Team work for improved performance

Sneak peek into the traits of High-performance teams

I have worked with a group of bright minds, with just a few years of experience. When I say high performance teams, the emphasis is on the effective results they produced. They were one of the best and very productive teams that I observed up close for more than 4 years. Through the years, new members were added and few of them left, yet the team was able to deliver the same quality. What is it about high performance teams? How do they manage to do it? My list is comprehensive but not exhaustive.

• High performance teams usually are close knit. It must be either because of the way they work together or that they seem to be empathetic to each other. I often found these team members knowing exactly what was happening in each other’s personal lives. If someone came late or was on leave, the others were aware of it.
• This leads us to the second unique characteristics — Communication. Each and every member of the team communicated well with their team members. There were a few socially shy ones in the team but they seemed to be at ease when interacting with their team members. They would text each other the time of their arrival and departure from office.
• The roles and responsibilities were defined yet when there were urgent issues, all of them pitched in equally. I was amazed by the transformation within the team when they had to complete a task. If there was a bottle neck due to some issue, everyone pitched in and they had no hesitation in taking up their team members tasks.
• They clearly understood their role within the team. It was like each member of the team fit in like a piece of jigsaw puzzle. When they needed new team members, they all were on the same page. Every one on the team played a role in interviewing or engaging with the potential new hire. They would have either lunch or team dinner with the potential hire. This helped them assess the cultural fit of the potential hire.
• All team members looked up to the team lead. The team lead would always ensure that his team was well recognized and compensated for their contributions. The team lead praised his team efforts openly but in their private team meetings, he would not mince his words of criticism for errors committed.
• They were punctual and disciplined when it came to work. My office had no restrictions on web access but this team members rarely strayed away to YouTube or web surfing while working. It must be their intense focus to completing the task on hand. When they felt they needed breaks, they would head to the games room or for recreational activities outside of work.

While I do agree that my knowledge is limited to observing just a few of such teams, but where there are pros, there are also a few cons.

The one thing I notice among these teams is they worked without sleep when they had a task in hand. This led to exhaustion. We hardly pay attention to the exhaustion of mind and body when young, but as we become younger (take it as a pun) with the passing years, it definitely takes its toll.

My few tips for better managing high-performance teams

• Ensure that there are at least 2 employees trained for each task and alternate them as part of high-performance teams. This not only reduces the burn out in employees, this gives rise to healthy competition among employees.
• While working in office or at home, place emphasis on good nourishing foods. This might sound unnecessary but good, healthy and nutritious food ensures a balanced body and mind. This is yet another simple yet effective way to avoid burn out.
• Once a task is complete, give freebies to motivate the teams. The freebies must include outdoor activities, team bonding or building activities. The emphasis has to be on physical activities along with calming mindfulness. This will rejuvenate the team for the next challenge.
• A recognition in the form of an award and reward would also motivate the team. Awards can be published online with details of the contributions. Special attention has to be paid to precise words detailing the accomplishments.

Like crests and troughs of a wave, every one has a lean period, where they cool down and relax after completing a challenge. Becoming aware of your strengths and channelizing your energy lies at the heart of every performance.

I remember Henry ford’s quote “Coming together is the beginning. Keeping together is progress. Working together is Success”