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Leverage Your Team’s Style To Enhance Collaboration

Writer's picture: Mamie Kanfer StewartMamie Kanfer Stewart

Personality assessments like Myers-Briggs can help managers understand the behaviors and preferences of their team members, but those don’t always correlate to how the team works together collectively.  


Christopher Morrison, co-founder of TeamDynamics, shed light on a groundbreaking approach to team collaboration that applies the wisdom of personality tests to teams. This article explores the key takeaways from the interview, focusing on the four dimensions of team dynamics that managers should understand to optimize team performance.


A Team’s Style is More Than The Sum Of Its People


It’s easy to assume that understanding each team member’s personality is sufficient for predicting how a team will function. However, Christopher’s research shows that teams exhibit their own unique behavioral patterns, distinct from the personalities of individual members, including the manager’s style. Factors such as organizational culture, team composition, and the nature of the work can significantly influence team behavior. Recognizing and managing these factors is essential for improving how teams work together.


The Four Dimensions of Team Dynamics


The TeamDynamics framework provides a practical approach to measuring and managing team behaviors, allowing leaders to turn vague notions of “teamwork” into actionable insights. It measures team behaviors across four dimensions: communicating, processing, deciding, and executing. Each dimension presents a spectrum, with teams tending toward one of two ends, though most fall somewhere in between. Understanding where a team lies on each spectrum can help managers better guide their teams and adapt to changing circumstances.


1. Communicating: Ordered vs. Informal

This dimension examines how teams share information. Ordered teams have structured processes for communication, such as regular meetings with set agendas or well-documented workflows. They value consistency and clarity in information-sharing. Informal teams, on the other hand, rely on more organic methods like spontaneous conversations. Information tends to reside in the heads of team members rather than formal documentation.


Knowing the team’s communication preferences is especially helpful when looking for information. Teams with a more ordered approach enable people to find information more independently while informal teams rely on knowing who to ask. Understanding this can be incredibly helpful for new team members who are getting oriented to team’s work.


2. Processing: Logical vs. Relational

The processing dimension focuses on how teams make sense of information. Logical teams prioritize data and rigorous analysis when making decisions. The strength of an argument is based on the evidence presented, and gut feelings are often dismissed. Relational teams tend to base decisions on input from trusted individuals within the team. The socialization of ideas before formal decision-making is common, with a high value placed on expertise and relationship capital.


Understanding where a team lies on this spectrum can help managers anticipate potential conflicts. For example, logical teams may clash with relational teams when working cross-functionally if there is a lack of data to support decisions or if decisions are made without sufficient consultation.


3. Deciding: Authoritative vs. Concordant

This dimension addresses how teams reach consensus on decisions. Authoritative teams typically follow a top-down approach where decisions are made by the leader or a small group with little input from others. Concordant teams follow a more consensus-driven approach, gathering input from all members and prioritizing transparency.


Knowing a team’s decision-making style allows managers to adjust their leadership approach and communicate why a change in approach makes sense. In situations where time is critical, an authoritative style may be more effective. Conversely, a concordant approach may be beneficial for building buy-in and fostering a collaborative culture. 


4. Executing: Deliberate vs. Spontaneous

The execution dimension explores how teams plan and implement their work. Deliberate teams create detailed plans and follow them closely. They are methodical in their approach and prefer to anticipate potential challenges. Spontaneous teams favor flexibility and adaptability. They are comfortable pivoting quickly in response to new information or changes in circumstances.


This dimension can inform project planning and risk management strategies. Deliberate teams may struggle in dynamic environments requiring rapid adjustments, while spontaneous teams might need more structure to avoid chaos.


When to Act on Team Dynamics Insights


While understanding a team’s dynamics provides valuable information, the question arises: When should managers work to change how their team works? Christopher suggests looking for signs of misalignment. If a team’s behavior is in tension with individual preferences—such as a naturally informal team operating in a highly structured manner—it may indicate a need for change. Be sure to facilitate a team discussion to evaluate whether current practices are effective before attempting to shift behaviors. 


To unleash your team’s full potential, consider assessing your team’s dynamics and fostering an environment where everyone understands and leverages their collective strengths. When teams know their “instruction manual,” they not only work better together but also thrive in a constantly evolving business landscape.



Listen to the entire episode HERE.



Keep up with Christopher Morrison


Guest Bonus: 10% Off TeamDynamics Pro


Christopher is providing members of Podcast+ 10% Off TeamDynamics Pro. Invite your team to complete the assessment and receive a guide for understanding how modern teams work together, personalized for your team.


Get this guest bonus and many other member benefits when you join The Modern Manager Podcast+ Community.


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The Modern Manager is a leadership podcast for rockstar managers who want to create a working environment where people thrive, and great work gets done.


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