To achieve business success, it is important to have a strong and efficient team in place. High-performance work teams can help organizations accelerate their growth and achieve their goals. However, developing and sustaining high-performance work teams can be challenging. In this blog post, we will provide tips and strategies for doing so. We will also discuss how HR strategies can play a role in sustaining high-performance work teams. Lastly, we will introduce Mantra Care EAP and explain how it can help sustain high-performance work teams.
Understanding High-performance Work Teams
High-performance work teams are groups of employees who work together to achieve common goals. These teams are characterized by their ability to work effectively and efficiently to produce superior results. This, in turn, leads to increased productivity and improved results.
Traits of a High-Performance Work Team
Several traits are common among high-performance work teams. These include:
- Commitment to excellence: High-performance work teams are committed to achieving excellence in all that they do. They set high standards for themselves and their teammates and strive to continually improve.
- Sense of urgency: High-performance work teams have a sense of urgency. They understand the importance of meeting deadlines and achieving results promptly.
- Focus on results: High-performance work teams are results-oriented. They are focused on achieving the goals that have been set forth and meeting or exceeding expectations.
- Positive attitude: High-performance work teams have a positive attitude. They are optimistic and believe in their ability to achieve success.
Developing a High-performance Work Team
The culture of an organization can play a role in the development and sustainment of high-performance work teams. A positive and supportive culture can help to foster trust and relationships among team members. It can also provide adequate resources and encourage open communication.
There are several things that you can do to create a culture for high-performance work teams. These include:
- Select the right people: When forming a high-performance work team, it is important to select the right people. This means choosing individuals who have the necessary skills and abilities to be successful. It is also important to choose individuals who are committed to excellence and share the same values.
- Set high standards: High-performance work teams are held to high standards. This means that they are expected to produce superior results. To ensure that your team meets these standards, it is important to set high standards for them. This will give them something to strive for and help them stay focused on their goals.
- Provide adequate resources: High-performance work teams need adequate resources to be successful. Make sure that your team has everything it needs to meet its goals. This includes things like adequate funding, the right tools and equipment, and access to necessary information.
- Encourage open communication: Open communication is essential for a high-performance work team. This allows for different ideas and perspectives to be shared. It also helps to build trust among team members.
- Create opportunities for team building: Finally, it is important to create opportunities for team building. This will help to foster relationships and build trust among team members. Team building activities can include things like group outings, social events, and off-site retreats.
Following these tips can develop and sustain a high-performance work team. Doing so will help to accelerate your organization and achieve superior results.
Tuckman’s Team Development Model
There are four stages in the development of high-performance work teams:
- Forming: This is the first stage during which the team members get to know each other and establish ground rules.
- Storming: This is the second stage which involves conflict and disagreement among team members.
- Norming: This is the third stage in which team members begin to work together and resolve conflicts.
- Performing: This is the fourth stage when finally the team members are working together effectively to achieve goals.
Sustaining a High-performance Work Team
Once you have developed a high-performance work team, it is important to sustain their performance over time. This can be challenging, as several factors can cause a decline in performance. These include:
- Complexity: As an organization grows and becomes more complex, it can be difficult to maintain high levels of performance. This is because there are more moving parts and greater potential for things to go wrong.
- Unclear goals and objectives: If the goals and objectives of the team are not clear, it can also lead to a decline in performance. This is because high-performance work teams need to have clear goals and objectives to succeed.
- Poor working conditions: Finally, poor working conditions can also lead to a decline in performance. This is because team members will not be able to work effectively if they are not comfortable or if they do not have the necessary resources.
- Communication issues: Poor communication can also lead to a decline in performance. When team members are not able to communicate effectively, it can cause misunderstandings and conflict.
How To Address Decline In High-performance
There are several ways that you can address these declines in high performance. These include:
- Providing clarity: One way to address a decline in performance is to provide clarity. This means making sure that team members are clear about their roles and responsibilities. It also involves setting clear goals and expectations.
- Ensuring adequate resources: Another way to address a decline in performance is to ensure that your team has adequate resources. This includes things like funding, tools, and equipment. It also involves making sure that team members have access to the necessary information.
- Improving communication: Another way to address a decline in performance is to improve communication. This means creating opportunities for team members to share ideas and perspectives. It also involves constructively resolving conflict.
- Building relationships: Finally, another way to address a decline in performance is to build relationships. This means creating opportunities for team building. This can help to foster trust and collaboration among team members.
HR Strategies To Sustain High-performance
There are several HR strategies that you can use to sustain high performance. For instance:
- Integrating performance management: Performance management is a process that is used to assess and improve employee performance. This can involve setting goals, providing feedback, and conducting performance reviews.
- Providing training and development opportunities: Training and development help employees acquire the skills and knowledge that they need to be successful in their roles. This can involve things like job-specific training, mentorship programs, and continuing education.
- Promoting open communication: High-performance work teams rely on open communication. Encourage team members to openly share their ideas and concerns. This will help to ensure that everyone is on the same page and that problems are quickly identified and addressed.
- Encouraging employee involvement: Employee involvement is essential for high-performance work teams. Encourage team members to participate in decision-making and problem-solving. This will help to ensure that everyone feels invested in the team’s success.
- Fostering a collaborative environment: A collaborative environment is essential for high-performance work teams. Encourage team members to work together and help each other out. This will help to create a sense of camaraderie and increase the team’s overall effectiveness.
- Recognizing and rewarding high performers: Recognizing and rewarding high performers is a great way to motivate employees and sustain high performance. You can ensure this through things like bonuses, promotions, and public recognition. In turn, they can help to attract and retain talented employees.
- Encouraging a healthy work-life balance: A healthy work-life balance is important for sustaining high performance. When employees can maintain a healthy balance, they are more likely to be productive and engaged in their work.
Discussing High-performance Work Teams’ Robbins And Judge Model
The Robbins and Judge model is a framework that can be used for developing and sustaining high-performance work teams. This model consists of four essential elements:
- Ensuring clarity of purpose: The first step in the Robbins and Judge model is ensuring clarity of purpose. This means that team members must understand the goals of the team and their role in achieving those goals. Without clarity of purpose, it will be difficult for team members to remain focused and motivated.
- Creating a positive climate: The second step in the Robbins and Judge model is creating a positive climate. This means that team members must feel comfortable working together and trust one another. You can create a positive climate by promoting open communication, mutual respect, and collaboration.
- Encouraging effective decision making: The third step in the Robbins and Judge model is encouraging effective decision making. This means that team members must exercise the opportunity to share their ideas and contribute to the decision-making process. Thus, effective decision-making will help to ensure that the team meets its goals in a timely and efficient manner.
- Monitoring and evaluating performance: The fourth and final step in the Robbins and Judge model is monitoring and evaluating performance. This means that team members should be held accountable for their actions and their results. Moreover, monitoring and evaluating performance will help to identify areas where improvement is needed.
A Word From MantraCare Wellness
Employee wellness programs are the key to improving employee motivation, productivity, and retention. At MantraCare Wellness, we have a team of health experts, counselors, and coaches who serve corporate employees with 10+ wellbeing programs including EAP, Employee Diabetes Reversal, Corporate MSK, PCOS, Employee Fitness, Corporate Yoga, Employee meditation, and Employee Smoking Cessation.
