teamsshapes

Teamsshapes is a conceptual framework used in organizational design and team development to visualize how a team's composition and interaction patterns influence performance. The approach represents team elements as geometric shapes, with each shape corresponding to a role or function and the spatial arrangement reflecting relationships and collaboration intensity. Central contributors may be depicted as circles, leadership as triangles, and operational or support roles as squares. Edges indicate communication paths, while size or color can signal workload, influence, or domain.

The framework is typically applied in workshops or diagnostics to map current teams, identify bottlenecks, and guide redesign. Practitioners gather data on roles, responsibilities, frequency of interaction, and information flow, then construct a shapes diagram that highlights cohesion, gaps, overlaps, and points of dependency. The aim is to generate a balanced configuration that supports workflows and clarifies ownership.

Benefits include clearer visualization of role distribution, improved handoffs, and a common mental model for stakeholders. Limitations include the risk of oversimplifying dynamic teams and the potential for cultural bias in interpreting shapes. Teamsshapes is often used alongside other methods such as RACI charts, team charters, and network analysis.

See also: organizational design, team charter, RACI, organizational network analysis.