Team Performance
The Drexler/Sibbet Team Performance Model
Teams make positive changes when they receive reliable data on performance and have a chance to discuss and align on ways to improve. One of the approaches I use to help teams make positive changes is The Drexler/Sibbet Team Performance Model™. It provides a common, organization-wide framework for teaming across functions, cultures and distances.
Using the Team Performance Survey, your team determines their current position on The Model's continuum. I work with the team leads to understand the data and draw insights that inform a series of workshops and 1:1 conversations meant to help the team move to the next stage of sustained high performance.
The outcomes include stronger relationships, alignment around priorities and purpose, improved communication, clear roles, responsibilities and decision-making, clear problem-solving processes, and clear work processes.
How It Works
The Team Performance Model illustrates team development as seven stages, four to create the team and three to describe increasing levels of sustained performance. A team may currently be in any one - and only one - of the seven stages. The team's current stage is determined using the Team Performance Survey and 1:1 interpretation of the survey results with the team leader.
A team will typically move step-wise through the model, either forward or backward. Once a stage is attained, the work turns to resolving issues identified in the very next stage (as illustrated above). Teams can also move backwards in the model for a variety of reasons - new team members, a new charter or set of functional responsibilities, etc. When this happens, teams will sometimes need to step back and re-examine any unresolved issues.
When a team has reached their goals, they may decide it's time to re-examine their overall purpose, renewing themselves in service to the organization and to each other. This is one of two points where a team may skip stages to re-ground, either in their purpose or trust-building. And the process begins anew.
How I Use The Team Performance Model
The Team Performance Model is a key part of my Team Effectiveness Coaching practice. It is a powerful framework that helps teams align on how to become high performing. I received my certification in The Drexler/Sibbet Team Performance Model from The Grove Consultants International in San Francisco, California.
Various stages of the model require different types of conversations and change activities in order to address the unresolved issues or sustain the resolutions to issues already addressed. The Model specifies the content and timing of key conversations but also leaves room to augment these with other approaches in the consultant's toolkit. Therefore, depending on the team, its current stage, and its relative level of maturity, I may weave in other tools and training like The Enneagram , change management or even conflict resolution practices.
As with any approach I use, the most important characteristic of achieving high performance as a team is the leader, and their commitment to building high levels of trust, team commitment, and disciplined execution across their team or organization. The Team Performance Model helps leaders understand their role in driving these critical aspects. To help with this, I also like to augment the model with 1:1 Leadership Coaching to help keep the team leader "out in front", looking for the best opportunities to move their team to the next stage.