A friend of mine who works in hotel management recently came face-to-face with a very interesting problem. The reception team had started to complain, coordination with housekeeping couldn’t be achieved, communication with accounting was weak, and everyone was blaming one another. Yet the team had been formed only three months ago. I asked them: “How far did the team go?” Their answer was thought-provoking: “I don’t know, there’s just a problem…”
This is exactly where the Tuckman Model comes in. Developed by psychologist Bruce Tuckman in 1965, this model, by defining the stages teams experience, helps managers develop the right strategies. In the hospitality sector, in an area where the human factor is so critical, knowing which stage your team is in appears to be the key to success.
What Is the Tuckman Model and Why Is It Important?
The Tuckman Model explains the four basic stages a team goes through from its formation. Each stage offers its own dynamics, difficulties, and opportunities. Understanding this model gives hotel managers and leaders perspective about the natural process of teamwork and helps determine the time to intervene.
Especially in the tourism sector, for managers working under the constant pressure of seasonal hiring, staff turnover, and service quality, this model brings calm and strategy in the face of chaotic situations. When you know which stage your team is in, you can make interventions suited to that stage’s needs instead of unnecessary pressure.
Forming: The Establishment Stage – A Period of Curiosity and Unease
When a new team is formed or new members join a team, the Forming stage begins. In this period, team members are getting to know one another, trying to understand their tasks, and learning the group norms. We experience this situation in the first days with a receptionist, cook, or cleaning staff member.
In this stage, employees are usually a bit uneasy and curious. Will their questions be answered? How will team members behave toward me? What are the performance expectations? They seek the answers to these questions. From a manager’s perspective, being ready for this stage is critical. Open communication, clear rules, and a sincere welcome are the indicators of this period’s success.
Practically, what needs to be done in the Forming stage is simple but important. You should design the onboarding process properly, share your team’s mission and vision, clarify role definitions, and do individual introduction sessions. Because if you manage this stage well, you’ll encounter far fewer problems in later stages.
Storming: The Conflict Stage – A Period When Differences Emerge
After the Forming stage is passed, the team enters the Storming stage. This name is actually very fitting. This period passes like a storm. Employees now start to behave comfortably, and with this comfort they reveal their differences. Disagreements begin, subgroups can form, leadership can be questioned, and some conflicts become inevitable.
We often see this in the hotel environment. Disagreements about the division of work between housekeeping and reception, different working methodologies in the kitchen and service area, or an experienced employee’s resistance to a new rule. In this stage, managers sometimes panic and think “so this team won’t work.” Yet the Storming stage is a natural part of development.
What needs to be done in this period is not suppressing conflicts but managing them. Keep communication channels open, listen to every side’s voice, and return to shared goals. Often, conflicts actually stem from misunderstandings. Talking and reaching agreement is the most effective solution of this stage. The manager needs to be patient, fair, and open-minded in this period.
Norming: The Normalization Stage – A Period When Harmony and Cooperation Begin
Teams that successfully pass the Storming stage reach the Norming stage. In this stage, team members start to accept one another, and common rules and working methods are created. Conflicts decrease, cooperation starts to increase, and team identity starts to strengthen.
This period is the stage where success starts to be felt in hotel operations. Coordination between reception and housekeeping becomes easier, and rhythm is caught in the kitchen and service area. Employees become willing to help one another. Instead of the question “How can we do this job?”, the inquiry “How can we do this better?” starts to emerge.
In the Norming stage, the manager should be careful to preserve this gained balance. There’s change in the team (a new member may join, someone may leave), in which case new members need to be adapted to the existing norms. Also, in this stage, it’s appropriate to set new goals and offer development opportunities to further increase the team’s performance.
Performing: The Performance Stage – The Peak of Efficiency and Success
The last and most desired stage of the Tuckman Model is Performing. Teams that reach this stage have become quite independent and self-sufficient. Employees carry out their tasks successfully, solve problems themselves, are very committed to shared goals, and show high performance.
In the Performing stage, the role of team leadership changes. It’s no longer necessary to give detailed instructions, motivation isn’t a problem, and the team can act autonomously. The hotel manager’s job is to ensure the team works in the best possible environment and to encourage them. Teams in this stage work wonders in customer satisfaction, their internal dynamics are strong, and turnover rates stay low.
But there’s a point that needs attention: even though a team has reached the Performing stage, in case of change (a new manager, an important staff change, a strategy change), it can return to previous stages again. This is a natural process. The good news is, we shouldn’t forget that the team can now get through these returns faster and with fewer problems.
Practical Applications: Concrete Steps for Hotel Managers
Knowing the Tuckman Model is one thing, applying it another. In the hotel sector, how can you integrate this model into daily operations?
First, determine which stage your team is in. Is it a newly formed team? Or a team that’s worked together for months or years but has fallen into chaos because of a new goal or change? To understand this, do employee interviews, observe, and listen. Where do the problems stem from? Is motivation low? Is communication a problem?
Second, make interventions suited to that stage. You can’t leave a team in the Forming stage to “manage itself.” Instead, you should provide clear guidance and support. You can’t ignore the conflicts of a team in the Storming stage. You should talk, listen, and find a solution.
Third, invest in your team’s development. Training, mentoring, and career planning are the glue that carries the team to the Performing stage. At Okay Supports, this is why we offer hotel teams not just technical trainings but also leadership and team-dynamics trainings.
Conclusion: Start Your Team’s Journey
The Tuckman Model is a framework that’s been used and proven for over 60 years. From the perspective of hotel managers, this model is a simple but powerful tool. When you know where your team is, you can see more clearly where it needs to go and how it can get there.
Remember, a team doesn’t always have to stay in the Performing stage. Changes, new goals, or unexpected situations can carry the team back to previous stages. This is normal and natural. What matters is knowing how to manage these cycles and developing a leadership style suited to each stage’s needs.
Look at your team today. Forming? Storming? Norming? Performing? Then, based on this information, take a step. Because the quality of hotel service depends, in the end, on the quality of your team.