The team dynamics influence the organizational outcome considerably. Hence, high-performance teams are not a coincidence but rather a deliberate plan and intentional effort to better understand and enhance behaviors that evoke collaboration, trust, and productivity. The most widely recognized framework of these behaviors is Patrick Lencioni’s “Five Behaviors of a Cohesive Team.” This, when used strategically with psychometric personality tests, can revolutionize how teams work and how they deliver their goals.
This blog discusses the Five Behaviors of a Cohesive Team and how psychometric personality tests can be utilized in maximizing team performance.
The Five Behaviors of a Cohesive Team
Lencioni says that The Five Behaviors of a Cohesive Team is a very structured approach to team building, as follows:
Trust is the foundation of any winning team. If trust does not exist, team members cannot be vulnerable and open with each other, and communication and collaboration are thus hindered. In a good team, trust is created when members can admit to their weaknesses, ask for help, and give others the benefit of the doubt. Trust enables honest conversation and creates an environment in which team members feel comfortable taking risks and learning from mistakes.
Conflict: As much as people dislike the concept of conflict, the truth is that no developing team is without some type of constructive conflict. The productive and integrated teams argue constructively on ideas without filtering out any one of them. In fact, such debates spur innovations and ensure the organization does not become stale. Thus, lines should be drawn between constructive conflicts that are usually over issues or ideas and unhealthy conflict that is personal and destructive. Teams that have trust with each other are best placed for constructive conflict since they fear that disagreements would undermine relationships.
Commitment: Commitment is about clarity and buy-in. When all ideas have been aired, coherent teams make decisions and move on with a shared understanding. Even though a team member may not agree with all the decisions, they are likely to commit to the plan when they realize that their thoughts have been heard and taken into account. Commitment is an important factor in making sure all team members are working towards the same goals and priorities for the group.
Accountability: Great teams make each other accountable. Accountability is about being responsible and willing to challenge one’s peers when they do not meet the expected performance and behavior standards. It often proves to be one of the toughest habits for a team to develop because it necessitates having an uncomfortable conversation. However, if there is accountability, then a team works with greater speed and efficiency.
Results: In cohesive teams, there are collective results instead of individual achievements. United in common goals, a team member substitutes organizational success for personal ambitions and recognizes that the outcomes of the team are bigger than personal recognition or advancement. In fact, a results-oriented approach ensures that everybody remains focused on the bigger picture, contributing to the achievement of organization’s success.
Building a Cohesive Team with Psychometric Personality Tests
Understanding Five Behaviors of a Cohesive Team will never be complete without knowing how psychometric personality tests can build such behaviors. Psychometric tests are scientifically developed tests and, as such, a valuable resource for understanding and developing team cohesion.
Here’s how psychometric personality tests can help build teamwork.
Building Trust through Self-Awareness: Understanding is the start of trust. Psychometric personality tests, such as the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) or the Big Five Personality Test, can provide insight into individual strengths, weaknesses, and communication styles of team members. When team members are cognizant of their personality traits and those of colleagues, they are better positioned to empathize with one another and appreciate different perspectives. This self-awareness fosters a greater sense of trust and increases the trust while dissolving misunderstanding.
Team Profile Use: Knowing the personality profile of team members can facilitate the constructive conflict. Some persons are more assertive or direct, while others have a more reserved reflective side. Knowing this, approach disputes involving any member of the team as that will ensure conflicts don’t become personal but only revolve around ideas. Understanding others’ communication styles ensures each respected and productive debates produce some innovative solutions.
Communicate commitment. Psychometric personality tests enable the team leader to be as specific or general with their information depending on the needs of the members of their team. While some may require a great deal of detail before feeling safe in making a decision, others may be comfortable with only a general overview. It then becomes possible for such a leader to ensure everyone has been heard and the way decisions are made promotes high buy-in and commitment.
Encourage Accountability through Motivation Understanding: People are motivated differently, and psychometric tests can reveal what drives every member of the team. Some may be very much motivated by external recognition while others may be satisfied by the realization of personal mastery. Leaders, therefore, can understand such motivation and align tasks and responsibilities with individual strengths, ensuring accountability in ways that will resonate with each team member. But there may be support for their colleague among team members; then there will be quality delivery with such high expectations for the standards of the group’s performance.
Role and Task Alignment with Individual Strengths Using psychometric personality tests for role and task alignment aligns roles and responsibilities with strengths. Only in a cohesive group are members aware of their roles and their individual contribution towards the success of the group. With such tests, organizations place members in the right positions according to their strengths so that they gain maximum productivity and enhance overall team performance.
Conclusion
Building a cohesive team is never a one-and-done project; it’s something that continuously requires intention and effort. The Five Behaviors of a Cohesive Team—trust, conflict, commitment, accountability, and results—are a blueprint for making the right foundation for a very strong team. And when strategic use of psychometric personality tests is combined with this set of behaviors, teams start to get much more informed about their members’ personalities and behaviors, leading them to improvements in communication, collaboration, and overall performance.
These methods would boost the morale of individual team members and simultaneously make an organization successful for a long time. Being aware of such behaviors and applying psychometric assessments can make an organization build a productive and enjoyable work environment