How to build a high-performance team
Being a great team member can improve a job that you love or make a job that you don’t love bearable. When people love their team, they want to come to work each day. They may even choose to spend time with one another outside of the office. Great teams are energetic, and they get things done. High-performing teams require outstanding leadership. How can you build a high-performance team? Research shows that leaders of great teams have these five characteristics.
1. They Inspire Rather than Micromanage
Teams that perform at a high level generally have leaders who create energy and excitement within the team. This inspires members to do more. It helps them feel that what they’re doing is important. When people feel special, they tend to work harder and feel happier.
Inspire your people with continuous learning. High-performing teams appreciate feedback and use it to learn and improve. Create a work environment that welcomes feedback, one that doesn’t become defensive when constructive feedback is shared.
Be sure to implement a reward system that emphasizes good performance. Make sure that you are collecting data to see what is working and what isn’t. This will help you improve your managing techniques.
2. High Performing Teams Have Managers Who Set Stretch Goals
When managers set stretch goals, they encourage their teams to push themselves to achieve something that may seem impossible. People don’t want to arrive at their workplace to labor at something that other teams could do easily. They want to stand out and perform tasks that make a difference.
Performing important tasks will help your employees see that they are necessary and special, increasing their job satisfaction. This will help their work engagement and job pride grow.
Teams that perform at an elevated level celebrate their successes together. They also express appreciation for each team member’s contributions to their successes. United celebrations inspire a strong collaboration culture, and it helps every person on the team feel linked and valued.
3. Great Teams Have Trusted Leadership
Great teams trust their leaders. If a manager isn’t trusted, they cannot inspire people to perform at their highest level or resolve issues. Leader insights include developing the ability to get a team to believe in stretch goals and trust in their everyday communications.
Research shows that there are three main supports that form trust. The first one is developing relationships. People trust those they like. For this support, establish relationships with your team members. The second support is knowledge or skills. People trust those who can help them resolve issues. The last support is to be consistent. If you tell someone that you’ll do something, then be sure to follow through. This managing technique develops trust.
Management insights include promoting someone to the position of team lead who other people on the team turn to naturally for information or guidance. Also, pay attention to each person on your team to locate those who naturally create unity within the group. These are the humans who you should promote.
4. High Performance Requires Leaders who can Handle Conflict
Conflict within a team will turn a high-performing group into a dysfunctional one in record time. To keep your team performing well, act quickly when conflicts arise. Accept that anytime there is a group of people working together, conflict is bound to happen.
It’s easy to assume that adults will manage disagreements effectively on their own. If this were the case, then there wouldn’t be wars or divorce. To keep your team working well together, you will need to step in when members aren’t getting along.
Work to streamline your team’s communications. Teams that perform at a high level must be agile and dedicated. You can accomplish this with streamlined communications. Ensure that every member of your team is on the same page with clear employee expectations and work processes. This step may help diffuse situations that could become challenging.
Some workplaces encourage competition between teams, but cooperation almost always works better. When your team labors together, they’ll be more likely to achieve excellent results.
5. Focus on Communication
High-performing teams have leaders who focus on communication. Don’t be afraid to repeat yourself by reminding your team about the company’s vision and your group’s direction. To be an effective team leader, it’s important to stay on message.
People are easily distracted. Help your team focus by reminding them of their goals and what they need to do to accomplish them. Keep your team up to date on how they are doing and each project completion timeframe.
Today’s technology is amazing. As a leader, you can use it to communicate with your team members more frequently, but keep in mind that the human brain is designed for in-person connections. To communicate well, the human brain considers body language, facial shifts, and pheromone signals. These things are mainly lost when people interact with each other through technology.
Inspire your team by encouraging connection. To help your people feel connected to a group of their fellow employees, establish unified purposes. Do this by creating transparent goals that your team can accomplish with connection and alignment.
Managing a high-performing team requires you to assess work priorities and goals to make sure that they align with your company’s values and are effective. Be sure to communicate with your team regularly and check in on progress.
High-Performance Teams Will Help You Succeed
Build a high-performance team by embracing management skills that excite, inspire trust, and resolve conflict. When people are members of high-performing teams, they’ll feel proud of their work and a greater sense of self. For tips and guidance on how to become a beloved leader, visit us at Productivity Intelligence.
