TetraMap - a simple, yet effective, team building tool.

Within our workshops we help people to become more aware of their behaviours and how these impact upon other people.  We are accredited to use a wide variety of assessments, including Myers Briggs Type Indicator and DISC, but one is very quick to gain the insights in training workshops and is very straightforward to use.  It is called TetraMap; a tool for assessing behaviour that looks how you typically behave at work and how this is perceived by others.

TetraMap uses the metaphor of nature around four basic elements: Earth, Air, Water and Fire.  You have these four elements inside you, but one (sometimes two) is your preferred behaviour style.  Behaviour can change; you can adapt.  But do you know how you typically behave?

TetraMap is a very effective training tool.  Each person receives a booklet which contains a self-assessment exercise that helps identify which behaviours used most – and those used least.  Examples of these might be: decisiveness, generating ideas or looking for harmony.  You are asked to rank these in order, from those that represent you the most and those that represent you the least. 

Analysing your answers gives four different numbers or values that indicate your preferred elements.
This process only takes about 5 minutes.  In the workshops, people discover their own profile and those of their colleagues by everyone mapping their profiles onto one chart.  From this, it can be seen that there may be a high tendency in the group towards one element giving an indication of how the group behaves as a whole.  For example, planning and process driven ‘Air’may be high and enthusiastic, creative ‘Fire’ quite low and there may be a few ‘Earth’ dominant individuals who stand out.  The behaviour of the group may be due to do the industry / sector that they work in and the background of the participants.  This can be an eye opener for the group and we can explore the consequences that this can have on the performance of the group and the individuals involved.  Feedback from delegates is that this is really fascinating.

Next, we split the workshop into four groups according to their highest element to explore what the typical behaviours are of this element:

• What are the do’s and don’ts?
• How do you like to be communicated with?
• How do you not want to be approached?
• Which strengths do you bring to the team?
• How do you behave under pressure?

There is always a lot of fun and laughter during this exercise as people gain a better understanding of themselves and each other.

TetraMap is a good way of helping people to open up - especially for participants who may not have been enthusiastic about attending the workshop.  They see that the workshop is about them and their colleagues, and not about the trainer at the front of the room.

The main message is that behaviour is observed and that this behaviour can be changed; it is not about putting people into a box, giving them a label or a series of meaningless letters.  The beauty of TetraMap is that it is not about personality type or traits - it is focused around behaviour.  People grow within their business and in their positions and so their elements can change.

The TetraMap tool can be linked to Myers Briggs Type Indicator, DISC and to other psychometric assessments.  TetraMap is NOT a psychometric; it is a framework for exploring behaviour and communication.  We like it because it so easy use, easy to understand and easy to remember.

TetraMap can also be used on a large scale within a company, so that it becomes a common theme throughout the organisation.  We are involved in projects using TetraMap within the National Health Service involving senior managers, doctors, radiographers, learning and development managers, nursing staff, research workers, etc.  All report major benefits from its use, its application and its understanding within their daily work interactions and, also, outside of work.


Ei4Change are experts in providing TetraMap workshops so that you can easily understand your behaviour and that of your colleagues, which in turn leads to improved performance and better satisfaction.

If you want your teams to experience a really different style of workshop then talk to us.  For a case study from Liverpool Women's NHS Foundation Trust click here