BUILDING HIGH PERFORMANCE TEAMS IN 2022
A high-performance team refers to a group of highly skilled, goal-focused individuals who work cross-functionally to achieve a common goal for their organization. This team is skilled in problem-solving and displays strong leadership, collaboration and communication skills. Building high performance teams is no easy task, and it requires a great deal of coaching and personalized training for selected employees. Partnering with a consulting agency such as PeopleWorks gives you an edge against competition as you are guided through trainings, surveys and more that have proven to be successful among some of the top companies in the world.
First, to determine what a high-performing team looks like, we must look at all of the different factors found among dysfunctional teams.
In his book, Five Dysfunctions of Team, Patrick Lencioni breaks down the different factors that cause a team to fail. Using the framework of Lencioni, The Five Behaviors® assessment was created to help organizations discover personalized insights into building high performance teams and is one of the many tools in PeopleWorks’ suite of assessments.
The Five Behaviors® breaks down the factors that define a cohesive team into high trust, engaging in conflict around ideas, committing to decisions, holding each other accountable, and focusing on achieving results.
Commit to Decisions
The foundation of building any team starts with defining a clear plan of action, and sticking with it. This requires numerous resources and preparing, but building high performance teams without this step would not be possible. Sticking to a clear plan of action relies on effective work practices that will help increase productivity, creativity, and hinder any risk-taking behaviors. Our consultants can offer a fresh, unbiased evaluation of an organization’s current work practices to determine areas of strength, while also removing waste.
Accountability
Once a team decides on something and commits to that decision, it is then the responsibility of the team members to hold each other accountable. A high-performing team cannot exist without accountability. The Five Behaviors is the only team development solution that empowers individuals through self discovery and constructive behavioral modeling to rewrite the traditional rules of teamwork.
Trust and Respect
Respect between leaders and team members is the next defining characteristic of a high-performing team. Furthermore, trust and respect can be strengthened through multiple team-focused activities guided by a PeopleWorks consultant. This is an important characteristic as mutual respect has been shown to decrease turnover rates, and high turnover rates can affect a team’s performance. That is why partnering with a third-party consultant to define new ways to build organic respect is crucial.
Focus on Achieving Results
Similar to defining a clear action plan, building a high performance team requires sharing the same goals for what the company is aiming to achieve. A shared vision can motivate team members to focus on achieving results, which can also increase engagement and productivity rates and decrease turnover. Ensuring that all team members share the same vision can be the result of open communication, which is the last defining characteristic of a high-performing team.
Engage in Conflict Around Ideas
Though it may be listed as the last characteristic, open communication and engaging in conflict ties each defining characteristic together. This creates an environment of respect, enforces effective work practices, and creates a shared vision. Any organization can adopt open communication practices through the guidance of PeopleWork’s expert consultants.
Contact Us
To learn how to start building a high performance team, contact us by giving us a call at 214-210-9080!