TMS
Generalities
TMS stands for Team Management System. TMS or TMP (Team Management Profile) was devised by C. Marguerisson and D. McCann in 1985. The approach is informed by the work of C. Jung, R. Evans, and M. Belbin.
TMS is published by TMS International, Milton, Australia, and distributed by a network of consultancy firms and consultants.
Assessment
The TMS test is a forced-choice technique that takes about 10 minutes to answer. The results of the TMS are presented on a circle (called the 'team management wheel') in the following eight dimensions. A report accompanies the results.
| Dimension | GRI a priori |
|---|---|
| Explorer, promoter | High 1, high 2, lower 4 than 1 |
| Assessor, developer | High 1, low 2, lower 4 than 1. |
| Thruster, organizer | Low 3, high 4, Lower 1 than 4 |
| Concluder, producer | Low 1, high 3, high 4 |
| Controller, inspector | Very high 4, high 1, lower 1 than 4. |
| Upholder, maintainer | Low 1, high 3, high 4 |
| Reporter, advisor | Low 1, higher 2 than 1 |
| Creator, innovator | High 1, low 4 |
The eight dimensions are regrouped in four families: Explorers, Organizers, Controllers, and Advisors. There are other tests published by Team Management System, which include the following:
- LLP|360 – Linking Leader Profile: it’s 360° feedback, used to support leadership development, coaching, and performance management.
- QO2 – Opportunities-Obstacles Quotient Profile: it measures people's approach to risk and determines the balance of effort put into seeing the opportunities and obstacles at work. It measures the following scales:
- MTG Energy - how much energy you put into 'Moving Towards your Goals'.
- Multi-Pathways - the extent to which one finds ways around obstacles
- Fault-Finding - how good one is at seeing potential obstacles
- Optimism - the extent to which someone expects positive outcomes
- Time-Focus - a measure of one’s psychological time and orientation to the past, the present, or the future
- WoWV – Window on Work Values Profile: it is a 64-item questionnaire where individuals record those activities or situations at work that they value. It is said to measure an individual's fit with the workplace culture. The eight dimensions measured are the following:
| Dimension | GRI a priori |
|---|---|
| Compliance | High 4 |
| Conformity | High 4 |
| Collectivism | Low 1 |
| Equality | High 2, low 1 |
| Empowerment | High 1, high 4 |
| Independence | High 1, low 4 |
| Individualism | High 1, low 4 |
| Authority | High 1, low 2 |
- The team Signals Report Bundle: This is a multi-rater tool that is said to uncover strengths and areas for growth, aligning everyone with shared goals by tackling questions like “Who are we?”
Usage
Personal development, team building, leadership development.
Comment
The TMS is a typology system that has the same limitations and restrictions as all other typology systems used for coaching and team-building applications. The main concerns with the assessment are the absence of precise measurement of behavioral intensity, no account of a person’s adaptability, overlap between dimensions, and a lack of connection with job requirements. These characteristics limit the applicability of measures beyond a typical team-building exercise.
The concepts brought by the WoWV assessment at a cultural level enable comparisons with individual characteristics, although only an approximate comparison can be made with TMS results.