When does the performing stage typically reset?

The performing stage of team development is characterized by high levels of cooperation, productivity, and effective collaboration among team members. When the team is faced with new complex goals or tasks, it often requires a reevaluation of roles, processes, and strategies. This complexity may lead to the need for the team to temporarily reset to ensure that everyone is aligned on the new objectives and to facilitate a recalibration of how they work together.

In this stage, the introduction of new tasks can necessitate revisiting the team dynamics and potentially revising the established norms to adapt to fresh challenges. This adaptability is crucial for maintaining efficiency and effectiveness as the team navigates the complexities of new goals.

While disagreements among team members or successfully achieving prior objectives can create shifts in team dynamics, they do not inherently lead to a reset of the performing stage in the same way that the emergence of new complex tasks does. Additionally, reaching consensus on processes may help solidify team functioning but does not trigger a reset; rather, it enhances stability during the performing phase.