With rapid change across the labour market, including technological advancements, the introduction of new government policies, and shifts in the economy, it is more important than ever that organisations commit to agile working. While efficiency remains important, a focus on a better work-life balance for employees and building supportive and high-performing teams in the work environment has become a priority for many organisations.
Here we consider what a high-performing team is, the benefits of working towards a high-performing culture, and some practical ideas to support and empower your team members.
What is a high-performing team?
Whilst different organisations will have their own definition of what constitutes a high-performing team in their workplace, they will typically be characterised as a cohesive group of employees who have defined individual roles and complementary expertise or talents, who are adaptable, and able to generate new ideas and ways of working. They will work in a collaborative and supportive way to harness their individual and/or combined strengths to overcome potential challenges, with a clear focus on a shared purpose.
A high-performing team will be distinctive through their ability to manage and overcome potential conflict in a positive way, with each team member empowered to contribute to the achievement of collective goals, ultimately achieving outstanding results for the organisation.
Key characteristics of high-performing teams include:
- Clear and open communication, involving active listening, showing empathy, and conveying thoughts and ideas in a way that everyone can understand;
- Strong and visible leaders, offering inspiration, leading by example, and motivating team members to reach their full potential;
- A commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion, acknowledging and celebrating different backgrounds and experiences;
- Ongoing learning, with plenty of space for personal and professional development, with team members encouraged to seek out new opportunities;
- A clear set of shared goals, which align with the shared values of the team and organisation, offering a clear sense of direction and purpose.
Benefits of building a high-performing team
Overall, high-performing teams play an essential role in the success of any organisation. By encouraging a culture of excellence, these teams can have an important impact on productivity, efficiency and the work environment, including workplace culture.
- Driving success through efficiency: by consistently outperforming others, high-performing teams will work towards their goals with efficiency by drawing on individual skills and strengths. This, in turn, maximises overall productivity and drives success for the organisation.
- Encouraging a supportive workplace: by committing to excellence and fostering a collaborative approach within high-performing teams this can inspire and motivate others. This may drive a more positive and supportive workplace culture, which will increase employee engagement, satisfaction and retention.
- Increasing motivation and accountability: by encouraging high-performing teams to thrive in an environment that promotes autonomy, team members are more likely to take ownership of their work, increasing motivation and accountability. Both can lead to enhanced performance and better outcomes for the organisation.
How to build a high-performing team
Your own approach to management and commitment to developing a high-performing team will be dependent on a number of factors, including the work culture and priorities of your own organisation, as well as the individuals that form your team.
Regardless of these factors, the following steps will support you in building a high-performing team:
- Avoid only focusing on individual goals: While having individual goals can be important, setting team-level goals may aid and increase performance overall. Organisations that engage team members in the process of establishing and setting goals are also likely to see increased results when staff feel involved in the decision-making process.
- Offer consistent feedback on team performance: providing regular feedback, not only to individuals but to the team on their collective performance can be a good indication to your employees of what the organisation’s priorities are, including a collaborative approach to driving positive outcomes or results.
- Ensure there are opportunities for your team to train together: delivering training opportunities in teams is a further way to increase cohesion between your employees. By delivering training that offers opportunities for team bonding, building trust and enhancing team-working abilities, such as communication and decision-making, you will increase the chance of a successful team working on future tasks and projects.
- Incentivise your employees through team rewards: offering rewards on a team, rather than individual, basis can be a further way of building team motivation. However, it is important to keep in mind the context of the team, including its size and make-up, with both personality types and gender composition impacting how rewards are perceived and received.
- Consider the needs of your team within the context of your organisation: there are many factors that can impact on the opportunity to build a high-performing team – whether that be resources, funding, client demand or organisational priorities and work culture. Therefore, understanding what your team needs in the context of your organisation will be essential. Create opportunities for both open discussion and anonymous feedback about aspects of the work environment that might be impacting on your team’s performance to help you to address any challenges.
Sustaining a high-performing team
Once you have successfully established a high-performing team, sustaining the same quality of work will be essential for the ongoing success of the organisation. It will, therefore, be important to implement processes that support staff effectively and address any issues that arise.
A fundamental strategy to ensure consistently high performance will be investing in ongoing professional development opportunities. The provision of activities and training that enhance team members’ skills, knowledge and industry know-how will show a commitment from the organisation that goes beyond operational processes. Examples may include industry-specific certifications, networking events, training programmes, mentoring initiatives, and the opportunity to participate in conferences and workshops.
Whilst there are multiple benefits to building and developing high-performing teams, they will not exist without challenges. Potential conflict, a lack of clear communication, and the risk of diminishing motivation will need to be addressed. Therefore, managers or team leaders will need to support open dialogue between colleagues and encourage emotional safety in the workplace, offering the opportunity to express concerns and resolve conflict constructively.
Essential to the above, will be cultivating an inclusive team culture, with regular team-focused activities, as well as periodic performance reviews and access to feedback processes. By providing constructive feedback this offers managers the opportunity to address any potential gaps in a team’s performance and to ensure continuous development and growth for the team.
It will also be important to consider the well-being of your staff by taking steps to avoid burnout. Recognising the need for your team members to embrace quieter periods in their work cycle will also offer the opportunity for them to recharge and return to their work tasks refreshed and focused.
Overall, high-performing teams are a real asset to any organisation, and by recognising the role they have to play in increasing productivity and efficiency and shaping workplace culture, employers will benefit from exceptional results and long-term success.
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