Is your team a TINO?
It’s not really individuals who get things done in organisations. Nor is the whole of the organisation at work. It’s teams that make things happen. Which explains what we know about organisations that outperform expected norms - high performing organisations are made up of high-performing teams.
Yet most teams, some of which you’ve no doubt had the pleasure of being a member of, are in fact TINO - Team In Name Only.
You know the ones - where heads of function wait for their turn on the agenda to report on things that could have been shared beforehand, only to switch off the moment they’re done.
Where team members say that they agree when in the meeting room, yet the moment they’re next at the water cooler or coffee machine, they’re telling colleagues what a load of rubbish that decision was.
Where there’s a complete lack of respect for colleagues sitting around the table - talking over others, interrupting, posturing. Again, you know the drill.
But here’s the truth. We can ill afford to experience this dysfunctionality if we want to achieve outstanding results through having a healthy culture.
Research consistently shows that organisations with strong, cohesive teams experience higher productivity, innovation, and profitability.
Here are some stats and studies for you, to back up this assertion:
Productivity and Efficiency
The most successful teams share key traits like psychological safety, dependability and clarity of purpose, leading to enhanced collaboration and efficiency. (Google - Project Aristotle).
Companies with highly collaborative teams are 20-25% more productive than those with weaker teamwork structures - McKinsey & Company
Innovation and Competitive Advantage
Organisations fostering a culture of teamwork and inclusion generate 30% more innovative ideas than their counterparts. - MIT Sloan Management Review
High-performing teams encourage diverse perspectives, creative problem-solving and a willingness to experiment - critical factors in staying ahead in rapidly evolving markets.
Employee Engagement and Retention
Employees who work in high-performing teams are 59% more engaged and 21% more profitable for their companies. - Gallup
Organisations with strong team cohesion experience 50% lower employee turnover, reducing recruitment costs and preserving institutional knowledge. - Harvard Business Review
Customer Satisfaction
Businesses that prioritise teamwork and collaboration are 30% more likely to deliver exceptional customer service, leading to higher client retention and brand loyalty. - Bain & Company
Resilience and Adaptability
Organisations with agile, high-performing teams respond 42% faster to market changes than their competitors, ensuring long-term success despite disruptions. - Deloitte
So, the data is clear. High performing teams drive organisational excellence. Investing in team development is not just beneficial - it’s a necessity for any organisation aiming for sustainable success.
But where does this development need to be directed?
Most teams rely on a subjective assessment as to their performance, when the team leader poses the question at an off-site …’OK team, how do you think or feel we’re going? '
No doubt this will prompt an interesting conversation, but it’ll only give you a qualitative understanding, which may or may not be accurate, especially if there’s an issue with psychological safety and one or more of the ream don’t feel like they can speak their truth.
Which is where a brilliant real time, high performance team diagnostic tool called Squadify comes in.
The platform was conceived and designed by the co-founders, Pia Lee & Dan Hammond, on the back of research conducted by the London School of Political Science and London Business School.
Squadify measures & tracks team (squad) performance, eliciting action-oriented insights from robust data points that are derived from non-attributable responses to 40 questions.
In short, the platform allows us to add rigour to your team’s high-performance journey, by enabling coaching to happen with pin-point accuracy.
The platform focuses on the 3C’s of performance (Clarity, Climate & Competence) and 6 Dynamics (trust, psychological safety, team forming, innovation, execution & engagement). It takes just c. 10 minutes for each team (squad) member to complete the questionnaire and the report is generated the moment the last survey has been completed.
Best practice is to run a Squadify survey every 2 months, with un-metered coaching for both the squad leader and the squad, after each survey report has been generated.
If you’re interested in testing this tool, I am offering a once only opportunity to run a Squadify Mini for your team (squad) at zero cost. It’s an abridged version of the full survey, that can be run within one of your existing meetings.
It’s super simple to do. Meeting attendees scan a QR code, answer 12 questions on a 5-point scale and the results are displayed on screen in real time. Responses are non-attributable. It takes just 90- seconds to complete the survey. And a further c.20 minutes of conversation on the back of the immediate results will add real value for your team.
I’m looking forward to hearing from you. It’s time that your team is no longer a TINO!!
Mike
