It is not hard to identify when a work group or team is producing sub-standard results. The difficult part is determining why. What prevents a group from performing at the level an organization needs, or at the very least, performing up to the talent in the room? Why is the whole not at least equal to the sum of its parts? Are there issues with leadership? Does the group contain the appropriate combination of skills to solve the problem? Is the style of interaction constructive for the group's success?

Samuel R. James and Associates partners with teams and their leaders to get at the heart of these questions. Our process consists of a comprehensive assessment of the individuals in the group and the group as a whole. These assessments can take the form of individually based 360° feedback studies or intensive offsite group meetings, or some combination thereof. The exact configuration is based on the level of performance of the members in the group as well as the group's overall level of execution.

We begin by determining if there are clearly stated goals and objectives for the group. This is the first and most critical step in the process – without clearly defined outcomes, there is little hope for further success. Secondly, we determine if there are clearly defined roles to meet these goals and objectives – can the group members articulate who is responsible for what? Are there any redundancies of effort? Next, we examine their processes – how do they make decisions? Who schedules meetings? Who attends those meetings? How are they organized? Is there appropriate follow-through with agenda items? And lastly, we uncover any personal conflicts that may be present.