2 MINUTE READ

3 Elements to the Secret of Creating High Performing Teams

Emergenetics International
Written by Emergenetics International

It’s no secret that high performing teams make an undeniable difference to a business and drive exponential results for the time and input involved. According to the AppGap business blog, research from MIT shows that 40% of creative teams productivity is directly explained by the amount of communication they have with others to discover, gather, and internalize information.

It goes beyond productivity and into direct bottom-line benefits: Accenture conducted research that found that that companies with the most respected or admired organizational cultures (those, for instance, on Fortune’s “100 Best Companies to Work For” list) consistently outperform the S&P 500.

So how do you create high performing teams? What’s the secret??

Well…unfortunately, there is no secret…nor a simple checklist to follow. What you can do though is ensure you have the right learning climate and ensure that teams understand a few key elements:

    1. Team Goals – What are the team’s objectives? How do they align with the overall organizational strategy? What is the team’s vision? This is about purpose…teams need to know where they’re going in order to perform at a high level to get there. The same findings from Accenture indicated high performing teams that are aligned with business strategy will achieve superior results in key business performance drivers such as productivity, innovation, and customer satisfaction.
    2. Team Roles – Employees need to know how the team functions and who can fulfill each role on the team. Who is the facilitator? Who is the questioner? Who is the cheerleader? You don’t need these specific roles, but high-performing teams need to know how it functions in order to get to a higher level.
    3. Team Dynamics – This is the foundation for stronger, more productive teams. High-performing teams must know and have respect for where each person on the team is coming from. What are the personalities on the team? What are the communication styles? How can each person’s inherent strengths be realized?

There are a continual improvement strategies that must happen for teams to stay in a high-performance mode once you’ve engaged them…but to start the conversation, these three elements are critical. Alignment and vision, team roles, and team dynamics. It’s not a secret but it can lead to stronger high performing teams.

Print This Post Print This Post