Self-Centered Stage

At first, members hesitate to share their feelings and beliefs. They ask questions rather than make statements thus showing their unwillingness "to stick their necks out." During this stage, each will be sizing up the situation and attempting to establish himself.

Frustration and Conflict Stage

Because authority has not yet been established, hostility will arise between the emerging leaders. These conflicts must be resolved before members can feel secure. Many groups collapse at this stage because they do not realize that stage three is coming.

Consolidation and Harmony Stage

Soon some persons find each other. This may split the group into cliques or consolidate it into a whole. Either the members develop skill in playing the different roles or the differences are glossed over and complacency follows. Permissiveness may develop and the group may move on to control its own behavior, or it may not develop and then the group will never pass the stage of verbalization but continue to fight out a sort of polite cold war.

Individual Self-Assessment

It may be quite a while before members become objective and self-critical. Then they emphasize problem solving and control of group processes. This does not mean compromise and submission, for the members may accept partial success, and move on to find improved ways. Because a group expects its members to change, it sets up training activities and undertakes frequent evaluations. It evaluates the program and behavior of the group, then it evaluates the behavior of individuals.

No group can grow through those four stages unless it can establish and conform to the expectations of the group. But only after members feel accepted and secure will they begin to explore their own feelings and desires and this leads to shifts in behavior toward the group’s standards. Most persons would rather be approved by their group than be right by the standards of the world at large. This shows how misleading a recommendation can be unless we know the standard of the group.

It is natural that group leaders hesitate to undertake discussions of group maturity and integration. There are some roles that neither officers nor members can easily perform. Thus it is important, even necessary that a place be reserved for a resource leader.