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Government of Finland Agency Features Graffius' Phases of Team Development IP

04 September 2025

BY SCOTT M. GRAFFIUS | ScottGraffius.com

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Introduction with Background

Informed by the research of Bruce W. Tuckman and Mary Ann C. Jensen, over 100 subsequent studies, and Scott M. Graffius' first-hand professional experience with, and analysis of, team leadership and performance, Graffius created his ‘Phases of Team Development’ as a unique perspective and visual conveying the five phases of team development — Forming, Storming, Norming, Performing, and Adjourning — inclusive of a graph showing how performance varies by phase, as well as the characteristics and strategies for each phase.

Graffius' intellectual property (IP) is registered with the United States Copyright Office.

Graffius initially developed his 'Phases of Team Development' unique material in 2008, and he periodically refreshes it.

For reference, the visual for the current (2025) edition is below and the details are here.

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Organizations around the world engage Graffius to deliver compelling talks and workshops. To date, he's presented sessions at 95 conferences and other events across 25 countries:

Armenia,
Australia,
Brazil,
Canada,
Czech Republic,
Finland,
France,
Germany,
Greece,
Hong Kong,
Hungary,
India, Ireland,
Lithuania,
Luxembourg,
Nepal,
Netherlands,
New Zealand,
Norway,
Romania,
Sweden,
Switzerland,
United Arab Emirates,
United Kingdom,
and the United States.

Graffius 'Phases of Team Development' IP is central and key to many of those sessions. His rate card and a listing of his engagements are at https://scottgraffius.com/resources/Exceptional-PPM-and-PMO-Solutions-Rate-Card-for-2024-2025-v24071607.pdf and https://scottgraffius.com/publicspeaker.html, respectively.

With authorization/license from Graffius, his 'Phases of Team Development' intellectual property is featured and used by businesses, professional associations, government agencies, universities, and others around the world. Examples include:

Adobe,
American Management Association,
Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute,
Bayer
Boston University,
Broadcom,
Cisco,
Deimos Aerospace,
DevOps Institute,
Erste Group Bank AG (Austria),
FINAT,
Ford Motor Company,
FSU College of Medicine,
Hasso Plattner Institute,
IEEE,
James Madison University,
Johns Hopkins University,
LeadingEng,
London South Bank University,
Manufacturers Alliance,
Microsoft,
New Zealand Government,
Oracle,
Mary Raum (Professor of National Security Affairs, United States Naval War College),
Royal Australasian College of Physicians,
TBS Switzerland,
Torrens University Australia,
Tufts University,
U.S. National Park Service,
U.S. Soccer,
U.S. Tennis Association,
UC San Diego,
UK Sports Institute,
University of Galway Ireland,
Victorian Institute of Technology (Australia),
Virginia Tech,
Warsaw University,
Western Sydney University,
World Resources Institute,
Yale University,
ZHAW Zurich University of Applied Sciences,
and many others.

A Government of Finland Agency was Added to the List!

Business Finland is the Finnish government organization dedicated to promoting innovation, trade, investment, and travel. Operating under the Ministry of Employment and the Economy, it plays a central role in strengthening Finland’s global competitiveness and fostering sustainable economic growth. The agency provides funding for research and development, supports startups and established enterprises, and connects Finnish companies with international markets. Business Finland is also known for initiatives such as Talent Boost, which helps attract and integrate international talent into Finland’s workforce. With offices in dozens of countries and an extensive global network, it serves as Finland’s official link to the international business community. Widely respected as a trusted government partner, Business Finland is recognized for advancing innovation and enabling collaboration between businesses, academia, and the public sector. Its scope, influence, and reputation make it one of the most important economic development agencies in Europe.

Business Finland featured Scott M. Graffius’ Phases of Team Development framework in their Talent Boost leadership program on August 6, 2025. A photo from the event is shown below.

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To learn more about Graffius' 'Phases of Team Development' work, visit here.

The Business Finland event is described in a LinkedIn post here.

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About Scott M. Graffius

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Scott M. Graffius is a globally recognized technology leader who drives innovation in AI, Agile, and Project Management/PMO leadership.

He’s a practitioner, researcher, thought leader, award-winning author, and keynote speaker who’s taken the stage at 95 conferences and other events across 25 countries.

