Development of High Performance Teams
What is it?
A High Performance Team is one where all players are aligned with the goals of the organization, with all rowing in the same direction, and where they are committed to extraordinary results.
The members are focused on the team “winning” above their individual interests eliminating silos and focused in working cooperatively. The team works like a well oiled gear, where all the pieces communicate. All the members take ownership of decision-making and establish working protocols that help them work efficiently and effectively. The team learns to have direct communication and constant feedback.
How does it work?
Through our model, the team works to define objectives, roles, responsibilities, interdependencies, protocols and definition of success. The team questions itself:
- Do we have a common goal?
- What is the vision of our team?
- What is the team accountable for and how will we measure success?
- What is each member team accountable for and how will they measure success?
- How will the team be recognized when it is successful?
- What are the Interdependencies between each of the members?
- What are the working and decision-making protocols?
- How will the communication between the team members be?
- How will the team handle the conflict?
- How will feedback be provided and open and direct communication?
The Phases of the Process:
Phase 1
- Diagnostic and Design
- “Looking at the Mirror”
- Measure the stage of development the team
- On line assessment and personal interviews of members
Phase 2
- Alignment
- “Agreeing”
- Team Vision
- Common Strategies, goals and team priorities
- Clear individual objectives and how they are related to the team objective
- Definition of Roles, Responsibilities and Interdependencies
- Clear roles and handouts between “players”
- Being accountable for both individual and team results
- Everyone on the business team knows that winning involves effectively playing and covering every position
- Established Processes
- Ground rules and protocols in place for team behavior in areas such as conflict resolution, decision making, meetings and day-to-day communication
- Team members hold each other accountable for playing by the ground rules
- Effective Communication and Relationships
- Individual business relationships are built on open, honest discussion and on respectful, but assertive confrontations when conflicts occur
- Conflicts are pushed to resolution because team members know that lack of closure – even between two people – holds back the entire team
- Management of Effective Meetings
Phase 3
- Maintenance and Adjustments
- “Continuous improvement”
- Periodic Auto-evaluation of the team´s development
- Every 3 months the team is re-aligned and progress is measured
- Review of compliance with the agreed Protocols
- New skills are taught
Benefits:
- The team becomes a self-directed team
- Clear objectives. The team works together in the same direction
- Increase on the engagement of the team and work climate
- The team works in alignment with the organization’s vision, mission and strategies
- Increases cooperation and teamwork
- Creates a climate of cooperation and trust between the members
- Learn to communicate directly through the learning of feedback models
- Learn to manage and positively handle the conflict
- Increase the motivation and creativity of team members
- Hold effective Meetings
- Agility
- Increase the effectiveness and efficiency of the team
- Increase performance and quality of work
- Best use of resources