The Key To High-Performing Teams

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Every manager wants to manage a high-performing team. They consistently get their work done by the deadline and produce superior results. When compared to other teams of similar composition, they outshine them. While putting together a high-performing team isn’t guaranteed, there are techniques that increase the likelihood of creating one.

Key Takeaways:

• High-performing teams have clear goals, expectations, and duties, both collectively and individually.

• Diversity is a major factor in high-performing teams. So long as all members get along, the more diverse the team, the more likely they are to be high performing.

• Most high-performing teams get along with one another very well and spend enough time with one another outside of work. Breaking down that barrier allows for more authenticity and better communication and collaboration.

• Teams excel when they know they can rely on one another and that they’re valued by the other members of the team.

What Is a High-Performing Team?

While different people have different metrics to determine what constitutes “high performing,” there are general aspects that everyone agrees on. High-performing teams are the ones that are consistently meeting – or exceeding – goals, avoid altercations, and are focused on their work.

The Characteristics of a High-Performing Team

While there isn’t any one factor that determines a high-performing team, there are characteristics that high-performing teams share. It’s not always something that happens overnight, either – teams can take time to grow into their potential. That being said, if you look for people with these characteristics, you’re much more likely to end up with an excellent team.

• Diversity. Having a more diverse team leads to more creative problem-solving than a team that’s homogeneous. While diversity can sometimes lead to conflict, overcoming this helps cement their relationship as well as challenge one another to consider different aspects and solutions.

• Trust. A high-performing team trusts one another. Part of this is in the sense that they trust one another to do their job and pull their own weight – and ask for help if they run into a problem. Additionally, it allows them to be more willing to make suggestions and have robust discussions about what to do.

  If the members of the team trust one another’s expertise as well, then they’re much more willing to listen to one another when it comes to each person’s specialty. That allows for more collaboration and less obstruction.

• Good communication. Being able to communicate clearly and effectively is essential. Different members of the team have to know who to go to when they have a problem or need help with a particular issue. It’s also important to know who’s in charge of what, so you can check up on their progress when you need something from them.

• Respect. High-performing teams respect one another. This isn’t just a matter of believing that each person knows how to do their job – though that’s essential – but communication, avoiding conflict, and what’s expected. If each person fully respects one another and knows that they’ll do an excellent job, it motivates them to do their best too.

  Having team members that respect one another and each other’s differences also lowers the likelihood of diversity causing conflict. It also makes it more likely that they’ll listen to one another’s perspectives and take advantage of the different worldviews and experiences that each member of the team brings to the table.

• Defined Roles. This is largely on leadership. It’s very important that each person knows what their role is and what’s expected of them. It prevents confusion and workers feeling like they have to keep asking what they should be doing, and it also means that everyone on the team knows what each other person is responsible for.

  While, of course, it’s necessary to know what you’re supposed to be doing, knowing what the other people on the team are working on helps with collaboration and communication, as well as setting and meeting goals.

• Clear goals. Teams that perform well know what their goals and expectations are. Setting goals and timelines also help with what order to complete projects in. There are times when one part of a project has to be finished before another can begin, and if there aren’t set goals and a timeline, someone may end up being forced into idleness.

• Appreciation. Part of teamwork is being willing to share credit. The whole team should get recognition for success. But highly successful teams are also more than willing to highlight one another’s accomplishments rather than focusing on their own. Good teams encourage and lift one another up rather than sniping at each other.

  If team members are recognized for their accomplishments, it’s highly motivating. While, of course, the person who’s recognized is motivated by the recognition, others are also bolstered by it. Not just out of a sense of wanting praise, too, but a sense of wanting to contribute to the team. Cohesive and effective teams don’t want to let one another down.

• Motivation. The people on a high-performing team are highly motivated. They want to get their projects done right and on time, and they also want to keep improving themselves. This motivation translates into continual learning and improvement, as well as encouraging other members to do the same.

