Building and leading effective teams is a key leadership competency. But how do you create that special magic that results in not just an effective team but a high-performing team? Consider these 5 tips as your magic wand…
- Establish a clear purpose and specific goals. By definition, a team is a group of individuals with a common purpose. That purpose and the milestones to achieve that purpose need to be clearly communicated and understood by every individual on the team. For high-performing teams, it’s not just understanding the destination, but also – as team members – being able to help define the means to get there. This ability to co-create results gives them a deeper commitment to the team purpose and improves performance.
- Identify and include individuals with complementary skills. These skills go beyond just the technical and functional skills required to achieve the purpose. Also consider decision making skills, problem solving skills, interpersonal skills and other “soft skills” that are necessary to succeed. Be sure that each individual – and the rest of the team – understands how their role aligns with the team purpose, and how their expertise contributes to team success.
- Value diversity. Someone once said, “We only have harmony when we sing different notes.” Include people on your team who are different than you and who represent different personality types. Diverse teams perform better. They perform better because they bring multiple perspectives, experiences and approaches to the table, which results in increased innovation, better problem solving and overall improved results.
- Create a sense of mutual accountability. Be sure everyone clearly understands expectations. Challenge your team to higher performance goals and establish an environment where they hold themselves – and each other – accountable for results. Include regular progress reports, open sharing of mistakes made and lessons learned, and team discussions on moving through roadblocks.
- Encourage open communication and constructive feedback. Perhaps the most important tip in creating a high-performing team is ongoing communication. You to the team, the team to you, the team among themselves. It is the overarching element of all these tips. Communicate the purpose and goals. Communicate to individuals and the team how they contribute. Communicate the value of diversity. Communicate expectations to create mutual accountability. Talk about things. Even the hard things. And provide consistent and constructive feedback.
People often ask, “How do you know when you have a high-performing team?” If they have to ask…they do not. Think of a time when you were on a high-performing team. It’s one of those things you just know. The team gels, team members have each other’s backs, the ultimate outcome(s) are for the team, not individuals. There’s fun, hard work and camaraderie. Ya just know.
Is your team a high-performing team? If not, what’s stopping you from getting there?
Till next time, keep it real!
Karen
