Jack is hard to convince that groups don't have to pass through the first
three of the Tuckman stages.
The situation is a bit like taxes. Sales tax is paid a dribble at a
time, and to some extent is rather painless because we pay so little at a
time, and then only when we're getting something that costs quite a bit
more than the tax. Income tax, on the other hand, is paid in many
styles, some withheld, some paid quarterly, and some paid annually.
In using IM, as Jack truly believes, some of the social overhead has to
be paid; it can't be escaped. However to the extent it is paid, it's
like the sales tax, and it is sort of in the background as the major
purchases are being made. If people accept the Tuckman model, the social
overhead is dealt wikth more like the income tax--very noticeable, and
being paid in large chunks.
-- JOHN WARFIELD Jwarfiel@gmu.edu