The members of a high-performance team share a common goal, they work to eliminate obstacles and learn together, they solve highly complex problems in short times, they are motivated and they have a good relationship.
They are self-organized and autonomous, they are not afraid of making mistakes. They not only have high knowledge in the field where they operate but also values that allow them to resolve internal conflicts and respect the opinions of others. They have the ability to make decisions without the direction of a boss; they focus on action and take risks that allow them to achieve goals.
The members of a high-performance team do not seek to excel individually. They focus on the common goal and accept responsibility together. They have good interaction, they do not waste time in conflicts, and on the contrary, they avoid them because they have the ability to listen. Each member is aware of their abilities and limitations, as well as those of their peers.
To which is added that all people are transparent and contribute to a calm work environment, because they are clear that this stimulates creativity; they also have tolerance for error. Here we will tell about the best management that separates high-performing teams from all the rest.
How do you build a high-performance team?
When an organization needs to form a team, many times leaders only think about the technical capabilities of each professional, leaving aside emotional intelligence, they do not look at the way of being of each person or analyze if they are compatible to integrate a team.
Training technical skills are easy, but developing the character of people and the way they relate to each other is the difficult thing. A team is mature when its members recognize each other and share knowledge, even if they have experience in the field. They are not compatible to work, they could not have high performance, explains the leader.
The first step we take to form a high-performance team is to talk with clients to understand their needs and once we understand, we propose the roles that are needed and balance a team not only with technical knowledge but also with an affinity to work.
A dynamic model in team development
The dynamic group theorist described four phases teams go through in their development: Formation, Conflict, Normalization, and Performance. In these stages, the leader identifies the relationships of the team members, and analyzes the tasks of each member and their attitude to work. The team matures, as it goes through the different phases that theorists possess.
Formation
It is the stage in which the team is formed, the members have just met and seek to be accepted by the different members, so there are still no conflicts or defined roles. There are more individual behaviors than group behaviors and the level of communication is low, as well as team commitment. Also, there is a high dependence on the leader and a tendency to maintain hierarchies.
Conflict
In this phase, there are different points of view and the members of the team compete with each other for individual ends, many times. There is no respect for the opinion of the other, nor is the other recognized. There are personal conflicts, competition, little teamwork, little responsibility, and commitment. The organizational climate is difficult, but if conflicts are not resolved quickly, they could cause harm and affect performance.
Therefore, at this stage, the leader must act, direct the team, instill values, and respect for the other, eliminate personal barriers, and promote teamwork, and the achievement of common goals, not individually.
Normalization
Once the team overcomes the conflict stage, it works unanimously; each member can recognize the abilities and weaknesses of himself, as well as those of his colleagues, respects the opinions of others, and complements them with his own, assumes responsibility for his role, and helps others when necessary.
The team does not work for individual achievement but for common achievement. In this phase, rules are drawn up, people are self-organized and autonomous. There is trust in the other, good communication, respect, and effective feedback from the leader. Members have the ability and maturity to engage with clients and stakeholders.
Performing
The teams that reach this stage have a high performance, they do not waste time in unnecessary conflicts and they help the other members to be better, they know the roles of the others and can make decisions without depending on a leader. They have a lot of motivation and a sense of belonging to the team.
At this stage, the leader must encourage his team so that there are no setbacks or enter a comfort zone, but that they continue to learn and strengthen.
When a team goes through these stages it has a shared purpose and works towards common goals, while remaining open to individual goals. Although the openness of the objectives of each one is maintained, they share values, and have constant development of both technical and personal skills, the members understand and accept their differences and weaknesses, as well as their needs and expectations.
A high-performance team is always thinking about how to improve the way they work, anything that limits them, they will want to remove because they are people who enjoy achievement and delivering functional things.
When these high-performing teams share with other people within the organization they are an inspiration for them, they make them imitate them and motivate themselves to be better people and professionals.
