As leaders we all aspire to build high-performing and successful teams. Having employees we can trust to execute on projects takes the weight off our shoulders and enables us to achieve outcomes that bring us closer to our company vision.
But what does it really take to build a successful team? Often it’s a lot easier said than done. The key is to look beyond just trying to find high-performing employees, but to instead embed values and behaviours into the organisation that create an environment where high-performance is purely part of the makeup and DNA of the organisation.
In this post we hone in on the five key dynamics that set successful teams apart from others.
1. Psychological Safety
Psychological safety is a fundamental component of a successful team. A psychologically safe environment means team members feel comfortable to take risks in the workplace, can speak their truth and are also able to be vulnerable in front of each other, without the fear of being judged by leaders or colleagues.
Developing an environment of psychological safety will enable your team to communicate more effectively and efficiently with one other. Often miscommunication occurs simply because employees are afraid of being judged or afraid of the consequences that might come with speaking the truth.
2. Dependability
The second key component of a successful team is dependability. Employees should be able to trust each other to get things done on time (without the need to micromanage) in order to meet the high bar of excellence your organisation sets itself.
Accountability is at the core of a dependable organisation. In order to build this culture of accountability and dependability, it’s absolutely critical that you ensure every single person understands where your organisation is going and what is expected of them on a daily basis.
3. Clarity & Structure
Clarity and structure will empower your team to perform at their best each and every day, which makes them vital elements in any high-performing team. Ask yourself: Does each member of your team have a clear understanding of how their role fits in the organisation? Are they aware of their individual KPIs and how they influence broader company success? The key to building a successful team is ensuring that every employee has clarity around what ‘good looks like’ and what they need to achieve each month.
4. Meaning & Purpose
A compelling purpose is one of the critical success factors for any company looking to build a high-performance team. It is a leader’s role to create and communicate a compelling vision and set of values for an organisation, inspire others to buy into the vision and ultimately lead their team by example. Most team members want to find meaning in the work they do every day, so make sure you are making it clear how the overall company purpose filters down into individual roles.
5. Impact
This brings us to the final key ingredient: impact. Very few people arrive at work in the morning wanting to do a poor job; the vast majority of employees genuinely want to make an impact in their function and to the overall success of the business.
It is your job as a manager to empower your teams with the tools and support they need to be able to do so. You also need to provide a framework and KPIs that allow individuals to see what impact they are having within the company.
For a quick summary of what we have covered in this post, check out this two minute video below—feel free to share this with colleagues or anyone you know who might get value from this.
