There are lots of ways to analyze the issues confronting a team and working toward improvement. One of the simplest and most direct is the GRPI technique, an acronym standing for:

Goals - Roles - Process - Interpersonal

GOALS

Goals provide the foundation of effective teamwork by establishing the core mission and specific deliverables of a team. Conflicts often arise when goals are not clearly stated or aligned between different members of a team. In some teams there may be multiple goals, caring for patients, education of students, effective use of resources. In such cases it is important to surface the various goals and recognize that team members may value the various goals differently.

ROLES

Each role should be aligned to support the achievement of the goals defined. To enable the team to function, each team member should have a clear picture of who is doing what, who is responsible for what, and know the extent of their authority to act.

PROCESS

Setting up processes for decision-making, conflict management and communication will help a team achieve its goals by developing a shared commitment to key ways of doing the work.

INTERPERSONAL

The Interpersonal dimension addresses relationships and individual styles. It is about establishing trust, open communication and enabling feedback that supports a high performing working environment.

GRPI Assessment checklist

Check which quartile best describes your team’s location.

Improving your GRPI

Working with your team or a part of it take a few minutes to generate some ways to improve each of these dimensions of how your team functions.

Goals – purpose, needs of customers, what we do?

Roles - who does what, who is good at these things, who is in charge, who can decide?

Process – what is success, is there a plan, what counts, how do we make it better?

Interpersonal - do we know and value each other, what do we share, how to make this better?

By collecting and discussing these openly and having a structure to follow, you can improve efficiency and collaboration within your team.