Team Cohesion Score (TCS) by 9 CUBE

A simple method for measuring team cohesion

The Team Cohesion Score, or TCS for short, is an indicator that measures the level of cohesion of a team or a group of teams within companies, communities (or associative groups), sports clubs, or any other organisation that incorporates the concept of a team.

Its objective is to indicate the extent to which individuals making up a team, or a set of teams, feel close (relationally), confident, capable of cooperating and/or collaborating effectively, flexible and adaptable to external and internal conditions, open in their communication, willing to question themselves (in continuous development), able to act in concert with other members, and to rely on the team’s inherent resources, while serving and sharing a common vision and/or goal.

The TCS is, therefore, a performance indicator for teams within organizations (mainly companies) that is based on the premise that teams that get along well are more motivated and thus more productive and/or perform better, and within which information and energy flow more smoothly.

To illustrate the value of its relevance, it is interesting to combine the TCS with other “standard” indicators such as:

• Staff turnover (hypothesis: if the TCS is high, turnover is low)
• Revenue/Growth (hypothesis: if the TCS is high, performance is high)
• Other SMART KPIs for assessing the performance specific to a team (e.g., sports results);

To calculate a team’s TCS, it is proposed that the various individuals making up the team answer the following question:

“To what extent are you in tune with your team ?”

Participants give a score on a scale from 0 (Not at all) to 10 (Completely).

Depending on the assessment made by the participants, they will be categorized as follows and will contribute positively or negatively to the TCS:

• Harmonious (9 and 10): participants who are in total synchronization with their colleagues. Their trust in the team is optimal. They share a common vision with their colleagues and their motivation is at its maximum. They get along very well with their colleagues and are satisfied with the general functioning of the team (even if there are some improvements to be made).
• Toneless (7 and 8): Do not feel close, nor distant from their colleagues. This team or another, it’s all the same to them, even if they are not at the point of denigrating the latter. Not everything is perfect, but they cope with this state of affairs.
• Dissonant (0 to 6): Do not feel comfortable with the rest of their team. Frictions are frequent and trust is scarce or absent. Discomfort is high. The idea of leaving the team or sabotaging it (consciously or unconsciously) is germinating. They will be the most reluctant to evolve. They will play their part without considering that of others. Trust is very low or nonexistent.

The individual scores of each participant are then added up.

The Team Cohesion Score equals:

 =% of harmonious – % of dissonant

The TCS is therefore a percentage ranging from -100% to 100%.

Example: if a team has 10 members, who respond respectively 9, 9, 8, 8, 7, 7, 7, 6, 6, and 4, the TCS will be: 20% – 30% = -10%.

The higher the TCS, the more united, productive, and efficient the team will be. Above 50%, the team shows good cohesion and can improve mainly on points of detail. A score between 0 and 50% indicates a team that functions, but where cohesion is lacking, affecting productivity. A negative score indicates serious risks of errors, performance losses, lack of communication, staff leaks, or other problems such as conflicts and all types of nuisances. Below -50%, the situation has deteriorated for too long and has probably left scars. It will not be possible to restore team cohesion without agreeing to rebuild the team. This means, for instance, letting go of those who will no longer find their place there.

The objective for leaders is clear: aim for a high TCS to ensure a team that is not only functional but also thriving and resilient.

The TCS allowed us to bring out factual elements to improve the way we operate within the company. We are delighted to have been able to work with 9 CUBE. The follow-up and exchanges were perfect.

HR Manager, Telemis