He’s delivered over $2.3 billion in value for Fortune 500 companies and other leaders in technology, entertainment, financial services, healthcare, and beyond.

Businesses, professional associations, government agencies, and universities use Graffius and feature his work. Examples include Adobe, Bayer, Boston University, Ford, Gartner, Harvard Medical School, IEEE, Johns Hopkins University, Microsoft, National Academy of Sciences, Oracle, Pinterest Inc., Project Management Institute, UC San Diego, Verizon, Yale University, and others.

The following sections provide additional information on his experience, contributions, and influence.

Experience

Graffius heads the professional services firm Exceptional PPM and PMO Solutions, along with its subsidiary Exceptional Agility. These consultancies offer strategic and tactical advisory, training, embedded expertise, and consulting services to the public, private, and government sectors. They help organizations enhance their capabilities and results in agile, project management, program management, portfolio management, and PMO leadership, supporting innovation and driving competitive advantage. The consultancies confidently back services with a Delighted Client Guarantee™.

Graffius is a former VP of project management with a publicly traded provider of diverse consumer products and services over the Internet. Before that, he ran and supervised the delivery of projects and programs in public and private organizations with businesses ranging from e-commerce to advanced technology products and services, retail, manufacturing, entertainment, and more.

He has experience with consumer, business, reseller, government, and international markets.

Award-Winning Author

Graffius has authored three books.

Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions, his first book, earned 17 awards.
Agile Transformation: A Brief Story of How an Entertainment Company Developed New Capabilities and Unlocked Business Agility to Thrive in an Era of Rapid Change, his second book, was named one of the best Scrum books of all time by BookAuthority.
Agile Protocol: The Transformation Ultimatum, his third book and his first work of fiction, was released in April 2025. The book trailer is on YouTube.

International Public Speaker

Organizations worldwide engage Graffius to present on tech (including AI), Agile, project management, program management, portfolio management, and PMO leadership. He crafts and delivers unique and compelling talks and workshops. Graffius has conducted 95 sessions across 25 countries. Select examples of events include Agile Trends Gov, BSides (Newcastle Upon Tyne), Conf42 Quantum Computing, DevDays Europe, DevOps Institute, DevOpsDays (Geneva), Frug’Agile, IEEE, Microsoft, Scottish Summit, Scrum Alliance RSG (Nepal), Techstars, and W Love Games International Video Game Development Conference (Helsinki), and more.

With an average rating of 4.81 (on a scale of 1-5), sessions are highly valued.

The speaker engagement request form is here.

Thought Leadership and Influence

Prominent businesses, professional associations, government agencies, and universities have showcased Graffius and his contributions—spanning his books, talks, workshops, and beyond. Select examples include:

Adobe,
American Management Association,
Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute,
Bayer,
BMC Software,
Boston University,
Broadcom,
Cisco,
Coburg University of Applied Sciences and Arts - Germany,
Computer Weekly,
Constructor University - Germany,
Data Governance Success,
Deimos Aerospace,
DevOps Institute,
Dropbox,
EU's European Commission,
Ford Motor Company,
Gartner,
GoDaddy,
Harvard Medical School,
Hasso Plattner Institute - Germany,
IEEE,
Innovation Project Management,
Johns Hopkins University,
Journal of Neurosurgery,
Lam Research (Semiconductors),
Leadership Worthy,
Life Sciences Trainers and Educators Network,
London South Bank University,
Microsoft,
NASSCOM,
National Academy of Sciences,
New Zealand Government,
Oracle,
Pinterest Inc.,
Project Management Institute,
Mary Raum (Professor of National Security Affairs, United States Naval War College),
SANS Institute,
SBG Neumark - Germany,
Singapore Institute of Technology,
Torrens University - Australia,
TBS Switzerland,
Tufts University,
UC San Diego,
UK Sports Institute,
University of Galway - Ireland,
US Department of Energy,
US National Park Service,
US Soccer,
US Tennis Association,
Verizon,
Wrike,
Yale University,
and many others.

Graffius has played a key role in the Project Management Institute (PMI) in developing professional standards. He was a member of multiple teams that authored, reviewed, and produced:

Practice Standard for Work Breakdown Structures—Second Edition.
A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge—Sixth Edition.
The Standard for Program Management—Fourth Edition.
The Practice Standard for Project Estimating—Second Edition.

