Our last post began what will be a series reviewing the group of people who we accredited in 2019 in the Team Management Profile. The post looked at some of the high level differences between the 2019 accredited group and the worldwide TMP data from a preference perspective. The graphic below illustrates some of those high level differences:
This post will look at why we might be seeing some of these differences between east and west wheel preferences with these groups. And what might be the implications.
One of the things we noted was that west wheel preferences tend to be more drawn to the west wheel work functions of the Types of Work Wheel. These work functions tend to be more open ended and strategic; focusing on possibilities and what could be done or achieved. For people who get accredited to use the TMP they often see strategic possibilities through the lens of people. People reaching their potential to achieve these strategic possibilities. Whether that be individuals, teams or entire organizations.
West wheel work functions do tend to focus more on the ‘process’ of getting work done and people are a major part of the process of achieving strategic possibilities. East wheel work functions tend to focus more on the ‘result’ of getting things done and people are one variable needed to get to a result.
It is important to note that both focuses are needed for good performance. It seems however that the accreditation group is more drawn to the process of getting things done; with people being a key variable.
I think this is one of the key reasons why we see so many more west wheel preferences expressed by people who get accredited.
One of the implications of this however is that while a focus on the process of work may seem obvious to some, it can be much less obvious to others! Especially when the feedback loops indicating success are much longer with a focus on work process, especially people processes.
So often when we accredit people those people see in vivid and exciting colors the real potential for use of the TMP. It seems so obvious! Only to find that it is much harder to actually promote that potential to others. So many of those others having east wheel preferences! It’s just not all that obvious!
For us, at TMS this represents why it is so important for us to emphasize the Types of Work Wheel in our accreditation process.
This model and the research behind it indicates that an appropriate balance in the performance of the various work functions is critical to high performance. This makes sense to those people who may put more focus on the result of getting work done than the process of that work. It is the thing that is much more obvious!
We at TMS (also with a lot of west wheel preferences!) are also pretty much enamored by the vivid and exciting colors of the potential for use of the TMP; and drawn to the people process of work. But as the core research underpinning the Types of Work Wheel illustrates, we need to make sure we focus on that east wheel as well! It can be surprisingly hard!
What might your thoughts be on this?