As a startup or founder, you definitely want a high performing team that is dedicated to the job, constantly learning and improving and has the right attitude for the job.
It takes more than just assembling a talented group of individuals with the necessary talents to create a high-performing team, it takes the right attitude, key characteristics and best practices.
Let’s dive in!
What is a high performing team?
A high performing team is characterised by a group of individuals that strive for excellence, mutual trust, common goals, clear job roles, and shared leadership.
These groups constantly exhibit excellent levels of creativity and cooperation leading to better outcomes, and every team member acknowledges responsibility for their actions and tasks.
Characteristics of a high performing team
In any organisation, outstanding achievements can only be achieved by high-performing teams.
The following are six characteristics with insightful explanation that are essential to building a high performing team.
1. Clear goals and objectives
Clear, precise, and attainable goals are what drives a high-performing team. These objectives support the team’s efforts and align with the organisation’s overarching goal by giving them a clear path forward.
In order to encourage this, leaders ought to include team members in the process of creating goals and make sure that everyone is aware of and dedicated to these targets.
2. Open and effective communication
Communication in high-performing teams must be open, honest, and transparent. This creates an environment where members freely share ideas, feedback, and concerns.
To build effective communication, encourage regular team meetings and one-on-one discussions.
3. Accountability and responsibility
It is required of each member of a high-performing team to accept responsibility for their own actions as well as the performance of the group.. This indicates that team members are dedicated to the goals and hold one another responsible for achieving them.
4. They practise continuous learning
Even the most successful teams should have room for improvement. Teams with high performance levels appreciate criticism and grow from their errors, they seek out chances to expand by welcoming a culture of feedback and making continuous investments in the training of their staff.
5. Trust and mutual respect
Trust is a cornerstone of an effective high performing team. Members of the team must accept one another’s experiences and opinions and have faith in one another’s skills and intentions. Building trust requires effort and time, but it can be aided by open communication, team-building activities, and shared experiences.
By being transparent and truthful about their decisions and demonstrating faith in the team’s abilities, leaders can foster trust.
Strategies for creating a high performing team
1. Create a diversified team
Forming a team with individuals from different backgrounds, experiences, and cultures builds an environment where you can learn from different points of view and uncover fresh information. Collecting ideas from diverse points of view is a surefire path to success.
2. Make a common sense of purpose
Employees need to have a common goal in order to be called a team. One-on-one meetings are a convenient approach to review progress, assign assignments, and ensure that team members’ activities are aligned with the group’s goals.
This helps create a sense of shared purpose and ensures that everyone in the team is working toward the same objective in order to increase performance.
3. Improve communication
Having an established communication protocol helps in the prevention of conflict and ensures that important information is communicated with the appropriate individuals, assignments and responsibilities are clear, and nothing goes through the gaps.
For example, slack can be used for chats and team updates, but project management systems like Asana can be used to house project data, track progress and assignments.
4. Encourage free thinking and speaking
It is important that people feel free to express themselves, therefore urge your team members to speak honestly rather than worrying about being pleasant or politically correct.
Build an environment where your employee can raise tough questions without anyone taking offence. This makes sure that people don’t constantly care about posing the best questions because it’s not always the case that the best questions produce the best results.
5. Acknowledge and honour achievements
In order to establish and preserve a high-performing team, it is important to acknowledge and celebrate both individual and collective achievements. Rewards and recognition can reinforce desired behaviours and motivate team members to perform effectively.
Remember that your employees’ preferences for acknowledgment may differ from one another, make sure you prioritise the type of appreciation your employees like by tracking their preferences over time.
6. Invest in employee training.
Identify growth opportunities that are relevant to team requirements and priorities, as well as individual ambitions. Employee development programs help employees feel more motivated, empowered, and prepared to execute their jobs.
Tools available to support you with building a high performing team
Building a high-performing team needs diverse strategy, and there are various tools and strategies available to assist you in this journey:
1. Team collaboration tools
Slack
Conversations in Slack can be arranged into channels. These channels can be used for social engagement as well as for specialised teams, projects, and subjects. It is easier for team members to follow and take part in topics that are important to them because of slack
Microsoft Teams
Microsoft Teams helps through its integration with numerous third-party apps and services. As a result, your team will have access to a multitude of tools via the interface, including more specialised programs and project management applications like Asana and Trello.
2. Training and Development Platforms
Coursera
Coursera offers courses in various subjects so this variety helps team members to discover courses that meet their personal learning requirements and objectives. It also applies to Udemy.
3. Data Analytics and Reporting Tools
Microsoft Excel
Excel helps in the efficient organising and handling of massive datasets. Its grid format is ideal for sorting, filtering, and categorising data, making it easier to work with complex information.
4. Feedback and Survey Tools
SurveyMonkey
It allows team members to submit their opinions anonymously. This feature can encourage more honest and open responses, especially in situations where feedback is sensitive.
Google Forms
It can be used to collect feedback from team members on their experiences, issues, and suggestions for improvement.
5. Performance Management Systems
15Five
15Five allows for weekly check-ins,where team members can report on their progress, difficulties, and morale. These regular updates provide managers with continuing insights into their team’s performance and well-being, allowing for prompt support and intervention.
BambooHR
BambooHR features an employee self-service site where employees can view their performance reports, goals, and comments. This accessibility encourages employees to participate in the performance management process.
Wrapping Up
A team’s performance is determined by its capacity to adapt, evolve, and collaborate toward common goals. The strategies covered in this blog serves as a road map for professionals seeking to build such high-performing teams, and ensuring that their company thrives in an ever-changing business context. Visit Faqprime for more.