You and your team have set some ambitious goals for the quarter. During your monthly check-in, your stress surges because it doesn’t seem like you’re off to a good start. Morale is low and people don’t seem “all in.” For teams, a culture of collaboration, trust and respect is paramount to achieving ambitious goals. What do those cultural attributes look like on a practical level? Here are the five characteristics of high-performing teams.
Clear Communication
Transparency is the new lingo when it comes to honest, authentic communications, but newsflash: it’s not new. Open communication has been a mainstay in high-performing teams for a long time. If your team can be honest with you, and each other, collaboration and innovation can gain traction.
Strong Leadership
Strong leaders are correlated with strong teams. Having a record of being reliable, flexible and trustworthy contributes to autonomous and productive teams.
Collaborative Culture
Fostering a work environment where teamwork thrives is another way to enhance performance. For example, if planning a big event for a marketing push, hold sessions where your team works together to plan it and contribute ideas. Not only will you get several perspectives, but it allows the team space to think without limits.
Adaptability and Resilience
Overcoming setbacks is a lot easier when you’ve fostered a culture of flexibility with your team. Addressing changes transparently, while still regularly reminding them of the core vision of the organization, are great ways to model this trait with your people.
Safety to take risks
Having a work environment that acknowledges the inevitability of mistakes and failure gives employees a sense of stability. It also allows for creativity and innovation to thrive. Ensure your team that falling short is okay, as long as learning and growth are the result.
Fostering these characteristics among your team could be the key to progress for your organization. There’s a strong correlation between effective teams and organizational success. Not sure where to start with your group? Schedule an introductory call with us to ask about Birkman’s® High Performing Teams workshop. It positions teams to out-perform in the areas of purpose, clarity and psychological safety with a step-by-step plan to address gaps and build upon strengths.