Evaluating team dynamics is crucial for transforming organizational strategy into measurable results.
The extremes get our attention. In business, it’s macro-level strategic planning exercises and micro-level individual performance reviews. I’m writing this in December of 2024, a time of year when firms immerse themselves in employee assessments, annual budgets, and marketing plans. While these activities are crucial, they overlook a vital component of organizational success: the middle layer where work gets done.
This middle layer consists of the interconnected teams that form the backbone of your organization – project teams, departments, studios, management committees, and various other collaborative groups. When was the last time you systematically evaluated these teams’ effectiveness? Do you have a framework for such an assessment?
A systematic approach to team assessment.
Step 1: Map your team ecosystem. Begin by creating a comprehensive inventory of your organizational teams. This includes:
- Formal structures (board of directors, executive committee)
- Operational units (IT, marketing, finance)
- Discipline teams/studios/market sector teams
- Standing committees (technology, recruitment)
- Informal but recurring collaborations
Leverage your enterprise resource planning (ERP) data to identify patterns of collaboration and recurring team formations. This mapping exercise often reveals surprising insights about how work really flows through your organization.
Step 2: Start at the top. Next, focus on your firm’s leadership team. A high-performing organization requires a high-performing leadership team. Organizational gravity will roll leadership dysfunction – a lack of chemistry, clarity, and control – downhill to every other team. Inspect and fix your own house first.
Step 3: Apply the three Cs framework. Evaluate each team through three lenses:
- Chemistry:
- Does the team exhibit psychological safety?
- Can members openly share ideas and concerns?
- How effectively does the team navigate conflict?
- Do team members understand and appreciate each other’s working styles?
Research consistently shows that team performance correlates strongly with relationship quality.
2. Clarity:
- Do team members understand their collective purpose?
- Are individual roles and responsibilities well-defined?
- Does the team have clear decision-making protocols?
- Are success metrics clearly established and understood?
How clearly are the teams aligned (around what they’re trying to accomplish), defined (in terms of the space in which they are allowed to operate), and assigned (who is doing what)?
3. Control:
- Is there a regular rhythm of performance monitoring and adjustment?
- Does the team have access to relevant performance data?
- Are members holding themselves – and each other – accountable?
- Does the team have the authority to act on their insights?
Don’t ban the word “control” in your organization. An appropriate level of it is necessary to drive outcomes, maintain stability, and identify and adapt to changes.
Remember, while individual excellence and strategic vision are important, it’s the performance of your teams that ultimately determines your firm’s success. Don’t miss the middle – it’s where strategy transforms into results. Starting can be hard, and the assessments can be emotional and personal. Let us help you. Contact us or click here to learn more about Zweig Group’s Performance Consulting practice.
Tom Godin is a senior director at Zweig Group and the leader of the firm’s Performance Consulting practice. Contact him at tgodin@zweiggroup.com.
