Ice-breakers and social activities may be of benefit at this stage. The better the members know each other and each others" backgrounds, the better their future relationships will be. Establishing trust and identity is fundamental to the group's future development (Holton, 2001). Successful ice-breakers and social events will ensure a climate of trust. Members should create opportunities to meet and interact easily and on a frequent basis (Huszczo & Hoffman, 1999). This can be done by organising venues, meeting places and collecting contact details sooner rather than later. Once the group is comfortable they may start to focus on their purpose as a team. By now there should be a basic idea of who desires to be the team leader/s. This person/s can take advantage of this time to help the rest of the team to gain a sense of purpose and belonging. This can be done by reviewing their brief and communicating the scenario clearly and precisely to the group, making sure that every member is clear about their purpose. Once the members have a clear idea of their purpose and are comfortable in the group they may move on to the "storming" stage of the team development.
Forming is followed by storming. There will be a great deal of verbal inter-personal communication at this stage. This means there will also be a great deal of inter-personal conflict (or intra-group conflict) at this stage of team development. Members of the group now feel a part of the group but are unclear on who is the appointed team leader. Members may also feel as though the team will restrict their individuality (Tuckman, 1965). This conflict can be avoided or at least kept to a minimum by using clear and precise communication and problem solving skills. Conflict is inevitable at this stage but can have positive results with correct planning (Esquivel & Kleiner, 1996). Supportive communication followed by responsive action will head the team in a positive direction (Church, 1998).