Building a high performance team

Building a high performance team? Teams work through a process of establishing relationships. This is what creates the difference between a great team and a great one. Effective leaders set the tone for how the team communicates and grows together. As such, it is necessary to know the steps in building high performance teams.

It is important to start with an effective leader who realizes the importance of building strong relationships with his or her team. This leader builds trust, involvement, and confidence within the team. There must also be clear expectations and goals for the team to understand what they are working towards. In addition, it is essential to have clear boundaries. When boundaries are set, team members know they will be accountable for their actions and what they do will affect the entire team. For an effective leader, it is vital to have an open and honest line of communication.

Good leaders take an honest approach to assessing the strengths and weaknesses of the members in the team. They seek to identify where the team can grow and develop new, higher quality skills. With this assessment, the leaders then set the expectations for the team so that they can work towards success. The first step is recognizing the individual strengths and weaknesses of each team member.

Communication is critical to the team's success. When the team has a strong, steady, and honest leader, communication will flow easily. However, many leaders communicate too much or incorrectly. There must be a good balance between communication and keeping people informed, yet it must also be clear where the leader stands in terms of communication.

Once the team has a solid foundation of strong team members, each member must know their own contribution to the success of the team. They can't be self-doubting or doubt themselves. Everyone must understand their role, their place on the team, and what is expected of them.

Another important factor to consider when it comes to building high performance teams is the recognition of individual effort. A team that doesn't recognize the efforts of other team members is one that will only suffer from inefficiency and lack of direction. Recognition is a powerful motivator and can help boost confidence and group motivation. When teams are successful, they have one goal in common: victory. Each member of the team should recognize another's efforts and those of others in the team for success. Every member of the team should be complimented, shown appreciation, and rewarded for their contributions.

To move from being merely acquaintances to a team of true friends, team members must learn to communicate with each other openly and honestly. Mistakes should be discussed, forgiven, and apologies should be offered. Communication helps keep the team members motivated to achieve success. Team members must feel like they share in the decisions of the team and are involved in the larger goals. They must feel as though they are all on the same page.

One of the keys to what are the step by step steps in building high performance teams is for leaders to be willing to take risks, to take a chance, and to be bold. Leadership should not be about second guessing or afraid to act. Leadership should be confident yet supportive. By taking a risk, a leader can start off on the right foot and build a stronger and more effective high performance team.

Another key part of what are the steps in building a team is for the team members to understand who is leading the team, what are their expectations, when will those expectations to be met, when those expectations will be surpassed, and how each member is expected to meet those expectations. The team should be made aware that the leader is the person who makes the decisions and the team work together to reach those decisions. Leaders should communicate the team's goals explicitly and provide a plan for reaching them.

The final steps in building a high performance team are for individuals to begin to identify and use their special skills to contribute to the team. These individuals may be managers, coaches, or mentors. Any individual who has a special talent that can be used to enhance the team should be encouraged to participate and become an active part of the team. When people feel they are making a difference and that they are valued, they want to be a part of the team. This is one of the steps in building a high performance team where the people know they will be valued and will be helped to reach their goals.

All the steps in building a high performance team should be made clear to the team before they begin work. There is no room for interpretation or hidden agendas in an action plan. When the steps in building a high performance team are made clear, the team members know what they need to do and what needs to be done and when, and the team has a clear road map to achieving its goals.