13 Characteristics of High-Performing Teams

High-performing teams sounds exactly like what every organisation wants but it’s not as simple as just hiring top talent and expecting them to thrive – you have to be intentional about how your teams are characterised.

What is a High-Performing Team?

A high-performing team is a group of employees who excel in working together towards a common goal. They are notable for the consistency of their results and the ways that they make use of individual skills as well as the power of a united front. They tend to be found in organisations already committed to high-performance work.

Why Are High-Performing Teams Important?

Generally, high-performing teams are happier and more motivated than others. They trust in each other and can focus on creativity and innovation, rather than on simply getting the job done. They also tend to be more focused and productive. According to research from McKinsey, executives are five times more productive when they’re working in a high-performing team than they are in an average one.

Characteristics of a High-Performing Team

While an exceptional team tends to be made up of high-performing individuals, there are a few crucial characteristics needed to make a team greater than the sum of its parts. These include:

1. Trusting

Trust is the foundation for any team. The stronger the feelings of trust both within the team and between team members and leaders, the stronger a team is likely to be. A trusting environment is one where people feel able to take risks, innovate and invest in ideas.

2. Open to growth

A willingness to learn and be open to new challenges and opportunities is one of the defining characteristics of a high-performing team. Learning new skills can mean pushing yourself and failing along the way, so any team that’s open to growth is likely to succeed.

3. Team-first

If you can create a culture where your employees feel supported and part of a community, you’re much more likely to see them become part of a high-performing team. Communication, collaboration and team spirit are all essential – and that means encouraging individuals to feel like an important part of the whole as you build a high-performance culture.

4. Diverse

A team that’s able to thrive and adapt is diverse in its makeup. A high-performing team draws on a variety of strengths, perspectives and ideas and that means it’s made up of a lot of different people, personalities and backgrounds. This is just one of the big benefits of having a diverse and inclusive workplace.

5. Clear

No team can thrive when people are talking at cross-purposes. Clear communication is essential when you want to build a high-performing team, it saves a tonne of time, reduces the potential for hurt feelings and misunderstandings and saves you from the other problems caused by poor communication in the workplace.

6. Effective

If there’s one thing that’s sure to hold potentially great teams back, it’s inefficient and outdated processes. Being buried under paperwork or pulled back into the same tedious routines over and over again can sap energy and enthusiasm, stopping teams from performing at their peak.

7. Experimental

Along the same lines, there’s also a great benefit to encouraging an experimental mindset. This doesn’t mean making changes for no good reason, but it does mean being open to trying new things and finding out whether they’re worth implementing for your team and your business.

8. Purpose-led

To have a high-performing team, rather than a series of individuals capable of high performance, you need to have clear shared goals and a purpose. These can, and should, change with time, but they always need to be considered shared and consolidated through frequent check-ins and communications.

9. Coherent

It’s easier for a team to perform well when everyone is on a similar page when it comes to values. When your team values are aligned with the core values of your businesses and you’re considering everyone’s personal values too, people are much more inclined to pull together and exceed expectations.

10. Connected

Whether it’s online or in-person, opportunities to connect 1-1 as well as part of the greater team make a huge difference. Alex Pentland, writing for the Harvard Business Review, found that 35% of the variation in a team’s performance could be accounted for by the number of face-to-face exchanges among team members.

11. Measured

It’s much easier to see what processes or projects are making a difference when you know how to measure the outcomes. A high-performing team is often both dynamic and agile, but that doesn’t mean you should skip out on keeping track of the data. Clear outcomes can be a huge motivator, so it’s very important to track them.

12. Collaborative

Knowing when and how to share tasks with the rest of the team is a key skill and one that can pay dividends. A survey from TeamStage found that 75% of staff say teamwork and collaboration are crucial to corporate success, so the more frequently you can encourage working together and sharing both problems and success, the better.

13. Appreciated

For a team to stay engaged, excited and performing to the peak of its abilities, it has to know that it’s appreciated. A rewards and recognition platform that frequently celebrates successes of all shapes and sizes can play a crucial role in the development of high-performing teams.

Ready to try and master the habits of a high-performing team? It’s likely to take a fairly hefty investment, but the results are more than worth it.

Mo Helps You Build High-Performing Teams

Mo is a culture and engagement platform that uses data insights to drive real improvement in engagement scores while reducing staff turnover. We strategically help people teams create great places to work through continuous, positive action.

If you’re looking for ways to take action on measuring employee engagement, learn more about how to shift the dial at the manager level and transform insights into action. To find out if you’re eligible for our money-back guarantee, book a demo with our team.

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