tHE gROUP pROCESS

Forming. Norming. Storming. Performing. Adjourning.
Tuckman's five stages of the group process are accurate in depicting the general processes that all groups undergo. One aspect that the article article did not address is the impact of time, or group member turnover, on the overall development of a group. In a profession such as higher education student affairs, the reality is that several departments may not be given the chance to move past the forming and norming "stages." Frankly, there is a high overall trend in the attrition in several entry-level positions in education. As a career field, are we constantly putting ourselves at an organizational disadvantage when compared to other professions or state/federal priorities (e.g. prison, healthcare)? Tuckman's stages allow educational leaders to assess the current status of an organization in relation to where it needs/wants to go. It may also assist in the definition of goals of both individuals and the organization.

Participation. Organizational Roles. Participation. Decision Making.
I appreciated the questions presented in this short article. As potential participant observers within the assigned project for this course, it allows us to become mindful of our organizational environment and group members. Good answers result from asking good questions.

Making Groups Work.
After reading this article, several of our past JDP group projects came to mind. It reiterated the heavier emphasis that our professors have placed on the group process and not as much weight placed on the outcome. But as doctoral students, there should be heavy emphasis placed on our outcome because when we complete our program and continue working in education, the majority of our stakeholders will focus on the outcome while our academic colleagues will challenge the process. Yet, this too, has surfaced within our program as we are challenged by both our peers and professors.