day 2686: Storm, Form and Norm (25th Anniversary Redux of day 725)

(Patti and I are on our 25th Wedding Anniversary Trip in Europe and I am going analog for two weeks, so PwK will revisit posts that were originally numbered 25 for the next two weeks)

“God’s voice is glorious in the thunder. We can’t even imagine the greatness of his power.”

The common way that teams and partnerships come together is that they pass through the stages of forming, storming and then norming. Forming is easy. It is just coming together and getting to know one another and starting to work together in the best way possible. Norming is when the team or group begin to fall into a pattern of working together that is based on trust of each other and the following of the patterns of their skills and experiences. It is the middle phase that is the most interesting. The phase known as storming. Few like this phase because it is uncomfortable and not pleasant. This is when the true emotions get put on the table and we find the boundaries with each other. It is also the stage when any lingering issues or harbored feelings get exposed. Some groups never come through this phase because the issues to deal with are just too exposed or raw. Or, the people in the team get their feelings hurt beyond repair. While it is ugly, few good teams ever come to be without going through the storming phase. Those who do go through it successfully can be come very tight and trusting as if they are then almost inseparable.

Many great things can happen with a team when they reach this level of togetherness. There is much storming that happens all around us at work and we just need to be ready and sensitive to taking these times and turning them into good. I am reminded of the verse in Job that references God’s voice like one that comes from the storms; “God’s voice is glorious in the thunder. We can’t even imagine the greatness of his power.” Even in the storms God can be there with us. If His voice is in the thunder, then He can certainly be with us as we go through the storming stages in our work. Today would be a great day to ensure that you are taking God to work with you to be there with you in the storms.

Reference: Job 37:5 (New Living Testament)

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *