About the TAP Grid
“Should we TAP this?”
A team rarely has one tension to manage. Several compete for attention at once, and it is easy to respond to whichever was raised most recently or argued most forcefully. The TAP Grid gives a common starting point: instead of debating whose concern sounds most urgent, ask where it sits on the grid.
Every tension is assessed against the same two questions. How significant are the consequences if it is ignored or poorly managed? How well is it being managed today? The answers place it in one of four quadrants, each with its own guidance for attention.
Using it well
- Name a tension, not a complaint. “Speed versus protocol adherence” names a tension. “We are too slow” names a complaint.
- Bring evidence from more than one source, and include people who experience the tension from different positions.
- When people place a tension differently, ask why rather than averaging. The difference may point to missing evidence or different assumptions.
- When several tensions are Stormy, ask which poses the greatest risk of irreversible harm if left unaddressed.
- Treat it as a shared inquiry, not a scoring exercise. The grid is a guide to adapt to your context, not a fixed procedure.
From Chapter 2 of Emerging Stronger: How Learning, Risk and Sustainability Create Better Futures. To examine one issue in depth, try the LRS Explorer. To check a claim in your evidence, try the Believability Check.