Team Greatness Assessment
Contents
Contexts and Operating Modes of all five stages
2026 May 14th: CPR for Team Greatness Assessment, 20260518
Date: 20260514
Owner: Munafo.Robert.9510
Team: The Garden
Organisational Context: Atlas, MDI, SIR descendent cohort, Bly Men’s movement
Type: Event/Activity
Name: Team Greatness Self-Assessment based on Tribal Leadership
Context:
We are excited to work together for the benefit of all Men
Purpose:
To improve our Relationship, Teamwork, and overall Team Greatness
Results
- We evaluate our Team's health and suitability for serving the purpose and attaining the shared objectives of our division's teams
- We improve our ability to identify areas in which our methods of teamwork hold us back as a team
- We each gain deeper insights into why we feel the way we do about another team, such as [Name of My Old Men's Team]
- We improve our methods supporting each other in our lives
Contexts and Operating Modes of all five stages
Here are the team contexts (from the book, a table showing the identifying key words of internal conversation, behaviour, and relationship to people) for each of the 5 stages:
|
"In an early meeting we engaged in a personal greatness inventory, assessing ourselves in various areas, such as physical fitness, time management, career, family life, living for something greater than ourself, etc.
"While discussing Atlas stuff with that division's Core Team, I was inspired by the idea of a team greatness inventory — perhaps a team can work out what is its own level of 'greatness' might be, in various areas."
"I have held that idea and objective in the back of my mind for several months, and brought what I've learned from the various Men throughout MDI as well as outside MDI, during that whole time."
(time: 0:56)
"This is a team greatness assessment technique, based on techniques that MDI mentors in California have been developing and applying to their work with men and teams."
"It is equally applicable to any MDI team, including practical teams (where we do The Work of our culture, that is, what we call an ordinary Men's Team) as well as leadership teams (such as our division's Core Team)"
"Because our Teams are part of a larger thing, namely the division, and because our commitment to this team is partly based on the team's tacit commitment to the broader teamwork of the larger organisation, this greatness evaluation includes how we perceive and relate to our division."
(time: +1;00 = 1:55)
Present a series of "scales" in images, in which each scale has a left, centre, and right labeled with words as shown, and clearly oriented so that the right end is preferable.
(NOTE: There are two alternatinves for how to "present the slides" depending on logistical practicality);
IF MEETING ONLINE AND SCREEN SHARING IS POSSIBLE; ("SCREEN")
"I'm going to share my screen. Tell me when you see it.
(pause) Does anyone not see (describe what you think they should be seeing)?
THEN FOR EACH TOPIC YOU'LL PROMPT:
"Look at what's written in left, centre, and right; consider the title written above the scale, and without speaking think about how you believe that you personally relate to the statements below the scale, as a truthful (or not) representation of your approach to the title. Your answer will probably lie partway between two of the statements.
IF MEETING IN PERSON, OR WITHOUT SCREEN SHARING; ("VOICE")
"I'm going to lead you through a series of five questions, each of which has a question that I'll state, and three examples of responses which I will read one at a time. The three examples will be called blue, yellow, and red. Notice that your personal response will probably be in between two of the examples I read aloud. Your task is to pick a colour, but without telling us your colour. You'll see what I mean as we get into it.
(THE INSTRUCTIONS BELOW WILL REFER TO THIS CHOICE AS SCREEN OR VOICE RESPECTIVELY)
"Your responses, that you will keep to yourself, will be in the form of a colour like blue, yellow, red, or something in between: halfway from blue to yellow is green; halfway from yellow to red is orange; and blends between those colours, such as "yellowish-orange", are also completely acceptable answers.
(If men have trouble with this and raise trickster-shadow objections, reply:)
Please use your best judgment, acting as a team player.
(time: +1;15 = 3:10)
WHAT YOU BELIEVE TO BE THE OVERALL "MOOD" OF THE DIVISION
| blue | green | yellow | orange | red |
| Men do the least they can get away with | Each Man's primary focus is on himself | The Men are actively engaged in work-based partnerships |
SCREEN
(scroll down to show the above table and nothing beyond it)
(wait 60 seconds)
Just a little more time to think of your colour for this one.
(30 seconds)
We're moving on.
VOICE or IN-PERSON
(read the title of the above table, then each of the three sets of words, like this;
The BLUE words are: Men do the least they can get away with. The YELLOW words are: Each Man's primary... (etc.)
(then repeat, give the men some time to think about it, then speak them just one more time, and move on.
THE SOCIAL STRUCTURE OF OUR DIVISION
| blue | green | yellow | orange | red |
| Teams of Men who feel they have little impact on the Division overall | Lots of Men individually trying to be their individual/personal best | Teams of Men who are highly connected with one another and share common values |
SCREEN
(scroll down to show the above table; prompt the men in the same way.)
VOICE or IN-PERSON
(describe the above table and repeat, just as before.)
WHAT BEST DESCRIBES THE ACTIVITIES OF THOSE WITH LEADERSHIP ROLES
| blue | green | yellow | orange | red |
| They tell the Men what to do | They are better at what they do than the other Men in the Division (i.e. they "outperform") | By their work they Uplift, Build, and Grow those Men they interact with |
SCREEN
(scroll down to show the above table; prompt the men in the same way.)
VOICE or IN-PERSON
(describe the above table and repeat, just as before.)
THE SUBJECT OF YOUR MOST FREQUENT COMPLAINT(S) (IF ANY)
| blue | green | yellow | orange | red |
| Management/ Leader(s) | Teammates Who Disagree With Me; Lack of Time and/or Support; Teammates Less Smart Than Me | Not Enough Men to Collaborate With |
SCREEN
(scroll down to show the above table; prompt the men in the same way.)
