Development is the growth, progress and positive change that occurs throughout our lives. It is a healthy process that includes physical, economic, environmental, social and demographic changes.
A development is a project, idea or initiative designed to bring about a change for the better in some aspect of life. This change can be small, as in the case of learning a new language or getting fit, or it may be very large, such as the establishment of a new city or country. The United Nations defines development as a multifaceted undertaking to achieve a better quality of life for all people around the world, including eradication of poverty, hunger and disease, promoting education, health and employment opportunities and the preservation of the environment.
The study of development is guided by certain assumptions that researchers make at the top level, called meta-theories. Our class endorses a lifespan or ecological systems meta-theory of human development, and the research you do will most likely be filtered through this lens. Other theorists, who favor interactionist or contextualist approaches like these, believe that different patterns and pathways of development are possible, depending on context.
Just as individuals go through different developmental stages in their lives, so do teams. The most commonly used framework is the four-stage model of team development outlined by Bruce Tuckman, which consists of Forming, Storming, Norming and Performing. This is a useful framework to recognize behavioral changes on your team and understand why they occur.