TMS Details
Understanding work preferences is a critical component in developing individual, team, and organizational performance. The Team Management Profile Questionnaire is a 60-item assessment focused on enhancing understanding of an individual’s approach to work.
Based on the responses to the profile questionnaire, the personal Team Management Profile provides constructive, work-based information outlining an individual’s work preferences, based on the Margerison-McCann Team Management Wheel, and the strengths that an individual brings to a team.
Margerison-McCann Team Management Wheel
The personal Team Management Profile highlights an individual’s major and two related areas of work preferences on the Margerison-McCann Team Management Wheel.
- Reporter-Adviser – Supporter, helper, tolerant; A collector of information; Dislikes being rushed; Knowledgeable; Flexible
- Creator-Innovator – Imaginative; Future-oriented; Enjoys complexity; Creative; Likes research work
- Explorer-Promoter – Persuader, “seller”; Likes varied, exciting, stimulating work; Easily bored; Influential and outgoing
- Assessor-Developer – Analytical and objective; Developer of ideas; Enjoys prototype or project work; Experimenter
- Thruster-Organizer – Organizes and implements; Quick to decide; Results-oriented; Sets up systems; Analytical
- Concluder-Producer – Practical; Production-oriented; Likes schedules and plans; Pride in reproducing goods and services; Values effectiveness and efficiency
- Controller-Inspector – Strong on control; Detail-oriented; Low need for people contact; An inspector of standards and procedures
- Upholder-Maintainer – Conservative, loyal, supportive; Personal values important; Strong sense of right and wrong; Work motivation based on purpose
With 208 Profile combinations, the Team Management Profile is possibly the most comprehensive personal Profile available today.
The personal Team Management Profile highlights an individual’s major and related areas of work preferences, including information focused on:
- Individual and leadership strengths
- Decision-making
- Interpersonal skills
- Teambuilding
… essential information for developing individuals and teams.
The Team Management Profile is used worldwide by leading companies in diverse applications, including:
- Team development
- Leadership development
- Talent management
- Quality initiatives
- Management training
- Performance review
- Career development
- Diversity training
- Organizational development
People practice what they prefer and therefore perform better in those areas that match their preference. This gives them pleasure from their work.
Law of the Four P’s
Understanding Team Managment System – Work Preferences is a critical component in developing individual, team and organizational performance. Team Management Systems’ Team Management Profile Questionnaire is a 60-item assessment focused on enhancing understanding of an individual’s approaches to work. Based on responses to the profile questionnaire, the personal Team Management Profile provides constructive, work-based information outlining an individuals’ work preferences and the strengths that an individual brings to a team. Work preferences are explored in terms of:
- How an individual prefers to relate to others
- How an individual gathers and uses information
- How an individual makes decisions
- How an individual organizes themselves and others
The personal Team Management Profile highlights an individual’s major and related areas of work preferences, including information focused on:
- Individual and leadership strengths
- Decision-making
- Interpersonal skills
- Teambuilding
….essential information for developing individuals and teams. In addition, Areas for Self-Assessment and Key Points of Note enable an individual to develop focused action-plans and improve performance. Information on Linking helps team members understand how best to communicate with another. Norm Data is included for comparison of individual work preferences with those of managers worldwide. The Team Management Profile Questionnaire and associated Profile are used worldwide by leading companies in diverse applications, including:
- Team development
- Leadership development
- Talent management
- Reengineering
- Quality initiatives
- Management training
- Performance review
- Career development
- Diversity training
- Organizational development
Types of Work Profile
Whether designing a new job or restructuring an existing one, the critical activities which the job holder will have to perform must be identified. This concept of criticality is fundamental to the Team Management Systems approach to job analysis.
Research has shown that while many of these critical job activities can be carried out by a wide variety of people, certain key activities need to be carried out by people with particular abilities, preferences, and skills. In most jobs there are likely to be two or three activities that are critical to successful performance. If these activities are carried out effectively, it can make the difference between high and low performance in a job.
The Types of Work Profile (TWP), a 64-item individual or multi-rater assessment, has been designed to determine those areas of activity, as defined by Team Management Systems Types of Work Model, that are critical to success in a particular job.
Based on the fundamental question, Does this activity make the difference between good and poor performance in the job?, the resulting Types of Work Profile identifies crucial types of work associated with a particular job or position. In indicating the extent that particular types of work impact the job, the Profile includes guidance and feedback to support analysis of the results, assisting in the processes of job design, performance appraisal, career development, and/or task allocation.
