Strengthening your partnership
Making the transition from opponents to problem-solving teammates is one of the most powerful conflict resolution tools. We have already discussed ways to build common ground to help bridge the gap between you and the person having the conflict. These tools are a great start, but there are some additional things that you can do to maintain and strengthen that partnership.
In 1965, Bruce Tuckman, developed a four-stage model showing how teams grow and develop. This model can be applied to one-on-one human interactions, too.
| Stage | Explanation | What You Can Do to Help |
| Forming | Team members are just meeting, unsure of their role and themselves. | Encourage team building through non-conflict laden tasks and activities. Involve the team in task planning and goal setting. |
| Storming | Team members discover differences and butt heads; conflict can interfere with progress. | Continue with the plan; evaluate and adjust as necessary. Support the team through conflict and help them resolve it. |
| Norming | Team members start to discover similarities too. Performance typically improves, but social interaction may also cause it to drop. | Keep the group focused on the goal; encourage social activities outside of team time. |
| Performing | Team members are now comfortable with each other and work together well. | Continue to offer resources and support to the team. Monitor performance, as teams can change stages at any time (particularly when members join in or drop out). |