The relationship then moves into the Storm stage. Now some of the initial politeness may begin to give way to more aggressive behavior as people begin to assert themselves and test the limits of the relationship. Conflicts begin to erupt between individuals or between individuals and the leadership, and trust begins to become an issue. Though most people dislike conflict, the Storm stage is a sign of growth in the development of the relationship. The better the relationship created in the Form stage, the easier it is to deal with conflict in the Storm stage. The group establishes boundaries; individuals express their needs; trust starts to develop; and, with luck, the relationship develops.
Members move into the Norm stage when they have identified their own needs and aligned those needs with the goals of the partnership; they are now able to contribute to the overall success of the endeavor. They begin to establish rules for acceptable behavior—both verbal and nonverbal. They start to know what is expected of them. They migrate in a normal and natural way to the roles that are established and defined. They begin to employ collaboration—rather than confrontation or avoidance—to resolve conflict. People feel comfortable with each other and begin to enjoy the personal relationships they’ve established in the partnership. They start to have fun. They experiment and try new and daring activities as they deepen the level of trust they feel with each other and begin to see their personal success tied to the success of the partnership. By the time the relationship reaches the end of the Norm stage, the values and norms of behavior have been integrated into the culture of the partnership.
