3 tips for leading a high-performance team

When it comes to teams, no manager sets out to lead an ineffective one. Indeed, the opposite is almost completely true. Leaders seek the development of teams that work well together, delivering effective solutions one after the other.

An issue management training providers seem to touch on is that many of the strategies employed by leaders in the field are not always effective. To help organisational leaders in their pursuit of high-performing teams, here are three tips you can use.

1. Measure performance properly

Creating a high-performance team involves a number of elements working together. From the effects of culture on team cohesion to the right mix of technical and soft-skilled employees, making sure all these elements harmonise is essential.

The cornerstone of this is the accurate measurement of team performance. The US Federal Aviation Administration’s Dr Allyn Hertzbach and Karen Lebing from the Office of Personnel Management argue that leaders need to measure team performance at both the individual and team levels.

At the individual level, employees can be measured on how they connect with other members through, for example, their participation in team meetings or conflict management skills. The measurement at a team level should focus on strategic KPIs, such as how the team interacts with other teams and departments.

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2. Structure can breed creativity

Finding the balance between freedom and structure is a complicated task. One of the biggest mistakes managers make is failing to provide structure.

Simply saying, “Our rule is that there are no rules” does not lead to high performance. In many cases, it can do the opposite. Ruleless environments can lead to workers waiting for others to act when something happens, creating a state of paralysis and dysfunction.

A charter is an excellent way to establish some key rules, the goals of the team and who shoulders what responsibility. Ensuring workers know what they need to do and when they need to do it can free up valuable deliberation time and help a team react quicker to customer needs.

3. Be selective

Leaders like individuals that fit into a team. Personality and aptitude tests act as filters, barring candidates that fail to meet the cultural requirements of the team. However, homogeneous teams tend to perform worse than those comprised of people with different backgrounds and experiences.

Homogeneous groups lack the friction needed to be productive. A team with a diversity of personality and function can help ensure a heterogeneous environment.

While these three tips can help you develop a high-performance team, it’s no substitute for the expert and comprehensive guidance of leadership training instructors.