During my work with teams, I encourage the players to openly discuss, establish and monitor the standards they want to commit themselves to - both on and off the court. The Performing stage is the eventual goal of all teams. This stage follows Norming and occurs only after effective standards are in place and firmly embraced by the team. The team begins performing as a cohesive unit that respects and trusts each other. They know what to expect from each other and this yields a sense of comfort, confidence and consistency.
Coaches talk a lot about peaking at the end of the season.
Unfortunately the Performing stage is not a guaranteed aspect of your season. Performing requires that your team has constructively handled the conflict of the Storming stage. Further, you must also establish effective rules and standards in the Norming stage to position yourself to achieve the Performing stage. Your Team Teams can go back and forth between these stages, especially as new challenges and demands arise during the season. Injuries, conflicts and losses can cause a team to regress from the Norming stage back into the Storming stage.