During which stage of team development do performance improvements occur as the team matures?

The stage of team development where performance improvements occur as the team matures is the Performing stage. In this stage, team members are fully engaged and collaborative, working effectively towards shared goals. The relationships built in earlier stages, such as Forming and Norming, allow the team to function cohesively, leveraging individual strengths and promoting innovation.

During the Performing stage, teams experience high levels of trust, open communication, and mutual respect, which significantly enhances their ability to problem-solve and accomplish tasks efficiently. Team dynamics are strong, and members are focused on achieving peak performance and delivering results. This maturation process allows the team to not only perform tasks at a higher level but also to adapt and evolve in response to challenges, leading to sustained improvement in performance outcomes.

In contrast, the Norming stage is characterized by team members establishing norms and expectations for collaboration but may not yet be operating at full capacity regarding performance. The Forming stage involves initial team formation and orientation, where members are getting to know one another and establishing roles. Mourning, or Adjourning, often refers to the phase where the team disbands after achieving its objectives, and performance improvement has typically already been realized during the earlier stages.