Are YOU a high-performing team, or just a group of individuals working together?
There is a remarkable difference between teams and workgroups and this difference is often not addressed in the organizations we work. We create workgroups and expect these to deliver the end product with quality, not taking into consideration the different factors that can create bumps in the road, nor do we equip the team members with the right tools to create the end product as an effective and high-performing team.
To create a team and better yet, a high-performing team, there are some variables you and your organization need to take in to consideration.
As a behavioral scientist, I would say that first of all, you need to have basic knowledge in neuropsychology and the different factors that affect us humans. We can’t expect high-performing teams with its team members working efficiently and in coherence if we do not have basic knowledge of why individuals act and react the way they do in given situations or what it is that drives and motivates us to work with each other versus working alone. Also, when it comes to managing conflicts, we can’t handle them, if we do not have the right tools for this.
Second, the organization needs to support and create a working environment which makes it possible for employees to become high-performing teams. If you only have theoretical knowledge in psychology but you live in an organization not creating an environment supporting this, you will not be able to create the dream-team.
Some of the principles an organization needs to follow are:
- Define the organizations business idea or mission in a clear and distinct way so that the employees are not given the chance of misunderstanding it.
- Support innovation and new thinking.
- Expect success not only from your employees but also from yourself.
- Value high quality and service.
- Pay close attention to detail, it is often in these we miss critical information.
- Value and listen to the team recommendations and those working with the delivery. Realize that as a leader, you do not know everything.
- Formulate clear expectations of the group’s performance, quality, timing and work rate. Not having clear expectations can lead to misunderstandings and underperformance.
- Always reward the team effort over individual achievement.
Finally, we need to educate our team members in the fact that as a team, we all need to support the delivery of the final product, even if some of the subjects we need to address in the team is beyond our own competencies. And how do we do this when we do not have the acquired knowledge of the subject? We can always contribute in solving problems around the subjects at hand, i.e. time and planning issues or we can always ask our team members how we can help. By doing this, not only do we get more T-shaped as we learn and as we listen, but we also contribute in creating our effective and high-performing team.
Did you find this article helpful and would want to learn more about this topic? Or are you in need of help in your own organization in how to create high-performing teams? Do not hesitate to contact us at Agile Management Group.
Maryam Ghorban
EVP Partner & HR
at A-M-G, Agile Management Group
https://www.linkedin.com/in/maryamghorban/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/a-m-g/
