December is upon us and you made it to the end of the line with your team. The end of the semester is typically a pivotal time for a Residence Life staff. This is often when transitions happen with team members, students and full-timers alike. And even if there aren’t staffing changes on your team, there are likely residents who are on their way out, schedules that will change for spring, and all sorts of other variables that will shift to make it feel like a whole new game. That’s where the adjourning stage comes in: it marks the conclusion of the team’s journey, either literally or spiritually. As team members prepare to disband, it brings an emotional aspect to this phase. They may feel pride in their accomplishments, sadness about parting ways, or anxiety about what lies ahead. As a supervisor, there’s a lot you can do to ensure your team is equipped for this stage.
Other Posts In This Series:
Forming | Storming | Norming | Performing | Adjourning
The adjourning stage actually wasn’t an original stage when Bruce Tuckman first introduced his theory in 1965. The original stages only consisted of forming, storming, norming, and performing. It was in 1977 when Tuckman introduced the mourning stage with Mary Ann Jensen, which was updated in later use and is most often referred to as adjourning. As mentioned, this final stage focuses on the disbandment of a team once its objectives have been achieved or when its existence is no longer required. It can occur in various settings, including project-based teams, task forces, seasonal groups, etc. Residence life staffs could be considered seasonal groups considering it is extremely unlikely that you’re going to have the exact same staff for more than two semesters, especially with the current rate of student staff turnover. This stage is critical as it provides an opportunity to evaluate successes, identify areas of improvement that team members can take with them, and celebrate collective achievements.
There are four key features of the adjourning stage:
Reflection on Accomplishments: Teams often review their goals and assess how well they performed. This may include revisiting milestones, discussing challenges, and acknowledging contributions. In Residence Life, I feel this is often encapsulated with the semester performance review, acknowledging the programming efforts of the staff members, the results of their floor satisfaction survey with data and feedback from residents, and other items of this nature to help them grow. Reflection allows members to learn from their experiences and apply these insights to future endeavors.
Emotional Responses: Members may experience a range of emotions during adjourning. Pride and satisfaction arise from the team’s successes, while nostalgia and sadness can stem from the end of close working relationships. These emotions highlight the depth of bonds formed during the team’s journey. As a supervisor, it’s helpful to note that these emotions aren’t negative and are a normal part of the process with staff members who may not have had the close relationships that are more frequent with Residence Life jobs.
Recognition and Celebration: Acknowledging achievements is an essential part of closure. Teams may host ceremonies, parties, or other forms of recognition to celebrate their journey and express gratitude. A lot of Residence Life departments host end of year celebrations in May, which are outstanding celebrations if staff members remain in their role for the entire year. For those who leave at semester, it’s important to host a recognition event to acknowledge their contributions to the community. These rituals reinforce a sense of accomplishment and leave lasting positive impressions.
Transition Planning: For team members moving on to new roles, this stage often involves planning next steps. This is likely most relevant when it comes to Living Learning Communities within Residence Life. You can have a former RA try to share their knowledge with someone who is incoming but the vibe of the entire floor may look drastically different with the different personalities that are incoming. Transition planning is essential from the Hall Director perspective, especially if it’s someone who is leaving mid-year. Leaders may provide guidance, resources, or career support to ensure a smooth transition.
While adjourning is a natural part of the team lifecycle, it comes with challenges:
Resistance to Disbandment: Strongly bonded teams may struggle to let go, leading to prolonged attachment or difficulty transitioning. I’ve seen this is especially hard for students or hall directors who have found a significant amount of identity in their roles. It almost feels like they are giving part of themselves away to move into this next phase of life.
Unresolved Conflicts: Unaddressed issues can resurface during this stage, affecting closure and individual morale. Just when you think that everything is ready to wrap up, you may be caught off guard by conflict resurfacing. You have to choose your battles but addressing that its affecting closure is a helpful way of encouraging people to check themselves on this.
Loss of Purpose: Some members may feel a void as their daily routines and shared goals come to an end. This is especially true for people who don’t have their next job lined up. I have had staff members who had to leave in May before they heard back from summer jobs or internships. Just like losing their identity, they cling to what was their role for comfort.
Supervisors play a critical role in facilitating a smooth adjourning process:
Acknowledge Contributions: Recognize individual and team efforts to foster a sense of fulfillment and closure. Take the time during staff meetings to facilitate activities where staff can highlight each other’s successes and how they have done well throughout the year. This is a critical time to celebrate these milestones and pat themselves on the back before their off on their next adventure. These observations mean a lot coming from peers and other staff members but nothing will be on the same level coming from you as the supervisor. They look up to you and value your perspective: acknowledging their contributions will be something they will remember for years after they are done in this role.
Encourage Open Dialogue: Create opportunities for members to express their feelings about the disbandment. Provide space for your staff to be vulnerable about how they’re feeling about the next step with one another. You’re going to have some staff who are stoic about the who concept or change and others will want to feel all the feelings. Find a way to meet the emotional needs of your staff members. It doesn’t always need to happen at staff meeting too; it may be an open conversation for those who want to process, which helps give those stoic staff an out so that they don’t have to be involved in an uncomfortable conversation.
Provide Transition Support: Offer guidance and resources for members as they move on to new challenges. Some of your staff members are going to use this more than others. I’ve had some who continue to reach out years after they have moved out of the position, some only reach out for letters of recommendation, and others you’ll never hear from again. They’re all okay: it’s about what your students need from you to be successful beyond their time in the role. Just knowing that you’re in their corner can go a long way!
Document Learnings: Encourage the team to compile insights and feedback that can benefit future teams. Even if you’re not leaving, creating a transition report to reflect on your actions as the leader and to ideate how you can continue to make things better for the future is a critical part of your role in the adjourning stage. Through this process, you’ll be a more prepared leader and will hopefully feel the process is more streamlined for the future.
The adjourning stage is a vital part of the team development process. It not only ensures that teams part ways on a positive note but also creates a space for reflection and learning. By embracing this stage with intention and care, organizations can cultivate a culture of recognition, continuous improvement, and respect for the contributions of their teams. In the end, adjourning is not just about saying goodbye—it’s about celebrating what was achieved together and using those experiences as a foundation for future success.
