Small Team Dynamics:

Marvel’s The Avengers

By Samuel Berrios, Jr., MBA

Overview

• Background

• 5 Phases

• Practical Application: Marvel’s The Avengers

Background

• Developed by Dr. Bruce Wayne Tuckman

• Evolved out of his observations of group behavior in a variety of settings

• Authored article entitled “Developmental sequence in small groups” in 1965• Originally four stages: Forming, Storming, Norming and

Performing

• Phases necessary for team to grow, to face challenges, to tackle problems, to find solutions, to plan work and to deliver results

• Fifth stage added in 1977: Adjourning

• Has been the basis for subsequent models

5 Phases

Group Developme

nt

Forming

Storming

NormingPerforming

Mourning

Forming

• Takes place when team members first meet each other

• Learn more about the project• Discuss project goals/objectives

• Learn more about individual role

• Share background information with each other• Gathering first impressions

• Start to “feel” each other out

Storming

• Takes place when team begins project work

• Team members have established initial comfort to:• Express discontent

• Challenge other team members’ opinions

• Compete for status

• Acceptance of ideas

• Contentious stage• Can lower team member motivation

• Some teams never make it past this stage

Norming• Takes place when team members start to make significant

progress on the project as they begin working together more effectively

• The team itself has agreed upon:• Rules for working together

• How they will share information

• How they will resolve team conflict

• What tools and processes they will use to get the job done

• Team members no longer focused on competing individual agendas but work toward a common together• Respect each other’s opinions

• Value their differences

• Trust each other

• Seek each other out for assistance and input

• Working together as a team seems more natural

Performing• Takes place when team is functioning at high

level• Functions w/ little or no oversight

• Team members have become interdependent

• Highly motivated to get the job done

• They can make decisions and problem solve quickly and effectively• When they disagree, the team members can work through it

and come to consensus without interrupting the project’s progress

• The team can come to agreement on changing processes on their own without reliance on the team leader

Adjourning

• Takes place as project comes to an end

• Team may celebrate the successful end of project

• Team may conduct project post-mortem

• Team members are looking for new assignments

• Team members are saying good-byes to each other

Practical Application:Marvel’s The Avengers

"There was an idea, Stark knows this. Called the Avengers Initiative. The idea was to bring together a group of remarkable people, see if they become something more. See if they can work together when we needed them to. To fight the battles that we never could.“ –Nick Fury

Avengers’ Background• Superhero team formed by Nick Fury and S.H.I.E.LD.• Formed to combat threats that could not be dealt with alone

•Original comic was first published in 1963

• Initially brought together to combat Loki, Thor’s step-brother

• Movie came out in 2012• Team brought together to combat Loki and Tesseract

• Team consists of:• Steve Rogers/Captain America

• Tony Stark/Iron Man

• Thor

• Bruce Banner/Hulk

• Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow

• Clint Barton/Hawkeye

Avengers’ Forming Phase

• Stage begins right after the Tesseract is stolen:• Agent Phil Coulson recruits Tony Stark/Iron Man

• Natasha Romanoff recruits Bruce Banner/Hulk

• Nick Fury recruits Steve Rodgers/Captain America

• Thor joins in initial attempt to reason with Loki

• Become more acquainted with each other on SHIELD helicarrier

Avengers’ Storming Phase

• Stage begins when Thor attempts to take custody of Loki:• Iron Man and Captain America battle Thor

• Team members having difficulty trusting each other• Thor is still protective of Loki

• Stark’s ego and chafes under Captain America’s direction

• Banner’s reluctance to be part of the team

• Nick Fury’s hidden agenda

• Comes to a head when team members argue in lab

Avengers’ Norming Phase

• Stage begins when lab explodes and helicarrier is attacked:• Iron Man and Captain America work together to fix

broken engines

• Thor tries to subdue Hulk

• Natasha Romanoff saves Clint Barton

Avengers’ Performing Phase

• Stage begins with the death of Agent Phil Coulson• Unites the team and gives them purpose

• Team assembles in NYC to combat alien invaders

• Work seamlessly together• Stark defers to Captain Roger’s authority

• Hulk and Thor work alongside each other

• Stark sends nuclear bomb into portal knowing that he may not come back

• Hulk saves Stark from deadly fall

• Nick Fury defies World Council to nuke NYC• Unsuccessfully attempts to stop F-35 loaded with nuclear

bomb from taking off from helicarrier

Avengers’ Adjourning Phase

• Team assembles to watch Thor and Loki transport back to Asgard

• In closing credits team is eating at Schwarma restaurant

Review

• Background

• 5 Phases

• Practical Application: Marvel’s The Avengers