A poorly-managed team can demotivate both the company and its team members. Poor management results in unproductivity, lack of commitment, and job dissatisfaction. On the other hand, high-performing teams increase a company’s revenue by being more efficient and providing good service.
Whether you’re a manager or team leader, you should learn how to build a high-performing team.
What Makes a High-Performing Team?
A high-performing team values open communication, good leadership, conflict management, and shared goals. These teams are highly motivated and feel a part of their company’s success. That’s why it’s so important to foster the right principles across the entire organization.
1. Constant Communication
Constant communication is key if you want a high-performing team. A team needs an open space to discuss various matters. This includes the good and the bad, so you need to be open to hearing different thoughts and opinions.
If you respond negatively, your employees won’t feel safe telling you relevant information, especially when they make mistakes. This may be detrimental to team management because you won’t have a bird’s-eye view of your organization.
You need to create the right environment to have open communication in your team. This involves conducting weekly meetings and daily follow-ups. It also means that you have to be open to feedback from your team members.
2. Conflict Management
All team members should have respect for each other. It’ll make a solid foundation for mitigating conflict. However, conflicts are likely to happen at some point. According to research, 85 percent of employees experience conflict in their workplace.
Management could assume that both parties will solve the problems by themselves. However, it’s better to act as a mediator for improvement and conflict management.
If you have a strong team, both parties will know that you have their backs and only intercede when necessary. You should evaluate the conflict and negotiate with the affected team members until you get a fair resolution.
3. Trust Between Team Members
Every high-performing team has a foundation of trust. Once you have a rockstar team, you need to trust them. They’re in your team for a reason, and you should let them showcase their skills.
Trust improves your team’s self-esteem and motivation, making them more productive. According to a recent study conducted by Google, trust is a key driver of success for high-performing teams.
4. Clear Roles
It’s crucial to have clear roles when building your team. There must be cooperation and camaraderie among your team. Everyone knows what the company expects from them and what they need to achieve with clear roles.
By being transparent about job roles in the company, you also explain why their responsibilities are important. This will make them feel part of the company’s success, resulting in more accountability. For many employees, it’s daunting to perform other tasks than the ones they were hired for.
5. Realistic Goals
The key to an efficient strategy is to set realistic goals. It makes the team perform actionable steps towards the objective. However, when your expectations are higher than what your team can actually perform, it makes them feel burnt out and disappointed. Unrealistic goals blur a company’s vision and delay the strategy.
That’s why it’s important to have analytical skills and evaluate what your team can complete in a given timeframe. You can discuss this with them and explore different paths depending on their competencies and availability.
High-performing Teams and Good Leadership
A high-performing team isn’t made by perfect people or robots. It’s made by real humans that make mistakes and aren’t always prepared for everything. However, what differentiates an average team from a high-performing one are their interpersonal skills, motivation, and cooperation. A good leader can drive them towards their goals by motivating them, setting clear goals, and mediating when necessary.
