Noel Tichy, in his research based on this model, observed that conflicts accumulate at each level with a ratio of 80:20 

• 80% of conflicts in teams are attributed to unclear goals
• From the remaining 20%, 80% are assigned to unclear roles
• From the remainder, there is again 80% to be found in unclear processes
• And only 1% of conflicts in teams can be attributed to interpersonal relationships between the team members

Uncertainty on one level impacts the next, as can be seen here:

• If goals are not clear, uncertainties in the individual roles will arise;
• If roles are unclear, this will result in conflict within the processes,
• If processes are unclear, conflicts at higher levels will appear at people level

The GRPI model emphasizes that it is crucial to establish complete clarity at each level, since this will create a foundation of shared commitment among the members of your team.

Source: Raue S., Suk-Han Tang, Weiland Ch. and Wenzlik C.: The GRPI model – an approach for team development, Systemic Excellence Group, 2013

When it comes to goals – they should provide the foundation of good teamwork by establishing the core mission of a team and give frame to the team’s purpose. Goals are important because they give your team a direction – which allows you to understand where you are now, where you want to go, and create bonds between you and your team members by unifying your visions on getting there. According to Beckhard, goals are what makes a team a team – they create identity and generate sense. If your team doesn’t have a clear, shared and agreed goal, any kind of team development will be limited in its impact. If all team members understand, accept, share and commit to common objectives, they will be able to align their individual goals with the common goals of the team.

A role can be described by its authority, responsibilities and tasks, and it should be aligned to support the goals your team has defined. In order for a team to function, each team member should have a clear picture of who is doing what, who is responsible for what, and should know the extent of their authority (as in, where is the line where you start intruding upon someone else’s tasks). Every team member should agree with their role and be satisfied with it, because this will create individual and collective accountability. If you agreed to take a certain task onto yourself, of course you are going to be more passionate and eager to complete it, and do it well. Defining roles well is a foundation of a clear process, when it comes to addressing, clarifying and resolving issues.

To understand what we mean by authority when talking about roles – this is the amount of freedom for a person to act within their role. Authority is the frame given to the space for action, initiatives or decisions made by a person in the role. Since roles give authority, they also demand responsibility – meaning that every team member should be held accountable for deliverables (tasks) that are defined by their role. It should also be clear whom your team members in each role should address if they experience any issues.

Processes are a tool to overcome inefficiencies in decision-making, control, coordination and communication. The GRPI model of team development proposes that if you clearly define processes early, you can support your team’s goals, because interactions within the team are going to be determined. Amount of types of processes will depend on your team’s task size and composition.

While talking about processes, the GRPI model touches upon topics of decision making, conflict management and communication. To address them one by one:

• Communication is essential. With everything we do or say, we communicate. It is very important to know what the communication channels within your team are, since it is vital for successful teams. If your communication is effective, every member of the team will know what everyone is doing, and this will give everyone an idea on how the team is progressing towards the final goal.
• Clearly defined roles are a basis for decision making. Decisions within your team need to be made collectively, and after they are made, you have to make sure that everyone is on the same page. This will make sure that every team member is responding quickly and encourage respecting deadlines,
• What makes a team are the people – which means that personal or interpersonal conflicts are potentially going to happen. This is a natural part of interacting with each other. According to the GRPI model, conflict management is all about following a clear process when conflicts occur. There should be a clear process to address issues, since this will allow you to solve them quickly and to avoid any kind of escalation.

Interactions cover the interpersonal section of the GRPI model. Here, we outline relationships, individual styles, while focusing on establishing trust, open communication and feedback – since this is going to create a comfortable working environment. Like in other parts of this model we covered above, the Interactions part also needs to have clearly established, understood, shared and agreed upon rules. In order to improve this aspect of your team, we will propose five principles of interpersonal relationships. Those principles are based on the attempt to honestly seek to understand what is important to your team members, while keeping in mind what is important to you – and adjusting behavior where needed. The five principles are as follows:

• Attend to little things; meaning that it is recommended that you perform small acts of courtesy, such as smiling, giving a compliment or offering help.
• Keeping commitments; people believe in promises, and if you don’t fulfill them , it could lead to them being irritated.
• Clarifying expectations; meaning that you and your team mates should make sure that you understand each other (and each other’s responsibilities).
• Show personal integrity; this means keeping your promises and deadlines, meeting expectations and showing respect – this is how you build trust.
• Apologize sincerely when you make a withdrawal; meaning that you should be sincere and explain your action to your team members (in case you break deadline or don’t fulfill the expectations).

Of course, if you do the opposite of those five principles, you can expect interpersonal relationships between you and your teammates to worsen.

Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the ANPCDEFP. Neither the European Union nor the ANPCDEFP can be held responsible for them.