Magic in the Room #70: Stages of Team Development with Ben West
October 3, 2021
Understanding Bruce Tuckman’s Stages of Group Development can help leaders navigate disruption.
Every leader wants their team to work together and achieve at a high level, but conflict, poor relationships, or lack of clarity may be hindering performance. Leaders cannot press a magic button to turn on “teamwork.” However, teams do move through predictable stages of development that lead to high performance. In this episode of Magic in the Room, Hannah, Luke, and guest Ben West discuss tactics leaders can use in each stage to build a healthy team, despite the ever-changing work environment.
Research in this episode:
- More information on Bruce Tuckman’s Stages of Group Development: www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newLDR_86.htm
- Listen to our episode on Hope Theory with Dr. Chan Helman
Question of the Day Resources
- Find the At My Best Cards at atmybest.com
- Find our GUEST Service Course at https://www.purposeandperformancegroup.com/online-learning
Get a free Magic in the Room hat by posting a review and sending a screenshot to
info@purposeandperformancegroup.com
Music by evangrimmusic.com
Recorded at storycatcher.studio
Support from techblogwriter.co.uk
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In this episode of Magic in the Room, Luke and Hannah explore the concept of polarities. Tensions like purpose and performance, stability and change, or accountability and grace that are often mistaken for problems to solve rather than dynamics to manage. Drawing on insights from Barry Johnson’s work, they explain how these opposing forces are interdependent and must be balanced over time to achieve sustained success. Through practical examples and personal reflections, they show how over-relying on one side of a polarity leads to predictable “shadow sides” such as stagnation, chaos, inefficiency, or burnout, while effective leadership requires recognizing where you are on the cycle and intentionally recalibrating. The episode emphasizes that many recurring organizational frustrations are not failures, but signals of imbalance, and offers a more nuanced approach to leadership. One that replaces rigid either/or thinking with flexible both/and awareness to improve decision-making, team dynamics, and long-term performance.