Everyone wants to oversee, lead or be a part of a high performance team. These type of teams confront challenges head-on, know how to handle difficult situations, find solutions, and above everything – deliver results.
Today, we are sharing with you, some things we learned a long the way on how to build high performance teams.
Bruce Tuckman’s model for group or team development explains the phases necessary for any team to grow and produce results. If you are interested in learning more about Tuckman’s model and the 4 phases of development: forming, storming, norming and performing, check out that article. It’s a great read!
Along with Tuckman’s model, take note of our top tips below if you are interested in learning how to build a high-performance team.
1. Team Dynamics
Team dynamics are very important for a team to be successful. In every team, members adopts certain behaviours or roles, sometimes unknown to themselves. Kurt Lewin explains that team dynamics describes “the effects of these roles and behaviours on other group members, and on the group as a whole.”
Positive dynamics is what you should be looking for when building your high performance team. Focus on hiring a diverse group of people whose skills and abilities compliment one another. Employee people who are creative, think outside the box and that will bounce well off each other. It only takes one creative mind to motivate everyone in the team and pave the path for maintaining a high-performance team.
A few key notes to remember when protecting positive team dynamics:
- Know your team
- Don’t let problems or issues brew
- Appoint roles and responsibilities for everyone in the team
2. Team Leader
What’s a high performance without a high performing leader. A team leader must be someone who inspires and motivates their team members, creating high energy and enthusiasm for the job.
A team leader should know how to resolve problems and find solutions. They should encourage collaboration among team members. They should know that conflict affects productivity and morale and therefore should be addressed within a timely manner. A high performing leader should focus on cooperation, not competition.
A team leader of a high performance team should have exceptional leadership skills. They should know how to lead and manage the different personalities within a team. Exemplary interpersonal and communication skills are something you should also look out for in a high performing team leader.
3. Communication
A primary characteristic of high performing teams is the level of open and honest communication between everyone in the team. Transparency between managers and team members is essential and should be strongly implemented. Without trust and open communication, the team will not be successful. They will not be able to tackle problems or make decisions.
To ensure good communication, we recommend to conduct regular check-in’s with the team. If they struggle to express themselives, teach them communication skills. Check out our blog on developing your communication skills for more information on this. Constructive feedback is important so that the team can continue to grow and develop. Your are sure to see postive results and a high performance team if you build your team correctly from the start.
4. Success
Don’t be afraid to share good news and celebrate successes – big or small. This is encouraged. High performance teams are motivated by their successes and achievements so shout it to the world when you’ve landed that new client or reached your targets for the month.
Why not celebrate your successes with one of our high energy, engaging, team building activities like Go Team Icons of London. This interactive table based treasure hunt allows your team to build close-knit relationships in a fun relaxed environment.
How about trying some of our indoor team bonding activities such as the The Big Picture or Beat The Box? These challenges are perfect for bringing your team closer together while getting them working cohesively.
Contact us today for a quote or more information on any of our team building exercises.
