Every company we work with have one common goal: developing high-performing teams.
Having a great product or service is vital; however, your growth will ultimately be related to the quality of the people you employ, which is why we felt this was a topic of real interest.
As the old saying goes, you are ultimately only as good as your weakest link!
We work with organisations of every shape and size in the commercial sector, from large global corporates to smaller family run SMEs.
In this post, we share our observations from the many clients we have worked with over the last 30years, on the principles they use to build high performing teams in their organisations.
Here are some of the key ones:
Have A Vision and Goal
Though you might have read this many times before, having an inspirational vision and goal will drive behaviour and enthusiasm within your team.
Your employees want to know what they need to do and what is expected of them and want to work towards something aspirational.
Contrary to what many people might think, human beings are all success seeking creatures and competition and the drive to do well is part of our make up. Though you will have an organisational goal and vision, leaders who break this down for their team into what they can deliver as a unit generally achieve more.
It’s great to know that your company want’s to hit a revenue goal of x million this year, and if you are Jane or John on the BD team; how does that translate for you? What do you need to do to deliver in your specific region?
Hire Great Leaders and Develop Them
One of the most common reasons people leave organisations is because of the relationship with their manager. We covered this in depth here. In addition, high performing teams will always have a focused and inspirational manager at the helm.
Leaders in high-performance teams know how to create energy and enthusiasm in their team. A happy, upbeat group will always achieve more.
Depending on the team in question you might recruit internally or look outside for someone with a track record and expertise in your particular commercial field. Once you have hired or promoted a great leader, it’s time to give them all the help you can to enable them to perform.
Rarely is every leader the ‘finished’ article. Individuals with a growth mindset who are encouraged to learn and do more will add to the bottom line of every organisation.
In a previous post, we talked about using induction and onboarding plans to ensure focus and development. Fact: An onboarding plan is essential for your leaders too. Make sure that this induction plan has the detail of the development opportunities and training you will give to support them in their role.
Communicate.. Communicate.. Communicate
So often in organisations, issues and problems occur due to a lack of communication. High performing teams communicate well. They understand that all the team members are different with unique styles and ways of ‘doing’ things.
Though Andrew might be Mr ‘detail head’, he is valued in the team by Martina and Jason who need the data he provides. High performing teams respect one another and the value that each of them brings to the table.
Attract And Hire New Talent
As we alluded to at the start of this post, it's essential to hire the ‘right’ talent into a high performing team if you want to build exceptional results. The key skills being to get the right people on the bus and the wrong people off us as you set off on your corporate journey.
Many lessons from the sporting world demonstrate that hiring individuals with specific skills and expertise can be the catalyst for high performance. If you would like help with this aspect of your recruitment our new engage product is explicitly designed for this.
Set Up A Coaching Culture
Coaching is the way to develop and encourage people who are doing well, whilst giving developmental feedback to individuals whose their performance needs to improve.
Teams need to know how they are doing to stay motivated and to correct performance problems.
Create a performance system, so that team members receive ongoing feedback while performing in their roles.
Celebrate Success
All too often organisational culture can miss this vital piece of the puzzle. This could range from a simple ‘thank you’ or ‘well done’ to arranging awards, gifts or bonuses to recognise effort and successful results.
Choose the most appropriate way, that you know your team will appreciate.
What Next?
Why not check out our related post on the subject; How to retain & maximise Your Top Performers.
Review where your organisation/team are when it comes to the process of building high performance within your team. You might have a goal or vision, though now realise your leaders need development, or you need new team members with additional skills.
At Lucy Walker Recruitment, we have had extensive experience in helping our clients build high performing teams throughout the North of England over the last 30 years. Why not call us on 0113 367 2880, alternatively drop us an email here or check out our Testimonials and Case Studies.
