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Leading High
Performing Teams

Word Count: 833

Character Width: 60


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"Leading High Performing Teams"

    - by Simon Hazeldine MSc BA (Hons) FInstSMM
 

(c) Simon Hazeldine. All Rights Reserved.


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HOW TO LEAD HIGH PERFORMING TEAMS


LEADING HIGH PERFORMING TEAMS
In the modern organisation the majority of people work in
teams. There are different types of teams that people will
work in including:

Natural Work Groups
This is people who work together every day: same office,
same location, same machine, and same process.

Business Teams
This is usually a cross-functional team that oversees a
specific product line or customer segment.

Project Teams
Again this is often a cross-functional team that forms to
run or complete a specific project.

Management Teams: Executive Teams
A group of managers who are peers and the person to whom
they usually report.  Not all teams actually work together.
For example a team of field based sales people will spend
much of their time working on their own and will only meet
together physically at events such as monthly sales meetings.

Management Teams: "Linchpin" Teams.
A cascading network of teams starting with the executive
team, in which each manager is a member of a team led by
his or her boss and leads a team consisting of his or her
direct subordinates.

Whatever the sort of team, it will need effective leadership.
Therefore to become an effective leader of teams you need
to understand:

1.    The characteristics of effective teams

2.    Where the particular team you are leading is in
    relation to these characteristics.

The ten characteristics of effective teams

1.    They share certain beliefs and values and a common
    objective. This means that they have a clearly
    defined vision.

2.    They enjoy working together and are energised by
    being part of the team

3.    There is a close attachment to the team with a
    shared sense of responsibility for the teams
    success/failure

4.    The members of the team trust each other

5.    The members of the team are mutually supportive

6.    There is open and honest communication and feedback
    within the team

7.    Achievements are recognised, contribution is
    appreciated and achievements are celebrated

8.    There is flexibility within the team with regards
    to procedures and ways of working

9.    The team understand and leverage individual
    strengths within the team and also accept
    individual shortcomings

10.     The team is able to work through any team problems
    that may occur

Where is your team?

•    Rate your team out of ten against each of the
    effective team characteristics.

•    What are the strengths you can build upon?

•    What are the areas of improvement that you as the
    leader need to take action upon?



Stages of team development

When teams form they go through various stages of
development. High performing teams do not appear out of
thin air. It takes time for them to develop.

As a leader it is useful to understand what these stages
are as your behaviour needs to be different at each stage.


Bruce Tuckman’s model of team development

Tuckman’s model contains four stages that a team goes
through. These are:

1.    A polite “forming” stage

2.    A chaotic “storming” stage

3.    A process orientated “norming” stage

4.    A collaborative “performing” stage


Performance varies at each stage. Indeed it dips during the
storming stage before beginning to rise during the norming
and performing stage.


Here are the key elements that characterise each stage:

1.    Forming

•    The mission and purpose of the team is defined

•    Members orientate themselves to the values, goals
    and procedures of the team

•    Team roles and expectations are clarified

•    Critical success factors and core competencies are 
    identified


2.    Storming

•    There may be tension, frustration and impatience
    being expressed

•    There may be misinterpretations regarding roles and
    expectations, mission, values, procedures and tasks

•    Team members will be establishing their “Turf”

•    Any problems within the team are usually
    suppressed

•    There may be resistance and a feeling that the team
    “Isn’t Working”


3.    Norming

•    Trust amongst the members of the team is built

•    Constructive disagreement within the team is
    encouraged

•    Feedback and disclosure improves

•    Shared team decisions and levels of empowerment
    increase

•    The team begins to take some risks


4.    Performing

•    There is shared accountability and responsibility
    within the team

•    There is striving for continuous improvement

•    Successes are celebrated

•    Commitments are reaffirmed and new goals established

•    There is genuine empowerment within the team


Once you understand these four stages of team development
you can make sure that you are operating effectively as the
leader at each of these four stages.

The group behavior at each stage will need a different type
of leadership behaviour:

 
By knowing what stage that the team you are leading is at
you can ensure you act appropriately and provide the
correct leadership to the team.

The ability to lead and build highly effective teams is a
vitally important skill for a leader to possess. 

Teams exist in most organizations – what is less common is
the existence of high performing teams.  It is the leader’s
responsibility to lead their team to high performance.