Background

Thomas Teams was developed at Thomas International in 1998 from the PPA system in order to build more effective teams and resolve performance issues in existing teams.

Team Audit creates PPA-based graphs for the ‘Actual’ team culture and also for the ‘Ideal’ team culture. It then compares the two and provides an account of the overall team’s work style, strengths, limitations and the role each individual plays.

Theory

A team comprises of members who must cooperate in order for each individual to get their own job done, and ultimately achieve a collective goal; Thomas Teams is designed to identify whether this is being accomplished.

The ‘Actual’ team culture graph is derived from the working strengths of all team members (PPA graphs of all team members). It provides information on the team’s value, strengths and limitations. This information can help to identify whether the team’s culture is conducive to its function, goals and targets. Using PPA theory, each member of the team is described by the role they play in the team. The team roles are as follows:

• ANCHOR: Possesses good organisation skills and tackles problems in a systematic manner. Is not concerned with the pursuit of self-interest and works efficiently.
• PIONEER: Is self-motivated, energetic and has a need to achieve. Thrives in pressure situations and will generate action.
• SPECIALISER: Has high standards and focuses on quality. Tends to specialise in a specific area of skill or knowledge.
• MOTIVATOR: Possesses the ability to persuade others and maximises their contributions within the team. They draw out the talent in people and rarely show prejudice.
• ANALYSER: Probing, serious and thinks things though. Tends to be astute when making decisions, and consider all factors.
• INNOVATOR: A creative thinker and generates innovative ideas for new and existing products and services.
• CONCLUDER: Pays attention to detail and fulfils promises. Is a good listener and has a high level of concentration. Aspires to high standards and rarely starts a task which they cannot finish.
• SUPPORTER/NURTURER: Encourages other team members and has the ability to reduce tension, and usually puts both the team and its results before anything else.
• NETWORKER: Adds value by seeking opportunities and networks to make external contacts. A good communicator both inside and outside the team.

The ‘Ideal’ team graph reflects the organisation’s needs by listing the ideal behaviours required for a high performance team. It is created by selecting a series of behavioural statements. This alone can be used when creating a new team or it can be compared to the ‘Actual’ team graph as a gap analysis. The gap analysis identifies areas in which the team may struggle to perform to their targets and goals, and also comments on potential power struggles in the team.

Format of the assessment

The ‘Actual’ team is created by selecting the team’s PPA profiles from a web account which creates a composite PPA graph showing the culture of the team. The report highlights the team’s Strengths, Reaction to Change, Preferred Team Leader, Value and Limitations. It also describes each person’s role in the team.

The ‘Ideal’ team is created by someone in the organisation (e.g. the manager of the team, HR, or a director) by selecting key words that describe the focus of the team. Once these are selected the system creates a graph indicating the culture that is required for the team. The graph can then be altered until the person creating the team is satisfied with the ‘Ideal’ team culture.

Call us on +91 22 2445 2001 or email mumbai.support@thomasassessments.com to discuss how Thomas assessments can help to add a greater level of certainty to all your people decisions.