The team report for HR: reading the two-axis pair map

The team report for HR is a six-page PDF: an executive summary, everyone's seat, the two-axis pair map, every pair in detail, a 30-day plan, and the seats the team is missing. The page people ask about most is the pair map. Here is how to read it.

The two axes

• Horizontal: how well work moves. Whether the two people's working rhythms hand work along smoothly or snag. The further right, the better work moves.
• Vertical: how well they get on. Ease of communication, trust, and comfort working together. The higher up, the better they get on.

The axes are independent. A close pair doesn't necessarily get work done, and a pair that rarely chats may hand work to each other very well.

The four corners

1. Lift each other (top right). They get on and work moves. What to do: give this pair important work that needs close cooperation, use them as a buddy pair for new hires, and avoid splitting them without good reason during a restructure.

2. Get on, but work gets stuck (top left). Friendly, no personal friction, yet work doesn't reach the finish. This corner is the hardest to spot because nobody complains. What to do: agree clearly who decides what, set shared deadlines, or add a third person who closes work out. Sometimes swapping working partners helps both of them.

3. Work moves, but not close (bottom right). They hand work over well but rarely talk beyond it. What to do: usually nothing. Let them work the way they do. If they must handle something difficult together, give them a clear channel, such as a short weekly check-in.

4. Grind (bottom left). Different rhythms in both talking and working. What to do: reduce work that depends directly on each other, keep conversations short but frequent, and add someone in between for the work they can't avoid sharing. A pair here doesn't mean anyone is at fault or should leave. Two strong people can sit in this corner.

Making the report work

1. Start with the executive summary before drilling into pairs.
2. Look first at pairs who actually depend on each other. A pair that never works together matters little wherever it sits.
3. Pick two or three actions from the 30-day plan. Don't change everything at once.
4. Try before you move anyone. Use a trial team to move seats or swap pairs and compare it with the real team; the real team stays as it is and nobody is notified.
5. Review after 30 days. Ask the team what improved.

Sharing it well

Names can be hidden if you send the report to a partner or outside adviser, and the partner link stays valid for 14 days. The report supports decisions about how a team is arranged. It should not be used to appraise performance, demote anyone or let anyone go.

See the sample team report first, then try it free with a team of three at Team fit.