The challenge
We think we know our team members, but do we really?
When team members don’t understand one another, communication, collaboration, and trust all suffer.
It is important that team members know each other’s strengths, weaknesses, and preferred working styles to adapt their interactions and provide the right support.
Without an objective measure of individual differences or a common language to describe traits, assumptions are made, and behaviors are misinterpreted.
The solution
Core Drivers can become a common language for sharing and learning
The Core Drivers diagnostic is a powerful tool for teams to better understand each other and work together more effectively.
By understanding the different personalities of each team member, teams can make more informed decisions, build rapport, and improve communication, which leads to greater trust.
In high-trust environments, people show up and do their best work. Learn more about why trust matters here.
Follow these steps
Step 1: Increase self-awareness
Ensure each person on your team understands their own Core Driver results. If possible, hold a 1:1 debrief to talk through their Core Drivers and Risks before asking them to share their results with their team members. Doing so will deepen their understanding of and comfort with the tool, what the scales mean, and how their personality shows up and affects others.
Step 2: Build buy-in
Make sure everyone understands the purpose of the team session to increase understanding of each team member’s strengths and risks to build rapport, increase trust, and work more effectively together.
Seek permission from everyone to share their results. If they are hesitant, talk through why. Perhaps they could be worried about being judged or labeled. You can explain that there are no good or bad Drivers, and we all have risks we need to manage. When we understand how we are similar and different from others we work with, we can adapt our style and offer better support.
Step 3: Make sharing results a fun and engaging experience
Talk about each Core Driver in more detail and where each person lands on the scale. If you are together in a room, ask team members to line up in order of their Core Driver score. If you are meeting virtually, ask them to mark their score with their initials or name. What do they notice?
Create groups based on their top Core Driver. For example, everyone with Candid as their top driver will group together. Ask them to discuss this Driver, how it shows up for them, the similarities they share, and how it may play out differently for each person.
Create pairs of people who have opposite Core Drivers. For example, someone who is Candid would pair up with someone who is Considerate. Ask them to have a 10–15-minute exchange exploring their different talents. What can they learn from each other? How can they support each other?
Final thoughts
Understanding builds cohesion and trust, helping your team communicate more effectively, make better decisions faster, and navigate conflict in a healthy way. Getting to know each other takes time, but Core Drivers can fast-track the process.
As the team changes, go back to these exercises to reiterate the importance of understanding one another, celebrating differences, and offering support.