Flexibility is the key to team spirit

An advanced team role assessment system has been launched which avoids rigid pigeon-holing, while giving people the flexibility to discover ëhidden talentsí.

Teamable works by giving individuals the scope to tap skills they often do not know they possess, which can then be used alongside their core strengths to build highly effective teams.

The product, from Robertson Cooper ñ the UKís fastest growing business psychology company ñ works by measuring and adapting team role flexibility. It contrasts sharply with older team role assessment models which tend to ëtypecastí people, locking them unto rigid roles.

îThe people you harness to deliver your business plan are a blend of strengths, personalities and abilities,î explains Robertson Cooper marketing manager Dr Joe Jordan. ìYour people have so much to offer, but the startling truth is they themselves arenít always aware of the true depth of their capabilities.

îTeamable makes sure you get the best out of your high performance team by providing a three dimensional picture of an individual’s contribution in a team by measuring team role flexibility.î

Research shows that the most effective teams are those with most roles represented in their ranks, with the ëperfect teamí made up of eight scientifically defined team roles.
ìHowever, most teams are not perfect ñ there will always be aspects of the team that are not well catered for,î says Joe Jordan. ìWhatís more, many teams are small, with only three or four people. These teams need members to take up roles and responsibilities that they would not ordinarily prefer to do.î

One of the best ways to achieve this is through role flexibility ñ members responding positively to team needs by ëcovering offí the requirements of the team. If something needs to be done, members of a high-performing team will readily take up the responsibility ñ even if the this is not their natural preference.

ìWe all have our preferred role in a team, be it a co-ordinator of activities, a good networker with people, a skilled analyst, or whatever,î adds Joe Jordan. ìBut what we often overlook is the extent to which we can take on something that we do not normally give ourselves the chance to do. People can act in a wider range of roles than normal when they need to meet the specific demands of a project.
ìTeamable measures peopleís role flexibility and provides information about skills that team members never knew they had.î

The Teamable system gives HR professionals and managers comprehensive individual reports containing insights into each team member’s role flexibility, which enables thorough analysis of team strengths to enhance success. The system also provides a report for the whole team which helps to analyse team balance.