Explainer
Foundational Teaming™ is a five-module team development system that moves teams from Storming to Performing. It was designed by Omar L. Harris of Intent Consulting.
It builds on two established models: Bruce Tuckman’s stages of team development and Patrick Lencioni’s Five Dysfunctions of a Team. Where those models describe what goes wrong, Foundational Teaming installs the structures that move a team through it. It is delivered as a 90-day engagement, not a one-day workshop.
At a glance
The problem it solves
Tuckman’s model makes that clear. What it doesn’t say is how to get out. Many teams treat Storming as a phase to wait out and never build the systems to move through it.
Foundational Teaming treats Storming as a structural problem with a structural solution.
The five modules
Builds the trust every other module depends on, addressing Lencioni’s first dysfunction directly.
Replaces ambiguity with team-built communication contracts.
Turns conflict from a threat into structured, productive dialogue.
Builds the commitment and accountability teams need to move through transformation.
Uses individual character strengths to unlock collective performance.
The team contracts
Foundational Teaming produces three signed team contracts: Trust, Communication, and Collaboration. Together they hold 15 fixed commitments. The clauses are fixed. The content is written by the team itself, so every team operates on agreements it authored.
Who it is for
Executive teams whose dysfunction is costing them in execution.
High-growth teams adding members faster than trust can form.
Post-merger and restructured teams.
Underperforming units with talent but no cohesion.
Foundational Teaming and the ORI
Foundational Teaming builds resilience, and the Organizational Resilience Index measures it.
An ORI baseline before the engagement and a follow-up at 90 days show whether the change held.
FAQ
No. It is a 90-day system with reinforcement built in, designed so teams don't regress once the sessions end.
Lencioni names the dysfunctions. Foundational Teaming is a delivery system that addresses them in sequence, starting with trust.
Yes. Certified practitioners are licensed to deliver the full system under their own brand after a two-day certification. Learn about certification →
Omar L. Harris, founder of Intent Consulting. He spent twenty-two years as a pharmaceutical executive across four continents and is the author of nine books on leadership, character, and team performance.