The team is emerging as the primary unit of performance. That is where the magic happens.
While it is obvious that teams always outperform individuals, it is not so obvious how to realize the full performance potential of the team.
There are two sides to that coin.
What we do as a team
A team becomes a high-performing team by creating clarity, meaning, intentionality, and accountability as a collective. They know which direction they are heading and collectively possess, or know how to attain, the capabilities to reach their destination.
- Team members know the common goals and why these goals are important to achieve.
- They are clear about their individual roles and bring their expertise, experiences and capabilities to the team.
- They are aligned on the rules and the processes and know how to work together.
- They act with accountability to deliver what they are expected to deliver in time and with quality, individually and collectively.
They know what to do as they embark onto the team journey.
Is this enough to become a high-performing team?
Who we are as a team
The journey the team embarks on is not always easy. After you form as a team, you storm… before you norm and perform. All along the journey, the effectiveness of the team is tested through complexity, ambiguity, pressure, change and many unexpected developments. These are the moments when the “personality of the team” starts to shine through.
How much do they trust each other? How much risk to they take? Do they listen to understand? Can they say what they have in their minds, and in their hearts?
How much do they care about each other? Do they give honest feedback and receive it too? Can they ask for help in time and offer help with respect? Do they co-create when it is meaningful, delegate when necessary?
Do they rotate, support, step in for each other? How do they debate, disagree and resolve conflicts?
Can they adapt? Do they learn from each other? Do they grow together? How do they celebrate success, and failure?
Do they have fun together?
Does a team have a personality? Yes, it does.
And we call it team spirit!
Team spirit and psychological safety are the two universal conditions of high-performing teams, in addition to everything else teams need to do. This is about what the teams need to be. This is how engagement happens, and how teams realize their full performance potential. Without team spirit and psychological safety, you cannot have real trust, commitment, accountability, you cannot productively manage conflict and you cannot reach the results you are aiming for.
Who are you as a team?
Think where your team is on the spectrum of each of the following traits. Where you want them to be?
Self-awareness. Curiosity. Courage. Persistence. Empathy. Honesty. Open-mindedness. Humility. Tolerance for ambiguity. Flexibility. Adaptability. Continuous learning. Trust. Authenticity.
Let’s be that team!