8 Principles for Building High-Performing Teams
As a former college and high school basketball coach, one of the things that I am passionate about is building high-performing teams. This is something that I often think about and ask myself questions such as:
How can I get this group of individuals to come together and perform at their best?
How can I get them to buy into what we are doing?
How can I get them to care about each other and want each other to succeed?
Fortunately, certain principles allow you to create a cohesive and high-performing team. Here are my top eight principles:
Gain clarity - The two key areas you need clarity on are your values and vision. Your core values are what you stand for and these need to influence people’s attitudes, behaviors, and decision-making. The vision provides a clear direction as well as something to strive for.
Get the right people on board - You need to make sure there is alignment with the people that you are bringing in with the values and culture of your team. This is an essential element in team building!
Build strong relationships - Relationships are the foundation of your team. You need to make sure as the leader you are investing time to build relationships based on trust and respect. You also want to provide your team members with opportunities to form relationships with each other.
Communicate consistently - Create a culture where communication is open, honest, and transparent. Prioritize the importance of positive and constructive feedback.
Be clear on your standards - As a team, it is important to have high standards and to make sure that these are communicated.
Embrace accountability - Standards only matter if there is accountability when they are not met. Decide on how you will handle accountability in a healthy and productive way.
Manage challenges - On any team, there are going to be setbacks and challenges. This may be an interpersonal conflict, a failed project, a change in the market, etc. If these challenges are handled well it can bring the team closer together.
Encourage growth - Work to develop a growth mindset within your team. To do this you can encourage people to take chances and to view mistakes as opportunities. You can also provide team members with opportunities for personal and professional growth.
It is important to keep in mind that team chemistry and performance are dynamic. Just because your team is cohesive right now doesn’t mean that it will be a month from now. This is why it is important to not get complacent. Instead, it is about consistently applying these eight strategies while taking stock of how your team is performing. When you do this, then you are setting yourself up for success!
