The role of psychometric profiling in team development

Team behavioural analysis can play a significant role in team development training, and is particularly useful when evaluating group issues which require to be resolved for a team to function more effectively.

Before tackling issues affecting any team or group, it is necessary to analyse the behaviour patterns of the individuals within that team or group.

BlueSky’s experienced facilitators can use behavioural analysis as a development tool to identify areas which team building course participants should focus on – such as strengths and weaknesses, communication and interpersonal skills, and efficiency.

On the basis of this analysis, BlueSky will then devise a bespoke programme for your company, incorporating relevant strategies which address individual or group shortcomings and develop the team as a cohesive unit.

Using the results of behavioural analysis, we can develop a bespoke programme for your team or group which will:

• Provide a clearer sense of direction.
• Clarify roles and responsibilities.
• Improve operating processes.
• Bolster interpersonal and inter-team relationships.

BlueSky’s Experiential Learning Tools

As one of the UK’s leading providers of team development, BlueSky Experiences have created an extensive range of professional experiential tools, including:

• Learning instruments e.g. NLP and TEP
• Role play scenarios e.g. Team Apprentice and Search & Rescue.
• Hands-on activities e.g. High and Low Ropes courses.
• Interactive team simulations e.g. Building Bridges and Construction.

The following examples are some of the experiential team development tools used regularly during BlueSky team development programmes:

• The Low Ropes course – an excellent experiential learning tool, which explores and analyses the key behaviours of communication and motivation.
• The High Ropes require a team to work together as well as trust and support one another through a series of tasks that demand attention to detail and close collaboration.
• Colour Blind allows us to explore the common language that teams use, comparing individuals’ perceptions with reality.
• Magic Stick – if you think you work well as a team and listen to one another, this task will reveal instantly whether this is indeed the case.
• Building Bridges – Develops the clear communication and delegation skills required both for the success of this project and for effective, concise leadership.
• Construction – A clear plan and its execution are vital to the success of this project, so this activity provides a perfect opportunity for BlueSky to evaluate and comment on the communication skills exhibited by the leader.

Psychometric Profiling

“Synergy is the highest activity of life; it creates new untapped alternatives; it values and exploits the mental, emotional, and psychological differences between people.”

Psychometric Profilingreveals relevant and significant personality traits in team members which may affect the way in which they learn, coach, behave and react in given situations.

This profiling technique can be used during any team development intervention at any stage, from pre- to post-team training, and it allows our clients to monitor and evaluate team development and chart progress achieved.

At BlueSky we use a variety of psychometric profiling techniques, including:

• Belbin Team Roles – developed by Dr Meredith Belbin, whose work focussed on the study and analysis of teams and the roles people play in them. It identifies the key roles in a team as: implementer, coordinator, shaper, innovator, resource investigator, monitor evaluator, team worker, completer/finisher and specialist. In addition, it evaluates the optimum combination of these roles for team make-up.

• Team Management Systems – a suite of profiling tools based on a model that describes team working in terms of eight related activities: advising, innovating, promoting, developing, organising, producing, inspecting and maintaining. This tool combines the psychological approach of MBIT (Myers Briggs Type Indicator) and PTI (Psychological Type Indicator) with the sociological approach of Belbin. It offers an effective means of identifying gaps between job requirements and the holder’ actual performances, and also highlights areas for improvement.

• Psychological Type Indicator – a more recent profiling tool than the Myers Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI), PTI is designed to explore the same four Jungian dimensions of personality which combine, in rank order, to give16 possible combinations of personality type. These profiles can encourage a profound sense of self-recognition and provide information about the nature of how respondents relate to others. They also provide a framework for discussion about the nature of interactions and the need to take responsibility for our own personalities.

• Team Effectiveness Profile - this profiling system helps teams to identify and resolve issues that impede effective teamwork. Often a range of issues combine to block a team’s effectiveness, but by learning to recognise this and taking appropriate action, team members can begin to realise the team’s full potential.

Our professional course designers then draw on the results of our psychometric testing when designing your bespoke team development training.

By adopting this structured, methodical approach to course design, we can ensure that appropriate experiential tools and activities are selected to meet each client’s specified course objectives.

Find out more about BlueSky Experiences’ extensive range of team development tools by calling +44 (0)1738 840804 now.