The Corentus Toolkit

A Toolkit for Real Teams, Doing Real Work

This Toolkit reflects over two decades of experience with leaders and teams across 30+ countries. We frequently point to our main tools and microtools throughout our site, and, more importantly, we use them every day in our work with teams. The tools we’ve chosen to highlight across our site are the ones we use most often, the ones clients consistently ask for, or find themselves needing.

What you’ll find below is an expanded list.

These tools are grounded in the Corentus Team Wheel framework, which outlines four key dimensions of team effectiveness:

Collaboration & Cohesion, Mutual Accountability, Common Purpose & Shared Goals, and Roles & Competencies.

Within the four dimensions, 22 elements can be found, and for each of these, we’ve developed both Main Tools and MicroTools to support targeted team development.

  • We define a Main Tool as: A robust collection of contextual insights, MicroTools, client cases, and more that help teams develop new skills and competencies.

  • We define a MicroTool as: A short, focused practice that can be taught and used in less than 10 minutes, ideal for busy teams that want to see immediate results.

We also know your organization may already be using tools from other sources. We welcome that. Our work is about effectiveness, and we’re happy to integrate tools your team already trusts.

Whether you’ve already identified a focus area where your team could go from good to great, or you’re still figuring out where to start, we’re here to help. Reach out to start the conversation.

Common Purpose

Main Team Tools: Common Purpose & Shared Goals | Team Charter

Shared Goals

Main Team Tool: Shared Goals

Scope of Work

Main Team Tools: Building Organizational Relationships | Enterprise Mindset | Strategic vs. Operational vs. Tactical

Roles & Responsibilities

Main Team Tool: RACI-D

MicroTools: Offers & Needs | The 5 Drivers

Team Leadership

Main Team Tools: Innate Leadership | Leadership and Management | Leadership Promotions - The Golden Hour | Leading through Change | Strategic Leadership

Competencies

Team Membership

Main Team Tool: Team Member Onboarding

Authority & Decision Rights

Main Team Tool: Decision Making

Meeting Effectiveness

Main Team Tool: Intentional Meetings

MicroTools: 3-Phase Method of Intentional Meetings | Formulating a Meeting Purpose | Meeting Work Sessions | Meeting Agenda | Meeting Styles | Openings & Closings (State of Mind) | Meeting Boosters | Meeting Derailers | Objectives - Process - Outcomes (O-P-O) | Zero to Five | Four Items for Follow Through | Shared Commitments for Follow Through

State of Mind & Energy

Main Team Tools: State of Mind | Stress & Resilience | Building Resilience | The 4-Step Method (Heartmath) | KR Grieving Cycle

MicroTools: State of Mind Check-in Chart | State of Mind Impact Chart | Joy Trio & Health Quad | Notice Shift Share | Coherence Breathing | Reframe

Planning & Organizing

Main Team Tools: Delegation | Work Products Methodology

MicroTool: IQCS/IICS

Trust & Safety

Main Team Tools: Psychological Safety | Trust

Inclusion & Integration

Main Team Tool: The Foundations of Team Cohesion (i4)

Problem Solving

Main Team Tools: Leading Through Change | Creativity and Innovation | Culture Change | Managing Polarities | Functional Subgrouping | Cynefin Framework

Decision Making

Main Team Tool: Decision Making

MicroTools: Decision Modes | Four-Stage Decision Process

Development & Growth

Main Team Tools: The Thinking Path | Groupthink | Self-Awareness | Authenticity | The Engagement Cycle | Awakening

Communication

Main Team Tools: Productive Conversations | Communication Behaviors of HPTs | Facts and Opinions | Transforming Complaints

MicroTools: Bohm Dialogue | Listening | Skillful Dialogue | Proactive Engagement | Inquiry

Conflict Management

Main Team Tool: Conflict Management

MicroTools: S-P-N-S | De-Escalating High Emotion | Triangulation | The Drama Triangle | Clearings

Accountability & Engagement

Main Team Tools: Mutual Accountability | Mutual Accountability vs. Ownership

MicroTools: Main Tool | Mutual Accountability Framework | TASTY Requirements | Clear Requests vs. Soft Asks | Clear Commitments vs. Hedging | Clear Consequences | Six Question Framework | P-M-O (Purpose - Mastery - Autonomy) | From Ownership to Mutual Accountability - Mindset Shift

Agreements & Commitments

MicroTool: Clear Agreements & Clear Commitments

Feedback & Improvement

Main Team Tools: I Statements | After Action Reviews

Execution & Delivery

Main Team Tools: Punctuated Equilibrium Model | Culture Change

MicroTools: Leading Through Change | Culture Change