VOICE or IN-PERSON
(describe the above table and repeat, just as before.)
OUT TEAM MEMBERS' RELATIONSHIP TO THE DIVISION'S' MISSION, VISION, & VALUES ("MVV")
| blue | green | yellow | orange | red |
| unaffected by the MVV, and/or making sarcastic jokes | MVV inspires us to do a better job | MVV inspires us to collaborate and overcome personal differences |
SCREEN
(scroll down to show the above table; prompt the men in the same way.)
VOICE or IN-PERSON
(describe the above table and repeat, just as before.)
(+(5×1;30)+0;30) ; (time: +8;00 = 11;30, plus any clarifying answers)
"Remember the colours you came up with in the above five topics — now we're going to mix them together. Take the five colours you gave yourself, and pour them together into a bowl and mix them up until they are thoroughly blended together into a single colour."
"Now, we bring our bowls with us, and we meet together in a familiar place — where we often have our Team Meetings. While we were gone, someone has added something new — a large stone table, with a hollowed out centre like a bird bath, clean and empty and polished, and ready to hold whatever we put into it.
Amazingly, though we all worked separately, our bowls all contain the same amount of colour, and they will mix harmoniously when we empty their contents into this place. (pause) So now we do that. You take your bowl and empty its contents into the hollowed out centre of the table, and watch as the colours blend with those of your four teammates. Soon the colours have become indistinshable, and there is just a single colour — This is our Team Colour!"
(time: +2;05 = 13;35)
"Do not yet speak your answer — get your index card and write on it the answer to this question: What is our Team's Colour?"
(pause)
(NOTE: Here there are two alternatinves depending on logistical practicality);
REVEAL OPTION A: IN-PERSON, and/or CAMERAS ALL ON:
"Now take the card and hold it so it is facing you, and then raise it up to the camera so that we only see the back of the card."
"Now when I say Three, turn your card around so we all can see it."
REVEAL OPTION B: USING TEXT CHAT
"Now go into the chat of this meeting, and get ready to type a message. Type, BUT DO NOT SEND, the Team Colour what you just wrote on your card."
"When you have finished doing this, say 'finished' or give us a thumbs-up emoji"
"Now when I say Three, hit the Return key or tap the Send button so that your answer goes out as a message to the team chat."
(AFTER FINISHING OPTION A OR B ABOVE, wait a bit for the men to understand they are waiting for the 1-2-3 prompt.)
"One. . . Two . . . THEEE!"
(time: +0;55 = 14;30)
"Now as you've clearly guessed, the warmer and hotter colours are more desirable overall for our core Values, our Mission, and our Vision. But because we are all part of this greater thing, our colours blend together under the influence of other teams in our division. Their colours have some impact on us, and vice versa. Our division has a Colour and it affects MDI, as does MDI affect our division."
"As men on this Team, it is my assertion that we are better off if we work together to bring our team into the warmer and hotter colours."
"This technique of becoming aligned to the next stage of tribal team context will help you in your life overall."
"The way we relate to the world always matches one or another of these contexts — though it may change by moment or minute or hour or day"
"It is that context, combined with those of your teammates, that produces the team's overall context, whether we're talking about during the meeting itself, or at any point throughout the time between meetings."
(time; +1;40 = 16;10)
Thank you men. In the time since I had you show your cards I have posted a link to this material to the team chat.
(If time was cut short, add:)
There is extra material including tips on the application of this greatness assessment on your leadership of a team or group, at the end of the page in the link.
It is applicable to all the groups of people in our life.
We may Adapt this as we see fit, and bring it
— to our beloved,
— to our work and our workshops,
— to our play and our playgrounds, . . .
We bring it to our gigs and our music schools,
We bring it to our electric gate companies,
We bring it to our families past present and future,
We bring it to our home-building in the midst of our symbolic replanting of the Garden of Eden,
We bring it to our Vision and Mission to mitigate Mankind's existential threats,
and we bring it to everyone and everything that is beautiful and true.
(conclude the exercise)
The implementation of this technique is one way we work together to manifest the particular Mission, Vision, and Values that I have embraced and that I bring to the world. It is a wonderful gift to have the opportunity to share it with you.
We are complete.
The colour of a team or larger unit determines the type of conversation — context — that they live in. Different colours require different types of attitude adjustment in order to be able to see the path towards a warmer colour.
For example, in the Blue state individual men are often of the opinion that they have no choice, they feel trapped. They may be made warmer by supporting them to see that they actually do have a choice.
A hallmark of the blue context is the avoidance of ever being on the hook for anything. (ch11)
Blues suggest vague targets such as "increase quality". Reds respond by asking "How much, and by when?". A blue may suggest "Win the lottery!" as a solution, to which a red responds, "Any real suggestions?" (ch11)
It's important to know when to push a team, and when to hold back on that in favor if upgrading (warming) their context first. Failure to offer real suggestions during a strategy discussion is an indication of much Blueness. The transition from individual-based strategy to Team-based strategy begins at Orange — but men will hear the call and join in starting at Yellow. (ch11)
Yellows will engage and argue for their suggestion. It will be measurable, and if you look closely, that man will have to be in charge for their suggestion to succeed: the approach is not transferable to another man and therefore enables disagreement and divisiveness among the team. Have compassion nonetheless — yellows are typically unaware of the limiting qualities of their behavior — and look for that part of their suggestion that has value. (ch11)
Yellow state is often present to feelings of scarcity, or competitiveness. They of course can be brought to a warmer attitude using contexts of abundance and win-win.
This page was written in the "embarrassingly readable" markup language RHTF, and was last updated on 2026 May 24.
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