Ever wanted to know the ingredients of high-performing teams? Is this one of our holy grails whatever type of organisation we are part of? What do we need to do differently if we want our team to perform better?

Outlined below is some information you may want to think about to achieve a team’s highest potential together. 

What is part of the problem?

Often we are so focused on tasks and achieving those all important outcomes that we may not be paying enough attention on the people issues that are ever evolving around us.

We are currently experiencing unprecedented uncertainty in our work and personal lives due to COVID-19.  We know that as pressure and stress increases our decision-making and the way we communicate may be decreasing at equal proportions! So what are we doing to support our staff during such a time?

Often we don’t take action until team behaviour becomes dysfunctional and the issues are critical and impacting most team members.  At this point it may be a bit too little too late. Why do I say this? That’s because by this stage:

• There is no goodwill and no-one is prepared to make allowances for bad behaviour
• The trust has been breached and difficult to repair and regain
• Attempts to discuss issues may have been disregarded, buried or glossed over and not taken seriously leaving staff feeling disillusioned and frustrated
• Once you’re at this point, emotions trump facts!

So here’s what you need to do

“Teams have so much untapped potential”.

This is a mantra I have read in textbooks and heard about from expert speakers like Patrick Lencioni www.tablegroup.com. Check out his website, he is an absolute legend.

 Step 1

Find out where your team is at. What’s working for them and what isn’t working for them.

Do this in a way that is issues focused. Don’t let it deteriorate into personal attacks.

Sometimes it’s best to have one-on-one sessions before you bring the team together to talk things through. You will need to put some rules around the discussion depending on where the team is at.

 Step 2

Make sure the team has clear roles, rules and responsibilities. By rules I mean team ground rules for interactions with one another. Really be clear about how you want to work together and interact with one another behaviourally. And stick to them!

 Step 3

Be aware of everyone’s strengths, work styles and work preferences so you can access this amazing diversity and you are able to have very different and productive conversations.

Use a tool like Team Management Profiles to help you with this: check out their website they are a really fabulous group that can help you www.tmsoz.com

Strengths profiles can help you relate to and motivate individuals for improved performance, productivity and satisfaction.

 Step 4

Provide support in the form of coaching to all staff – everyone can become a coach! You will have very different conversations and question each other respectfully rather than assume and pre-judge.

An organisation that can help here is IECL, they have partnered with Charles Sturt University and are accredited by ACTP. The web link is: https://www.iecl.com

Get your teams performing to their potential 

I’ve worked with creating high performing teams for over ten years and believe me, it’s not about luck and timing, and all that other airy fairy stuff, it’s about emotional intelligence and paying attention to key people issues as they come up.

Let me help you to access all that untapped potential in your team and start performing to the level you want to.