Additional details are here.

He was also a subject matter expert reviewer of content for the PMI’s Congress. Beyond the PMI, Graffius also served as a member of the review team for two of the Scrum Alliance’s Global Scrum Gatherings.

Acclaimed Authority on Teamwork Tradecraft

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Graffius is a renowned authority on teamwork tradecraft. Informed by the research of Bruce W. Tuckman and Mary Ann C. Jensen, over 100 subsequent studies, and Graffius' first-hand professional experience with, and analysis of, team leadership and performance, Graffius created his 'Phases of Team Development' as a unique perspective and visual conveying the five phases of team development. First introduced in 2008 and periodically updated, his work provides a diagnostic and strategic guide for navigating team dynamics. It provides actionable insights for leaders across industries to develop high-performance teams. Its adoption by esteemed organizations such as Yale University, IEEE, Cisco, Microsoft, Ford, Oracle, Broadcom, the U.S. National Park Service, and the Journal of Neurosurgery, among others, highlights its utility and value, solidifying its status as an indispensable resource for elevating team performance and driving organizational excellence.

The 2025 edition of Graffius' "Phases of Team Development" intellectual property is here.

Expert on Temporal Dynamics on Social Media Platforms

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Graffius is also an authority on temporal dynamics on social media platforms. His 'Lifespan (Half-Life) of Social Media Posts' research—first published in 2018 and updated annually—delivers a precise quantitative analysis of post longevity across digital platforms, utilizing advanced statistical techniques to determine mean half-life with precision. It establishes a solid empirical base, effectively highlighting the ephemeral nature of content within social media ecosystems. Referenced and applied by leading entities such as the Center for Direct Marketing, Fast Company, GoDaddy, Pinterest Inc., and PNAS, among others, his research exemplifies methodological rigor and sustained significance in the field of digital informatics.

The 2025 edition of Graffius "Lifespan (Half-Life) of Social Media Posts" research is here.

Education and Professional Certifications

Graffius has a bachelor’s degree in psychology with a focus in Human Factors. He holds eight professional certifications:

Certified SAFe 6 Agilist (SA),
Certified Scrum Professional - ScrumMaster (CSP-SM),
Certified Scrum Professional - Product Owner (CSP-PO),
Certified ScrumMaster (CSM),
Certified Scrum Product Owner (CSPO),
Project Management Professional (PMP),
Lean Six Sigma Green Belt (LSSGB), and
IT Service Management Foundation (ITIL).

He is an active member of the Scrum Alliance, the Project Management Institute (PMI), and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE).

Advancing AI, Agile, and Project/PMO Management

Scott M. Graffius continues to advance the fields of AI, Agile, and Project/PMO Management through his leadership, research, writing, and real-world impact. Businesses and other organizations leverage Graffius’ insights to drive their success.

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Check out Scott’s books:

Follow and connect with Scott on social media:

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How to Cite This Article

Graffius, Scott M. (2025, September 4). Government of Finland Agency Features Graffius' Phases of Team Development IP. Available at: https://scottgraffius.com/blog/files/government-of-finland-agency-features-graffius-phases-of-team-development.html.

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Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

DOI: (coming soon)

Content Acknowledgements

Names, marks, and content are the property of their respective owners.

Business Finland name, marks, and content are the property of Business Finland, the Finnish government organization for innovation, trade, investment, and travel.

Photo of Helsinki by Jussi Hellstén, courtesy of and used under terms of license from Visit Finland.

Photo of presentation at Business Finland event by Sari Havukainen, used with permission.

Graffius’ “Phases of Team Development” is copyright © Scott M. Graffius. All rights reserved.

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Top 5 Hashtags

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Post-Publication Notes

If there are any supplements or updates to this article after the date of publication, they will appear here.

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Copyright

Copyright © Scott M. Graffius. All rights reserved.

Content on this site—including text, images, videos, and data—may not be used for training or input into any artificial intelligence, machine learning, or automatized learning systems, or published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without the express written permission of Scott M. Graffius.

Tags: Team Dynamics • Workforce Innovation • Phases of Team Development • Leadership Development • Business Finland Talent Boost