Which term is the second stage of team development when the reality of the team's tasks becomes clearer and conflicts may surface?

• A. Strategic priority
• B. Standards
• C. Storming (team development)
• D. Staff position

Answer: (C)

The second stage being tested is the moment when the team starts to really see the tasks before them, and differences in opinions, approaches, and leadership emerge. This stage, often called storming, is where conflicts surface as members test boundaries, claim roles, and challenge ideas about how the work should be done. It’s a normal and essential part of forming a cohesive team, because through these disagreements the team clarifies responsibilities, establishes how decisions will be made, and begins to build workable patterns of communication. Once this phase moves past the tension, the team can settle into norms and collaborate more effectively, leading toward higher performance. The other terms don’t describe this dynamic: strategic priority is about choosing goals, standards are guidelines for performance, and staff position is a job role, not a developmental phase.