Human Insight

The power of High Performing Teams

How do you manage a high performing team?

Several elements are needed to function well as a team. Those who understand the characteristics and practices shared by successful teams can eventually apply these principles to their own teams. Among other things, a strong team culture, effective communication and the continuous development and support of team members are prerequisites for ‘high performing teams’, in other words: teams that perform at top level.

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Understanding high-performing teams

It is important to first define what a high-performing team is and what its added value is. Therefore, discuss what approach is common in high-performing teams and examine how different successful organisations approach it. Don’t forget to look at the degree of cognitive diversity within teams, as a high degree of cognitive diversity facilitates a generative environment.

Characteristics of a High Performance Team

  • Team culture
    Team culture contributes to team performance. There are several elements that have a positive impact on team culture, such as: trust, psychological safety, respect and responsibility. Open communication, team building activities and recognising and rewarding team members are key strategies to create and maintain a strong team culture.
  • Effective communication and collaboration Regular team meetings, clear roles and responsibilities and the use of technology to facilitate communication contribute to good communication and cooperation. It is important to overcome potential problems in this area, such as language barriers and remote teams, with the right approach. As teams become more aware of certain interaction patterns, it also becomes easier for leaders to create an environment in which others can also lead well.
  • Developing and supporting team members A high-performing team consists of team members who take responsibility for their own development and seize growth opportunities. Team members are supported in this through regular feedback, mentoring and opportunities for training and professional development, among other things.

Natural contributions

The natural contributions of team members, affect the execution of the strategy and its performance areas.

Problem solving

Cognitively diverse teams solve complex problems faster. How they do this is indicative of their role within a team.

Dominant coalitions

These coalitions influence group thinking, team performance and overall behaviour within teams.

Autonomous teams

Through better understanding and alignment within your organisation, autonomous and profitable teams can emerge and take shape.

How do you create a high performance team?

Teams that perform well often possess a degree of autonomy. They know what to expect from each other, what goals have been set and how to achieve them. In short: the right people are in the right place. These points alone, will not ensure long-term performance. It is a start.

After the right people are in the right place, you as a leader must continue to encourage their development and steer them towards self-management and performance. Managing and maintaining team dynamics within High Performing Teams requires a lot of time and attention. Human Insight has the tools to support you in this.

Characteristics of a High Performance Team

1. The right people in the right place

By doing a team scan, you will find out, among other things, whether the people in your team are doing what they say they are doing and also what energises them.

This will help you get people in the right place within the right phase of growth.

2. Drive behaviour

Behaviours that get in the way of implementing the strategy should be eliminated, behaviours that contribute to it strengthened.

Ensure good team dynamics and a high level of psychological safety.

3. Quality of Interaction

Encourage interactions and see where they break down within teams. By solving these problems, people can work together more efficiently.

Motivate people to be honest and give and receive feedback from team members.

4. Effective leadership

Managing High Performing Teams correctly requires a flexible form of leadership. You can adjust when needed, encourage talent and creativity.

It is also important that you know how to monitor structures and motivate the team.

High performing team take-aways

How do you manage a high performing team?

Building a high-performing team takes time and effort, but by understanding how successful teams work, steps can be taken towards creating a team that achieves exceptional results.

Here, creating a strong team culture, effective communication and collaboration are key features.

Remember that both support and development of team members is essential, but so is the way it is managed and what form of leadership is involved.

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Creating top-performing teams, optimising dynamics and working on optimal collaborations? We support you in building and managing High Performing Teams.

We do this by combining years of research into well-functioning teams with strategic tools. Do you want to work on improving performance within your team?

Discuss your organisation’s complex challenges, contact us via the contact form or call +31 (0)85 8229827.

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