What’s the use in having a team unless it’s going to perform at its best? No one wants to be on a team that constantly loses, underperforms and disappoints. Whether you are on a team now or have been put in charge of creating a new one, high-performance teams require a lot of ingredients. Let’s take a look at what these might include.
Communication is a Must
No team will perform if everyone is going in their own direction and has no plan to follow. This is why open, constant, genuine and clear communication is “the” place to start in building and sustaining a high-performance team. Plans require talking about them with team members who will add their input and affirm that the direction is the right one to take.
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Delegate What Needs to Be Delegated
Regardless of how talented the leader may be, no one can do everything that needs to be done on a team. This is why delegation is critical for smart leaders. They can share tasks with teammates while they tend to bigger projects. This is one of the purposes of a team, everyone plays their part and no one is left bogged down with the majority of the work that needs to be completed.
Keep Them Motivated
What’s the end game for any team? Winning! This can be defined as attracting more customers, growing the business, or delivering quality services. Motivating team members requires doing some home work and finding out what makes them tick. Do they thrive on recognition, independence, creativity, empowerment or money? No two team players are alike, so it’s important to tap into what drives them to success.
Continual Learning and Development
A team can become stale and stagnant if it’s not nourished with new ideas and fresh strategies. Teams that flourish most are those that engage in constant improvement through training, education and self-learning. Everyone on the team is most likely at a different stage in their career, so getting them on the same page with focused learning and development can advance the team to new heights.
Mastering Time Management
High-performance teams aren’t in the business of wasting time. Instead, they learn how to better manage what they can do within specified timeframes. Leadership can start by examining how the team spends time. What is the majority of time dedicated to? Next, set goals and priorities and wrap them around the calendar. Teams that are well-organized tend to use time more wisely than disorganized groups of people.
Final Thoughts on Managing High-Performance Teams
Teams are vital in getting things done effectively and efficiently, but just because a group of people are together, doesn’t mean they are a team. If leaders are going to invest in developing high-performance teams, they need to exercise some important skills, namely communication, delegation, motivation, learning and development and time management. Teams are meant to win. These ingredients make winning more achievable.
(NOTE: Interested in learning more about Leadership in health care? Checkout my Leadership CEUs on CEU Academy and try a FREE CEU today!)