Gap Analysis: In addition to analysis of a job by the eight types of work, the Types of Work Profile can also match the demands of the job to individual work preference (as assessed by the Team Management Profile) to identify gaps and matches. This is particularly useful in applications such as project team selection and performance appraisal.
The Types of Work Profile and associated Profile is versatile, allowing any of the following uses and approaches:
- Analysis of existing jobs
- Job design and redesign
- Individual rating of a job
- Multiple views of the same job
Linking Skills Profile
Extensive interviews with teams and team leaders throughout the world have highlighted the common elements responsible for integrating and coordinating teams into a coherent ‘whole’. Team Management Systems identifies these elements as Linking Skills.
Research has shown that it is difficult for an individual to assess their own ‘skills’ accurately. A person can only be considered to have Team Managment System – Linking Skills if they are recognized as such by others who interact with the person concerned on a regular basis. Team Management Systems’ three Linking Skills Profile Questionnaires are multi-rater assessments through which a number of different people rate an individual’s linking skills.
The Linking of People Profile Questionnaire is suitable for all team members and gives feedback on the six People Linking Skills.
| PEOPLE LINKING SKILLS |
| Active Listening |
| Communication |
| Team Relationships |
| Problem Solving and Counseling |
| Participative Decision Making |
| Interface Management |
The Linking of People and Tasks Profile Questionnaire is suitable for senior team members and gives feedback on the six People Linking Skills plus the five Task Linking Skills.
| PEOPLE LINKING SKILLS | TASK LINKING SKILLS |
| Active Listening | Objectives Setting |
| Communication | Quality Standards |
| Team Relationships | Work Allocation |
| Problem Solving and Counseling | Team Development |
| Participative Decision Making | Delegation |
| Interface Management |
The Linking Leader Profile Questionnaire is ideal for team leaders and addresses all three sets of Linking Skills.
| PEOPLE LINKING SKILLS | TASK LINKING SKILLS | LEADERSHIP LINKING SKILLS |
| Active Listening | Objectives Setting | Motivation |
| Communication | Quality Standards | Strategy |
| Team Relationships | Work Allocation | |
| Problem Solving and Counseling | Team Development | |
| Participative Decision Making | Delegation | |
| Interface Management |
Ideally all Linking Skills Profile Questionnaires are completed by:
- The self
- Direct reports
- Peers
- Management
Respondents assess the extent to which the Linking Skill should occur, and the importance of the particular skill. The rater is then asked to assess the individual in terms of what actually does occur. The Linking Skills Profiles assess the gap between what should occur and what does occur and is reported in terms of satisfaction rates.
A graphical colored summary of the importance and satisfaction rates is presented for each Linking Skill, along with key text advice generated from the response by the raters to each question.
A quantitative report offers a detailed analysis of each Linking Skill, enabling the individual to develop focused action-plans to improve linking.
Team Performance Profile
“High Performing Teams regularly review their performance.”
Margerison-McCann High Performing Teams Principles
For high performance in teams, ongoing assessment is a requirement. The Team Performance Profile and resulting Profile are tools developed to support this process.
The Team Performance Profile (TPP), a 54-item multi-rater assessment, focuses on assessing a team’s performance in terms of nine team performance factors associated with high performing teams:
- Advising
- Innovating
- Promoting
- Developing
- Organizing
- Producing
- Inspecting
- Maintaining
- Linking
Based on these nine team performance factors, the Team Performance Profile graphically illustrates satisfaction of a team’s performance by various respondent groups:
- The core team
- Other teams
- Customers or clients
- Management
Respondents assess the extent to which each team performance factor should occur in the work of a team and the extent to which each factor actually does occur. The gap is analyzed and reported in terms of satisfaction rates.
In addition, the Team Performance Profile highlights differing viewpoints of performance from within the team.
A Narrative Report outlines opportunities for a team to improve its overall performance, highlighting specific team performance factors that require particular attention.
In addition, a Quantitative Report offers a detailed item-by-item analysis of each team performance factor, enabling the team to develop focused action plans for improved team performance.
The Team Performance Profile
- Provides an ideal entry point to an assessment of team performance by offering a common language and shared understanding of critical factors for high performance
- Acts as a catalyst for team development and improved effectiveness by enabling team members to focus on areas requiring action.