• Collegiality. It’s important that the members of a team get along with each other. The more they have a positive social relationship, the more willing they are to work together and bolster one another. Many highly effective teams socialize with one another outside of work, which allows for a closer and less guarded relationship.

  Barring that, members of the team have to get along with one another well enough to work together effectively. They need to be willing to lend a hand when needed and accept help when they encounter an obstacle.

Building a High-Performing Team

Putting together a high-performing team isn’t easy. After all, part of the definition of a high-performing team is that their results exceed the expected output of the team. So while there are strategies you can use to up the likelihood that your teams will be high performing, it isn’t guaranteed.

Here are some tips to increase the likelihood that your team will be high performing:

• Set clear goals. Having a clear, attainable goal is a major aspect of high performance. Team members have to know what they’re supposed to be doing and what the end product should look like.

• Give each person a defined role. If there’s overlap in team members’ roles, then that can lead to conflict, work duplication, or a miscommunication that ends with things not getting done. If something is the job of more than one person, unless they work on it together, it can lead to confusion as to who is actually responsible for it.

  The roles don’t have to be rigorously regimented. If someone wants to branch out into something that isn’t exactly their job description but helps the team, they shouldn’t be stopped. However, it may be wise to later update their title and/or job description so that it’s more accurate.

• Encourage communication. Communication is essential when working as a team. Most people take their cues from leadership, which means it’s your job to encourage your team to be open and communicative. And that starts with making sure that you communicate clearly and are receptive to discussion.

• Be supportive. A manager’s role is to make sure that their subordinates can do their jobs. While most of that ends up being logistical – in the sense of making sure they have what they need – other times, it’s less defined. Your support can be in the form of training, encouragement, or direction.

• Facilitate socializing outside of work. Teams that have closer relationships tend to be more effective. Most employees aren’t going to take the initiative on this, so that means that management should encourage it if they want it to happen. Setting up a weekly or monthly meetup outside of work helps to encourage more authentic interactions.

• Invest in individual career development. Remember that each person on the team is also an individual. If they’re a high achiever, then they’re looking at their career trajectory. Investing in that and helping pave a path for advancement helps with both motivation and talent retention.

• Consider the size. The size of the team can have a huge impact on its efficacy. If a team is too small, it’s unlikely to be diverse enough to encourage creative problem-solving. If it’s too large, then it won’t feel like a team and will likely lead to factions forming in the group.

  In a situation where you need a large number of people working on the same project, it’s a good idea to break them down into smaller sub-teams. That way, you get the same camaraderie you’d get from a small team, all while allowing them to work together as a whole.

• Treat them as a team. Remember that your subordinates take their cues from you. If you don’t encourage them to work together and view themselves as a team, then they’re more likely to resist working together. And if you pit them against one another in any way, then you risk losing cohesion.

High-Performing Teams FAQ

1. What makes a high-performing team?

   A high-performing team is a team that overperforms based on the expectations for a team of its size and expertise. Putting together a high-performing team is tricky, as it requires trying to put people together who will have a synergistic effect with one another.

2. How do you manage a high-performing team?

   When managing a high-performing team, it’s important to set clear goals, give each member a defined role, and make sure to encourage camaraderie. High-performing teams understand what the goals and expectations are and trust and like one another enough to work as a team.

3. How can team cohesion be improved?

   Cohesion in a team can be improved by making sure that management encourages teamwork, gives each person a defined role, and by mediating conflicts when necessary.

References

1. Harvard Business Review – High-Performing Teams Start with a Culture of Shared Values

2. The Oxford Review Briefings – High-Performance Teams: What the Research Says

Author

Di Doherty

Di has been a writer for more than half her life. Most of her writing so far has been fiction, and she’s gotten short stories published in online magazines Kzine and Silver Blade, as well as a flash fiction piece in the Bookends review. Di graduated from Mary Baldwin College (now University) with a degree in Psychology and Sociology.