This series compares the development of a RPG gaming group with that of a workplace team through the concepts of the 4-stages of team development. This installment talks about the blissful stage of a performing group.
- Your players spontaneously discuss, in-character no less, the approach to a problem you sprung on them… and the agree to a common solution!
- E-mail exchange in the days prior to the game literally explodes between group members.
- Your DM makes a point of working-in at least one occasion where each character in the party gets to shine according to the player’s own preference.
- Focus is maintained throughout most of the evening and the game flows at a surprising rate.
- The players and DM leave the game giving positive feedback all around and discuss the best parts and funniest quotes of the evening.
This is a RPG group performing at its best.
Definition
Some teams will reach the performing stage. These high-performing teams are able to function as a unit as they find ways to get the job done smoothly and effectively without inappropriate conflict or the need for external supervision. Team members have become interdependent. By this time they are motivated and knowledgeable. The team members are now competent, autonomous and able to handle the decision-making process without supervision. Dissent is expected and allowed as long as it is channelled through means acceptable to the team.
At this stage, the party is united and means business. Each player has a role he/she understands and takes it wholeheartedly in the game. More often than not, one player acts as the party’s voice to inform the DM of group decisions. The players are used to their characters and are aware of the abilities of the others. The efficiency at combat and task resolution increases to a point where the party can adventure longer before replenishing Hit points and Magic than the system expect them to.
The party can split, but it’s on a consensual basis and for a precise, short term objective. Role-playing becomes more natural and less awkward. Advancing the story and actively shaping the DM’s plots become rewarding by and of itself, regardless of the bling factor inherent to the system used.
Supervisors of the team during this phase are almost always participative. The team will make most of the necessary decisions.
At that point, the DM is really just the Roadie to the players’ Rock Stars. Trust is complete, rules issues dissipate and adventure design actually becomes easier. Players may spend a good chuck of an evening discussing in-game issues. It’s not impossible to actually see the DM lean back, arms crossed behind his head with a huge, contented smile on his face.
I have lived such a level of performance in the second half and 1st half of my 2 previous campaigns. It was heavenly! After 20 years of DMing, this was the pinnacle of my ‘career’ and I was really proud of our group. However…
Even the most high-performing teams will revert to earlier stages in certain circumstances. Many long-standing teams will go through these cycles many times as they react to changing circumstances. For example, a change in leadership may cause the team to revert to storming as the new people challenge the existing norms and dynamics of the team.
Any significant changes can return your gaming group to an earlier stage. A new player will lead to a new forming and possibly a storming stage. A new campaign, or DM will undoubtedly lead to the return to an earlier stage.
The big difference is that a group that has tasted performance will want to return there rapidly and won’t expect the DM to do the job alone. The presence of high motivation and experience from the established players of the group will lead to faster progression through the stages to return to the truly satisfying experience.
Take my own experience. Our new campaign experienced a severe crash on the 1st session, but instead on storming for an extended period, our level of motivation and trust was such that we all agreed on another approach and we put tools in place to make it better faster:
- My DM logs with liked, disliked and lessons learned.
- Fast, direct feedback by the players on our gaming group and on this blog
- Pre-approved plot lines and adventure themes.
We’re still moving back and forth through the storming, norming and performing stages but I feel we’re reaching equilibrium faster than before.
I hope you have experienced such a level of satisfying game play with an RPG group, that’s what keeps me at it after a quarter of a century. If you haven’t, talk it out and agree on a common definition of fun and work at it.
If you have reached that point and aren’t there anymore, think how you could return to it by making small changes and discussing it as a team. The DM is just a member of the team, with the extra job of showing the way early on and giving the group the tools and hooks to make it a great game later.
Bonus: After I wrote this series, I was informed of a simlar work available on the Internet and was inspired to write about a 5th stage: stagnation.
Yeah, so the audit was less ‘intense’ than I expected and I overprepared (my professional life and DMing life are very similar). So here’s a ‘little’ bonus for a day I was not supposed to post anything. Hope you enjoyed the series.
I’ll work on making a PDF and removing the copyrighted images 🙂
Hmm.
I used to have what I would consider very close to “Performing”, if not quite there, with my D&D group.
But that group has changed over the past while. People have left, people have joined, fallings-out were had. The group (and thus the dynamic) isn’t the same any more. So we need to build it up again.
I find that my players to a lot of in-character discussion to problems, exchange emails with banter, discussion of treasure splitting, plans, we’re focussed on the game and practically never talk about movies or games at the table, when they leave, I hear they keep on talking about the game in the car, and I often hear that they’ve liked it… How did it happen?
I adapted my play style to the group. I used to like long atmospheric descriptions, lots of roleplay and underpowered campaigns. Then I realized that by imposing these preferences on my players, I was ruining the game. So now I cut descriptions short, making every single word count and dropping everything else, skipping over boring roleplay NPC encounters with a short summary of what happens, and fight strong tactical battles with lots of exciting shouting, dice rolling, and fist shaking. And they love it!
I really like how your list makes no references to gaming style. It was a lesson I had difficulties learning.
Ve4grm: Once tasted, I find that performance is addictive. If the changes in the team are too massive though, it will take some time to get back there. Discuss the concept of 4 stages with the players, it may help.
Alex:
Thanks for commenting!
I have a few questions.
Have you kept any parts of your original natural DMing style?
While it does seem that your players love the game, and I detect that you are happy they are (a great sign), I’d like to know if you enjoy DM like you do now? Has it become your new natural style?
Great insights!