TAM: revolutionize team alignment and project management

I mentioned TAM in my previous post, so here are a few more practical details and some feedback from experience to take you deeper into the subject.

Project management, a major challenge in today's professional world

The statistics speak for themselves: only a third of projects are successful. The main cause of these failures? Lack of alignment between the various stakeholders. Whether it's principals, contractors, project managers, project teams, customers or end-users, it's crucial that everyone is working towards clearly defined, shared goals.

Against this backdrop, the Team Alignment Map (TAM) was developed. This innovative and powerful method aims to radically transform the way teams approach project management. Its main objective is to align all stakeholders in a project, whatever its nature or the composition of the team.

In his book "The Fifth Discipline", Peter Senge draws an apt comparison between project managers and sports coaches. The latter have the advantage of being able to develop their team's skills well in advance of the competition. Project managers, on the other hand, often find themselves plunged straight into the action without this crucial preparatory phase. TAM fills this gap by offering project teams the opportunity to "rehearse" their project, identify critical points and strengthen their collective skills before the actual launch.

The heart of the Team Alignment Map TAM method

TAM is built around four fundamental axes that form the pillars of its methodology:

Common goals: Clearly define what the group wants to achieve.
Commitments: This stage determines who does what, when and how.
Resource requirements: This section identifies the tools, time, finances and other elements needed to carry out the project.
Risks: This crucial phase involves anticipating potential challenges and putting measures in place to counter them.

Each of these axes is visualized on a single map, using post-it notes to make the process interactive and dynamic. This visual approach facilitates overall understanding of the project and encourages exchanges between team members.

The TAM protocol, though structured, remains flexible to adapt to the specifics of each project. Its main objective is to create a shared understanding of objectives and roles. The key to its effectiveness lies in a structured conversation following a precise protocol, based on principles of psycholinguistics and behavioral psychology.

Preparation: a crucial stage

Preparation is the key to TAM success. Here are some key points to consider:

Participants: Bring together the project's key people, ideally between 4 and 10 participants. It's crucial to have around the table those who will have a concrete action to carry out as part of the project.
Time: Allow plenty of time. Although TAM requires a substantial initial investment, this time will be more than made up for by the increased efficiency throughout the project.
Environment: Choose a spacious room with a large wall for displaying or drawing the TAM. Adapt the size of the columns to the needs of the project. Ideally, you should work standing up around the TAM to encourage group dynamics.
Availability: Make sure participants are not only physically present, but also mentally available. Immediate concerns such as an impending move can disrupt the concentration and creativity needed for the exercise.
Animation: Don't worry if this is your first animation. Even if it's imperfect, the process will bring tangible benefits in terms of team alignment and mutual understanding of the project.

Putting it into practice

A TAM session generally follows these steps:

Presentation of the challenge: The person in charge presents his vision and known constraints. Ideally, he then leaves the room to let the team carry out the TAM.
Brainstorming on objectives: This phase is crucial, as it reveals the different perceptions of the project within the team. It's important to note that objectives don't have to be SMART at this stage.
Defining commitments: This is TAM's strong point. Each participant proposes his or her own commitments, which promotes accountability. The team questions each commitment sympathetically, refining the definition of deliverables and the estimation of efforts.
Resource analysis: We take an in-depth look at the resources required for each commitment. This includes financial resources, but also skills, availability, equipment, data, and even less tangible aspects such as fatigue and emotional state.
Risk identification: Often neglected in traditional planning, this step is essential in TAM. Every commitment is examined from the point of view of potential risks.
Backtracking" phase: The team goes back over each risk and missing resource, looking for solutions or workarounds. It's a powerful anticipation exercise that reinforces the robustness of the project plan.
Final planning: commitments are compared with the period initially defined. Adjustments are often necessary, and it is not uncommon to find that a scoping phase is required before the main project is launched.
Feedback to the client: The team presents its planning, scope and assumptions. Missing resources and uncovered risks are highlighted, demonstrating the predictive power of TAM.

A few lessons from practice

Using TAM in a variety of environments has revealed several valuable lessons:

Flexibility: TAM adapts remarkably well to different contexts, whether professional or associative, for production activities or projects.
Dynamism: TAM is not fixed once it has been implemented. It can be used to diagnose discrepancies quickly, and to realign the team if necessary during the course of the project.
Longer-term benefits: Beyond alignment, TAM strengthens team cohesion, brings out hidden skills and empowers every project member.
Time management: Although TAM requires a substantial initial investment, this is more than compensated for by increased efficiency throughout the project.
Visualization: Seeing the whole project on a wall has a strong impact on participants, making the project more concrete and "real" for everyone.
Predictive aspect: By forcing the team to anticipate, TAM reveals potential obstacles well before they arise, saving considerable time and energy.
Leadership TAM changes leadership dynamics by encouraging autonomy and initiative from each team member.
Conflict management: TAM can reveal latent conflicts or disagreements. This is one of the method's strengths, as it is preferable to deal with these problems upstream rather than discovering them in the middle of a project.
Limitations: It's important to note that TAM is not a miracle solution. It does not replace technical skills or business expertise, but enhances and organizes them in an optimal way.

An example of putting the TAM method into practice

Team Alignment Map: more than just a project management tool

TAM offers a new approach to collaborative working that transforms the way teams operate. By aligning objectives, clarifying commitments and anticipating obstacles, TAM maximizes the chances of project success.

TAM offers the opportunity to "play out" the project before it is actually launched, enabling potential problems to be identified and resolved at an early stage. It fosters shared understanding within the team, reduces ambiguity and encourages active commitment from every member.

Although implementing TAM requires an initial investment of time and energy, the long-term benefits are undeniable. Not only does it improve project efficiency, it also strengthens team cohesion and develops collective skills.

Ultimately, TAM represents an investment in collective success that pays off in the long term. It gives teams the tools they need to tackle the complex challenges of project management with confidence and efficiency.

If you would like an expertcoach to implement the method, please contact: Alain Giannattasio

For further information, please contact Fabienne Revillard

For more information on teamcoaching , see our dedicated page .

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The Team Alignment Map: the secret weapon for revolutionizing team alignment and project management