Forming, storming and norming

"Jack Sprat could eat no fat
His wife could eat no lean
So betwixt the two of them
They licked the platter clean"

Some years ago, my wife and I took our family to Brittany. When I travel I do not bother to read guide books, I just wander around the back streets and explore. My wife, in contrast enjoys reading travel books and planning excursions.

I enjoy driving and am used to driving on the 'wrong' side of the road. I also enjoy researching the best routes and deals for my many air travel flights. So I booked and paid for the channel car ferry and accommodation, which would have been stress for my wife.

I hate paying to eat in restaurants, when I can cook more cheaply at home. My wife enjoys eating out. So she found and paid for our meals out – and organised our local trips.

So, betwixt the two of us, we had a great holiday – and I enjoyed some excellent sea food in quayside restaurants.

I have recently been building a strategic alliance with a new international partner. It has been a traumatic experience as we have each been through the process of learning the rules and expectations of this new market.

We have very different personalities and I have been able to experience and put into practice some of the things that I learned on a course with Michael Grinder.

The standard model for team building is: Forming, Storming, Norming and Performing. The same applies to a relationship. We have been through the storming, and now that we have understood the rules and identified each others' strengths and best way of working we have established the norming.

Next stage is the performing. And we shall be so much stronger for the stages we have been though so far.

USEFUL LINKS:

• Michael Grinder
• Team building and team skills