
When organizations are acquired only to be sold piecemeal, we often hear that “the sum of the parts is greater than the sum of the whole.” This runs contrary to an efficient, high impact team, where the sum of the whole is magnified by the performance of individuals within the team. Harnessing this effectiveness requires leaders to overcome five distinct challenges. Only by doing so can they build high performing teams and embed the characteristics of high performing teams within their own sphere of supervisory responsibility.
Defining the key characteristics of high performing teams
When seeking to create something unique and exceptional, you must first define the key characteristics that will define your creation. When examining the traits of the most impactful teams within the business context, it can be seen that there are several commonalities that directly lead to outperformance in the competitive market.
For example, a 2006 study by Dahlin, Weingart, and Hinds, and published in the Academy of Management Journal, summarized that teams comprized of members from diverse educational and national backgrounds perform more highly than those not benefitting from such diversity.
Five essential characteristics of team excellence are:
1. Shared Goals
Aims should be specific, clearly defined and resonate with all members of the group while promoting the contribution of the group as opposed to individuals within the group. Goals should be challenging but achievable and resonate with organizational values and beliefs. This collective approach significantly enhances the team’s performance.
2. Having the right mix of people
Teams benefit from having diverse perspectives, capabilities, backgrounds, and personalities. When considering individuals, look to create a mix of interpersonal and technical skills, commerciality and financial awareness. Look to recruitment processes and augment with continuous training and coaching to upgrade skills as the team evolves.
3. Team size
The best teams are small, agile and flexible. They benefit from free flow of information. Larger teams require greater resource and a more inflexible management structure, which can impact team dynamics.
4. Define roles and responsibilities
The roles of individuals within the team context must be clearly defined. This includes the level of authority – some teams function with authority equally distributed while others have a clearly defined leader. When responsibilities are unknown or misunderstood, internal conflict is a real danger to effectiveness and can undermine team cohesion.
5. Strong Team Culture
A strong team culture is the backbone of any high-performing team. It’s the glue that holds the team together, fostering a sense of belonging, motivation, and commitment among team members. A positive team culture encourages collaboration, open communication, and mutual respect, leading to increased productivity, job satisfaction, and overall team performance.
To build a strong team culture, leaders should focus on creating a shared vision and values that align with the organization’s mission and goals. This involves establishing clear expectations, promoting transparency, and encouraging feedback and open communication. Team-building activities, social events, and recognition programs can also help to foster a sense of camaraderie and teamwork.
A strong team culture is essential for attracting and retaining top talent. When team members feel valued, supported, and empowered, they are more likely to be engaged, motivated, and committed to the team’s success. This, in turn, leads to improved team performance, increased job satisfaction, and reduced turnover rates.
Overcoming the challenges
A cohesive team is one in which individuals want to remain. It outperforms because everyone pulls in the same direction, working toward a common cause and with shared behavioral norms. These characteristics become part of group culture, the fabric that holds the group together. However, there will be challenges to face and overcome on the way to creating this zenith. Embracing continuous improvement is essential to overcoming these challenges and fostering a culture of ongoing learning and adaptability. The major of these are:
1. Engagement
There is a definite connection between the performance of individuals within a team and the degree to which they feel engaged. Leaders who attain high competence in employee empowerment skills are best able to empower their people and create the ownership that engenders productivity. These skills include:
- Communication
- Emotional intelligence
- Influencing
- Listening skills
- Negotiation skills
Fostering continuous learning is also crucial, as it not only enhances individual skills but ensures that teams can adapt to changing industries and technological advancements.
2. Conflict resolution
Conflict is a naturally occurring event within any group. It can either be constructive or destructive. Leaders who take a care-fronting rather than confronting approach in their communicative technique will find that open communication is encouraged and conflict errs progressively on the side of constructiveness. A team leader should actively promote a collective atmosphere among team members and encourage open communication to foster an environment of continuous improvement and support.
3. Task management
Though it may seem obvious, leaders who mismanage tasks within their team environment risk disrupting its balance. Individuals (and the group) will work best where they benefit from:
- Autonomy
- Variety
- Task importance
- Feedback
These issues will be a joint consideration of the organization and team leadership to ensure high performance.
4. Organizational issues
The organizational structure and management will impact upon a team’s effectiveness. How one team is allowed to interact with others, the high-level support it receives, and the resources that are made available to it will all be telling factors on performance. Adopting high performance team models can help organizations enhance team efficiency, creativity, and effectiveness to achieve their goals and deliver results.
5. Foster Open Communication
Open communication is essential for high-performing teams. When team members can communicate effectively, they can share ideas, collaborate, and work towards a common goal. Open communication also enables teams to address conflicts, resolve issues, and provide feedback, leading to improved team performance and job satisfaction.
To foster open communication, leaders should establish clear communication channels, encourage feedback, and promote transparency. They should also lead by example, demonstrating open and honest communication in their own behavior. Regular team meetings, one-on-one check-ins, and anonymous feedback mechanisms can also help to facilitate open communication and encourage team members to share their thoughts and concerns.
Open communication is critical for building trust and mutual respect among team members. When team members feel comfortable sharing their thoughts and opinions, they are more likely to trust and respect each other, leading to improved team performance and job satisfaction.
In summary
When team leadership challenges are overcome, a cohesive and successful team will produce a number of benefits that include (but are not limited to):
- Time saved during task completion
- Freer information flow leading to individual and team improvement
- Greater innovation and creativity in problem solving
- Higher staff retention and reduced costs
Contact Primeast today to discuss our Management Development Series, including our Team Leadership Program that will provide your leaders with the skills to embed the attributes of high performing teams in their team.