Tag Archives: team dimensions profile

Last updated by at .

Developing Teamwork Using The Philosophy Of Phil Jackson

16 Replies

On a recent episode of “Bones” Dr. Temperance Brennan, played by Emily Deschanel, became intrigued by a book from Phil Jackson that outlined his management philosophy and style. As a result she pulled her team of interns together to work on an unsolved, cold-case murder. This murder occurred over 10 years ago and it seemed an impossible task to solve it now. Using the legendary basketball coach’s philosophy she challenged her team to take a look at solving the mystery through fresh eyes. This caused the interns to come together as a team, put aside egos and solve the mystery proving to them that when they pulled together as a team they could accomplish the impossible. An excellent object lesson for all of us trying to develop strong teams.

That’s When The Light Bulb Went Off

This started me thinking about teamwork and how it can energize an organization or doom it to repeated failure. Can we as business owners and leaders learn anything from a basketball coach? As organizational development consultants we at Intesi! Resources are always helping our customers tackle the issue of building, fostering and sustaining effective teamwork. We, as consultants, are always looking for knowledge and inspiration. How about you? Continue reading →

How Does The Team Dimensions 2.0 Profile Work? – Part II

5 Replies

The crossed hands of teamwork.In addition to the four approaches there are Four Basic Roles identified in the Team Dimensions 2.0 Profile:

  • Creator – The Conceptual and Spontaneous Approaches combine to form the Creator role.  The Creator generates fresh, original, out-of-the-box concepts and ideas in ways that defy generally accepted structures or rules.  The Creator perceives “the big picture.”
  • Advancer – The Spontaneous and Normative Approaches combine to form the Advancer role.  The Advancer recognizes ideas and new directions in the early stages and develops ways to promote them.  The Advancer uses insightful planning based on past experiences and proven methods to advance ideas towards implementation.
  • Refiner – The Conceptual and Methodical Approaches combine to form the Refiner role.  The Refiner challenges concepts, often playing the devil’s advocate.  Using a methodical process to analyze things in an orderly manner, the Refiner will detect flaws, identify potential problems, and suggest alternative solutions.
  • Executor – The Methodical and Normative Approaches combine to form the Executor role.  The Executor lays the groundwork for implementation, ensuring that the process moves forward in an orderly manner to achieve high-quality results.

A fifth role, the Flexer, appears when an individual uses a combination of all four innovative approaches.

  • Flexer – The Flexer monitors the contributions of all team members and steps in to fill gaps in the team during the various stages of the process.

This information helps team development and the creation of a stronger and more cohesive team.

How Does The Team Dimensions 2.0 Profile Work? – Part I

3 Replies

Rowing Shows TeamworkThe Team Dimensions 2.0 Profile identifies four distinct approaches to thinking and behavioral styles among people involved in a team process.  It is used for team development.  The four approaches are:

  • Conceptual Approach – People who take a Conceptual Approach like to come up with new ideas.  They’re good at exploring alternatives and discussing concepts when presented with a problem or an opportunity.
  • Spontaneous Approach – People who take the Spontaneous Approach want freedom from constraint.  They tend to move from one subject to another, focusing on many things at once and sometimes showing impatience.
  • Normative Approach – People who take a Normative Approach prefer to put ideas in a familiar context.  They tend to let their past experience guide them, and they like to see the consequences before they act.
  • Methodical Approach – People who take a Methodical Approach prefer order and rationality.  When presented with a problem or opportunity, they tend to follow a step-by-step process, examining the details and carefully considering things before acting.

Typically, people tend to use two or more Approaches when working on a team.  The integration of approaches defines the roles of team members.  This information helps team development and the creation of a stronger and more cohesive team.

Part II of this post will discuss the identification of the Four Basic Roles shown in the results of the Team Dimensions 2.0 Profile.