Leaders having the characteristics to create high performing teams is becoming extremely important. Imagine being on a team where everything just “clicked” between you and your teammates. Seamless communication, implicit trust, and outstanding outcomes speak for themselves. High-performing teams are the drivers of groundbreaking projects. They focus on sustained growth and resilient cultures. But this require nurturing the intention and objectives while building high-performance teams. Above all, there has to be collaboration and a clear understanding of the foundational elements underpinning excellence.
Everything, including our job performance, works better when we feel we belong, recognize our strengths and contributions trust our surroundings and feel comfortable asking questions openly. These are all essential elements in building high-performing teams where members are clear about their own roles and everyone else’s. These teams have strong working relationships and are unified around a shared mission. People are confident and clear about where and how they can contribute in the most effective way.
It’s key for leaders to create an environment for their team to give high-performing results.
Build a strong and high performance team
Building a high-performance team is incredibly challenging. It may be the single most important task facing businesses today. Though creating a high-performing team is tough, some tips one can take that can make a huge difference, even if you and your team are working remotely.
What is a high-performance team?
A high-performance team is not simply a team that delivers successfully on shared objectives. The high performing team create a sense of purpose and commitment, both to the team’s mission and to each other. They are ambitious and have a clear understanding of each team member’s role and responsibilities. They believe in trust, mutual support, and open communication.
Furthermore, a high-performance team is more likely to be intrinsically motivated.
Steps to building a high-performance team
For managers hoping to transform a struggling group of employees into a high-performance team. These tips can make a significant difference and lead to success.
So how exactly do we build high-functioning, high-performing and psychologically safe teams? There are several key elements that leaders should focus on.
Being aware of problems
Most of the times lack of communication or relationship between team brings the teams’ performance down. This will continue if the leaders are unaware of the problem. To identify any underlying issues, try anonymous surveys and confidential polls to investigate how well your team communicates.
A high-performance team depends on good “chemistry” and a healthy relationship dynamic that allows each employee to thrive individually and as part of the whole. Supervisors must proactively nurture group dynamics to keep everyone on the same page.
Value relationship and build trust
Savvy leaders understand the value of building relationships with their team and how this kind of investment yields long-term dividends. Creating strong bonds of trust helps you lead and direct your team in an easier way. Trust also paves the way for employees to share feedback openly and honestly, which allows for more information-based decision-making.
One can create recognition programs where great behaviors and courageous acts are rewarded. These can help normalize mistake-making, which amplifies trust. Also ask for feedbacks from team another great way to build trust.
Clarity of role
All team member must have a clear understanding of their role and responsibilities, along with that of their colleagues. That way, everyone knows the company’s direction of travel and how they can contribute toward it.
Being committed to a common purpose and sharing a vision will help everyone to pull in the same direction, which in turn will maximize the chances of success.
Keep communication channels open
A high-performance team requires a healthy flow of communication. Make sure the team members can access all the communication channels they need.
Create an environment that is comfortable for communicating freely within the group.
Encourage innovation
To create a high performing team encourage innovation. Innovation happens when we attempt to take on challenges or implement unprecedented approaches. By adopting a growth mindset, your team will have the foundation for high-quality outcomes.
Optimization of meetings
High-performance teams have high-performance meetings. These meetings are focused, concise, and essential. They are scheduled only when necessary, like when the topic at hand requires the combined expertise of the team.
Additionally, a high-performance team is more likely to prepare for meetings in advance and use an agenda. These strategies make the meetings more efficient and set the stage for productive interactions and relationships.
Recruit carefully
In any business, there is always the need to recruit new personnel. Here foundations of a high-performance team can easily be undermined. A high-performance team thrives on many soft skills, not just advanced levels of skills and knowledge.
So, if you are recruiting with the prime objective of forming a new high-performance team, recruit carefully and ensure that candidates closely fit your desired profile.
Examples of high-performance teams
Described below are three real-world examples of this sort of team to provide a helpful perspective—and perhaps inspiration.
General Electric
In the company’s bid to produce the largest commercial jet engine in the world, Jack Welch, the CEO at the time, hired mechanics with the required specialist aviation-related skills, rather than general mechanics. This is an excellent example of recruiting carefully to build a successful high-performance team.
Wikipedia
Wikipedia is a great example of teamwork the website portrays. Volunteer writers and editors contribute by inputting knowledge and facts about the world. Without an army of regular employees, the team worked together to build the biggest database of information of all time.
Apple
Apple famous for its innovations in technology, relying on high-performance teams to continually evolve and improve its products and services.
Building high-performing teams is a journey, not a destination. The world is dynamic and ever-changing, so it’s imperative that leaders evolve and work to build environments where trust, consistency and culture are embraced.
