does success look like? Until greater clarity is achieved, this stage is one of uncertainty and anxiousness.
Storming
As goals and roles are defined, differing ideas emerge about how to achieve them. Challenges and missteps inevitably arise as the team begins working together. Frustration emerges, and team members begin to reveal their authentic selves. Politeness can wane as opinions clash and personalities differ.
This stage is psychologically intense, requiring constructive conflict to redefine roles, direction, and ways of working. The team must navigate differences of opinion and resolve problems to move forward.
Norming
With time and effort, teams begin to find their rhythm. There’s often a sense of relief as the group overcomes the storming phase and establishes harmony. However, teams at this stage must avoid complacency or settling for false harmony. Instead, they should ask: How can we improve our ways of working? What changes could enhance our plans, systems, or roles?
Pushing through the discomfort of change, especially when members feel settled, requires courage to achieve continuous improvement.
Performing
Research suggests that only about 10% of teams ever reach this stage. In the high-performance phase, teams achieve sustainable success, accomplishing exponentially more together than as individuals. This stage is marked by synergy, flow, and calm.
High-performing teams are often regarded as benchmarks by their peers, excel in key metrics, and dedicate significant time to exploring and preparing for the future. Key behavioral markers include social sensitivity, conversational turn-taking, equality, dense interactions, and effectively managed diversity.
Given how few teams reach the Performing stage, an essential question arises: How can teams overcome the anxiety, frustration, and complacency that prevent open, in-depth conversations needed to progress through these phases?
The answer lies in building clarity and trust.
The Five Agreements for High-Performance Teams
Dr. Marc Rogatschnig suggests that teams can foster clarity and trust through five critical agreements: Vision, Alignment, Culture, Debate, and Connection. These agreements are not one-off discussions but continuous areas of focus that carry teams through the stages of Forming, Storming, Norming, and Performing.
Below are the five agreements, accompanied by reflective questions, that if you wish, you can use with your team:
1.Vision – A shared sense of direction toward a compelling future is essential.
Do we have a common understanding of the team’s priorities?
Can all team members articulate them?
Do team members feel ownership of the vision?
Is the vision integrated into quarterly and annual targets?
2.Alignment – Clarity around roles, responsibilities, and collaboration is critical to success.
Would team members’ descriptions of each other’s roles align?
Are individuals held accountable for their deliverables?
Can team members identify potential issues or synergies across functions?
3. Culture – Guiding principles and values shape effective behaviors.
Can we clearly describe our team culture?
Does it foster openness, resilience, and initiative?
Do our behaviors under pressure align with our goals?
Are team members coached for professional and personal growth?
4. Debate – Constructive disagreement drives clarity and creativity.
Are team members encouraged to address issues until they’re resolved?
Is healthy disagreement welcomed?
Do leaders model safety in disagreement?
Is there clarity around how decisions are made?
5. Connection – Realtionships matter. Trust and mutual understanding are pivotal.
Does the team dedicate time to building relationships?
Do team members take a genuine interest in each other as individuals?
Do we celebrate and leverage our differences?
Are new members quickly and effectively integrated into the team?
At the heart of every high-performing team are these five agreements. Teams that reflect on and act upon questions like these will be well-positioned to reach new heights.
Our daily experience of work is profoundly influenced by the teams we belong to. By fostering greater clarity and mutual understanding, not only can we enhance team effectiveness, but we can also improve individual well-being and build organizational resilience—the foundation for sustained success.
Note: The 10% statistic is based on Dr. Marc Rogatschnig’s research, which draws from multiple studies with varying findings. Some estimate that 15% of teams reach high performance, while others suggest as few as 5%.