Stages of Team Development (continued)
Adjourning (the dissolution stage)
Teams may adjourn spontaneously or by design. Planned dissolution occurs when the team has completed its task or exhausted its resources. Spontaneous dissolution occurs when members are unable to resolve conflicts, its members grow dissatisfied and depart, or when repeated failure makes the team unable to continue. Either type of dissolution may be stressful. Members of successful teams may not want to end, and when the dissolution is unexpected, members may experience a great deal of conflict or anxiety.