Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of the Sustainment stage?

The Sustainment stage primarily focuses on maintaining relationships and strengthening team dynamics after the initial phases of formation and norming. Characteristics such as building trust, encouraging social activities, and developing team pride are vital aspects of this stage, as they help solidify a cohesive group that can work effectively together over time.

Learning how to survive, while critical in contexts like training or initial operational phases, does not fit the primary focus of the Sustainment stage. In this phase, the emphasis shifts towards maintaining established bonds and optimizing performance rather than survival skills or tactics, which are typically associated with earlier phases of team development or operational readiness. Thus, the correct identification of learning how to survive as not characteristic of the Sustainment stage highlights the difference in objectives as teams move from survival to operational stability and effectiveness.