- Is an ideal tool in any ongoing team development process – initial profiling of the team can be repeated at a later point to assess how team performance has improved.
Team Management Systems has three versions of the Linking Skills Profile Questionnaire. Version 1 is the Linking of People Profile Questionnaire and contains 36-items suitable for all team members. Version 2 is the 66-item Linking of People and Tasks Profile Questionnaire, ideal for senior team members. Version 3 is the Linking Leader Profile Questionnaire especially designed for team leaders. It uses 78-items to assess all Linking Skills.
All three versions are multi-rater assessments where a number of different people rate an individual’s Linking Skills.
Margerison-McCann Linking Skills Model
Arranged around the outside of the Linking Skills Model are the six People Linking Skills. These skills need to be implemented as part of the workplace behavior of the team leader and all team members, if a team is to be high-performing. These skills are:
| PEOPLE LINKING SKILLS | WHAT LINKERS DO |
| Active Listening | Listen before deciding |
| Communication | Keep team members up to date on a regular basis |
| Team Relationships | Encourage respect, understanding, and trust among team members |
| Problem Solving and Counseling | Are available and responsive to people’s problems |
| Participative Decision Making | Involve team members in the problem solving of key issues |
| Interface Management | Coordinate and represent team members |
Inside the People Linking Skills are the five Task Linking Skills. These are essential to the key tasks of the leader and the more senior team members.
| TASK LINKING SKILLS | WHAT LINKERS DO |
| Objectives Setting | Set achievable targets with the team but always press them for improved performance |
| Quality Standards | Set an example and agree on high quality work standards with the team |
| Work Allocation | Allocate work to people based on their capabilities and preferences |
| Team Development | Develop balance in their team |
| Delegation | Delegate work when it is not essential to do it themselves |
At the core of the Linking Skills Model are the two Leadership Linking Skills of Motivation and Strategy. Unless the leader has these skills and makes them part of their daily behavior then the team is unlikely to reach its full potential.
| LEADERSHIP LINKING SKILLS | WHAT LINKERS DO |
| Motivation | Inspires others to give their best |
| Strategy | Devises effective action plans to achieve goals |
Unless all Linking Skills are exercised effectively, a team may lose momentum and direction.
A 4000 word profile gives valuable information about a person’s work preferences and useful information on leadership strengths, interpersonal skills, decision making and team building skills.
A brief summary of each team role is given below.
- Reporter-Advisers
enjoy gathering information and putting it together in a way that makes it easily understood. Usually they are patient people who prefer to have all the information before they take action. - Creator-Innovators
enjoy thinking up new ideas and new ways of doing things. Usually they are very independent and will pursue their ideas regardless of existing systems and methods. - Explorer-Promoters
like to take ideas and promote them to others, both inside and outside the organization. They are often advocates of change and are highly energized, active people who like to have several projects on the go at once. - Assessor-Developers
usually display a strong analytical approach and are at their best where several different possibilities need to be analyzed and developed. They are often sociable, outgoing people who enjoy looking for new markets or opportunities. - Thruster-Organizers
are people who enjoy making things happen. They are analytical decision makers, always doing what is be st for the task, even if their actions sometimes upset others. Their great ability is to get things done, and for this reason they are often found working in project management positions. - Concluder-Producers
are practical people who can be counted on to carry things through to the end. Their strength is in set ting up plans and standard systems so that the outputs can be achieved on a regular basis, in an orderly and controlled fashion. - Controller-Inspectors
are quiet, reflective people who enjoy the detailed side of work, such as dealing with facts and figures. They are usually careful and meticulous and can spend long periods of time on a particular task, working quietly on their own. - Upholder-Maintainers
are people with strong personal values and principles which are of prime importance in their decision making. Usually they have a high concern for people and will be strongly supportive of those who share the same ideals and values as they do. - The Linking role
involves the implementation of eleven key skills which link together both people and tasks. These skills are measured using our product, the Team Managment System – Linking Skills.
There are nine key success factors that make the difference between high-performing and low-performing teams. They are:
- Advising : Gathering and reporting information
- Innovating : Creating and experimenting with ideas
- Promoting : Exploring and presenting opportunities
- Developing : Assessing and testing the applicability of new approaches
- Organizing : Establishing and implementing ways of making things work
- Producing : Concluding and delivering outputs
- Inspecting : Controlling and auditing the working of systems
- Maintaining : Upholding and safeguarding standards and processes
- Linking : Coordinating and integrating the work of others