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High performing teams consistently meet their goals, work cohesively as a unit, and are engaged in their work. What makes a high performing team so successful? These five characteristics are key components of team success.
Trust
The biggest factor separating high performing teams from average teams is trust. Without trust, a team will never reach their full potential. With trust, a team finds their flow, feels more comfortable taking risks, and is able to work though challenges and conflicts as they arise.
Tension, frequent miscommunication, missed deadlines, and reduced productivity are all signs of a breakdown of trust. When this happens, it’s important to step in as a leader and identify what’s causing the breakdown. Speak with your team, bring them together, and talk things over. It takes serious effort to rebuild trust, and everyone must be on board to do so.
Clear communication
Second only to trust, communication plays a huge part in the success of a team. High performing teams have a system in place to streamline and optimize communication. They know when to call, when to email, when to Slack, when to (and not to) hop on Zoom, and if they’re working together in an office, when to simply pop into each other’s office. They also use technology to stay organized and track progress by using project management software or Google Docs to collaborate on a document.
Defined roles and responsibilities
Clearly defined roles and responsibilities help teams maximize productivity and reduce conflict. High performing teams work well because everyone plays a part in the collective success. By defining each team member’s role and responsibilities, it eliminates confusion as to who should be working on specific parts of a project. This also prevents conflict from arising and bringing down morale.
Engaged leadership
An engaged leader provides direction, not micromanagement, to help their teams achieve success. Teams perform at their best when they have the full support of their leadership. A good leader fosters a positive working environment and ensures that communication, trust, and respect are maintained. They set clearly defined goals and outline the steps that are needed to achieve them.
Collective goals
While each team member has their own responsibilities, everyone is collectively working towards one large goal and their individual work contributes to the project’s overall success. High performing teams aren’t afraid to pitch in to help each other out to ensure that all goals are met.
