Leaders of teams know that high-performance is a continuous process. It is very rare for a team of leaders like Arif Bhalwani has to reach high performance and then stay there. In my business career, whether I managed a team within an organisation or ran my own company, it has been rare to keep the same team together more than a year. Team members change depending on the organization’s needs and their individual career goals. The team needs to regroup every time someone leaves the group.
What is a team leader supposed to do? First, consider the seven characteristics that make up a high-performing team.
Shared purpose and direction
Motivational Goals
Commitment for Individual and Team Roles
Multi-Directional Communication
Authority to Decide or Act
Rely on Diverse Skills
Mutual Support and Trust
Common Purpose and Direction
Every member of a high performing team is fully committed to the team’s purpose. Because they know what their purpose is, the team leader keeps them on track by keeping them informed and communicating it in team meetings. The team leader supports each team member in fulfilling his or her own needs while still serving the larger purpose of their team.
Motivating Objectives
The team leader ensures everyone has clearly defined goals. The senior management might decide the departmental and organizational goals. If this is the case, the team leader ensures that all goals are clearly communicated to their team members. It is important that team members understand how their jobs relate to the achievement and have the chance to create individual goals and action plans that outline how they will contribute towards the success of the company.
Commitment for Individual and Team Roles
Team members are expected to not only understand their roles but also have clear expectations. So that each member can help another, team leaders make sure that members are cross-trained in other responsibilities. The team leader ensures that everyone has their individual job responsibilities met, while also helping to build a shared language, processes, and approaches that enable them to work as a group.
Multi-Directional Communication
Teams that work well together solve problems and communicate with each others. The team leader should also be kept informed of any emerging challenges or other issues. Low-performing groups have communication that is only one-way (from the leader to the team) or two-way. This happens between the leader and individual members. Skilled leaders avoid the trap and focus on multi-directional communication.
Authority To Decide Or Act
New teams may need to show that they are knowledgeable about the team’s processes, priorities and purpose. But, team leaders are able to push the team’s goals and outcomes to their team members. When and how to get approval for decisions are known by team members. In some cases, they can even be charged with making decisions right away when a customer confronts them. In low-performing groups, team members must constantly seek approval before taking any action. This reduces team effectiveness and negatively impacts their engagement.
Reliance On Diverse Talents
The most skilled team leaders are aware of the importance of helping each member understand their individual strengths, talents, weaknesses. There is no one person who can do everything. The best team leaders encourage everyone to be open to their differences and appreciate personal experience. Teams should encourage acceptance and appreciation and not criticism or judgment. Leaders are conscious of hiring team members who have unique skills and perspectives.
Mutual Support and Trust
The seventh characteristic might be the most important. However, it is often the most difficult. The team leader cannot make a team trust and support each other. This is the natural outcome of shared responsibility, shared success and mutual respect. A team that has a history of working together in achieving great results and grand dreams is able to build trust and mutual support. They have overcome many obstacles, faced difficulties, and supported each others in times of good and bad. The Total Team has gained trust.
Building a high performing team is no easy feat. But if your team leader is ready to face the challenge, you can consciously work on these seven characteristics. You can bring them to your next meeting to ask for feedback from the team. How can you find out if any of these characteristics are present on your team? What can the team do to improve these seven traits? Ask the team members to pledge to take 3 to 5 actions in the next 60 day. You will be able to revisit these commitments often and see how they develop. I promise a rewarding journey towards high-performance.
