Which stage of Tuckman's model involves team members getting acquainted and testing the waters?

• A. Forming
• B. Storming
• C. Norming
• D. Performing

Answer: (A)

In this early phase of team development, members come together, learn who’s on the team, and start to understand the project goals and how they’ll work together. People are cautious and polite as they test different approaches to see what fits and how decisions will be made. This describes the forming stage, where getting acquainted and testing the waters is typical, with the leader providing direction to establish initial goals, roles, and rules. As the team moves forward, it may contend with conflicts (storming), then build shared norms (norming), and finally operate effectively (performing).