Team Mapping
Laying each person's context side by side is what lets a diverse team communicate well.
We assume others are like us. They are not.
Our first inclination as people is to assume that others are the same as us, that they think, feel and act in similar ways. Nothing could be further from the truth.
Let's consider three people in a business context. You can click on a name to read their story.
If we were to summarise how they show up, it would look like this.
| Brad, Quiet Strategist | Melissa, Helper | Bruce, Challenger | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Core Type | Head | Heart | Body |
| Relationally | Self-Preservation | Social | One-to-One |
| Stance | Withdrawn | Compliant | Assertive |
| Time Orientation | Past | Present | Future |
| Skillsets | Inventing & Discernment | Tenacity & Enablement | Wonder & Galvanising |
| Lose Energy | Galvanising / Enablement | Wonder / Invention | Tenacity / Enablement |
| Leadership Style | Processor | Operator | Visionary |
| Leadership framework | Creative Leader | Creative Leader | Reactive Leader |
What is important to note is that these three are likely to gridlock each other, simply because they are so different in their perspectives. They have different orientations to time, they approach problems differently, they behave differently socially, and so the list goes on.
When they get into a meeting, they each approach the situation differently. Bruce takes the lead and tries to talk and think his way through the issue, looking for patterns and insights. Melissa focuses on action plans, looking for opportunities and obstacles. Brad analyses, and tries to align Bruce and Melissa to their collective frustration, looking at risks and process issues.
If the three of them do not find ways to work with and around their natural approaches, they will gridlock each other.
Here is a deeper look at how the three will show up.
| Brad, Quiet Strategist | Melissa, the Helper | Bruce, the Challenger | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Core Type | Head Type – cerebral, rational, logical; decisions based on information | Heart Type – heart-focused, emotive; decisions based on feelings | Body Type – physical energy, instinctual decision-making |
| Relationally | Self-Preservation – strong boundaries, self-sufficient | Social – likeable, admired, plays to the crowd | One-to-One – charismatic, persuasive, influential |
| Stance | Withdrawn – moves away, low energy, considers scenarios | Compliant – moves toward, attuned, amenable | Assertive – moves against, high energy, decisive |
| Time Orientation | Past | Present | Future |
| Skillsets | Inventing & Discernment – creative, intuitive and confident generator of new ideas; uses instinct and integrative thinking to solve real problems. | Tenacity & Enablement – responsive, dependable doer; willing to step up when something is needed and determined to fulfil their commitments. | Wonder & Galvanising – excitable, curious and enthusiastic proponent of ideas and people; a combination of eagerness and thoughtful reflection. |
| Lose Energy | Galvanising / Enablement | Wonder / Invention | Tenacity / Enablement |
| Leadership Style | Processor – focus on systemising and supervising | Operator – focus on doing and fixing problems | Visionary – focused on starting things and solving puzzles |
| Leadership framework | Creative Leader – strong in systems, relationally self-aware and shows up authentically. | Creative Leader – controls outcomes and is strong at a task level; collaborates well and looks to fit in. | Reactive Leader – focused on achievement and controlling the outcome; protects others relationally and is authentic. |
Team Mapping is the companion to Origin. Where Origin is about understanding one person's cultural wiring, Team Mapping lays those individual contexts side by side across the whole team, so the differences become visible and workable.
Th1nk helps companies engage with these complexities in the way people show up, and ties that into the supporting processes and the tools needed to get the best out of their people.
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Start with a short call about your team and how its members work together. We will help you work out where to begin.