For most leaders, no matter the function or the department, a huge key objective is to build and support a high-performing team.
As leaders, we envision effective collaboration, agile response to challenges and exceeding expectations.
But then, day-to-day, many leaders end up dealing with the reality of escalating personality conflicts, disgruntled team members and invisible power struggles that seem never ending—not to mention trying to get a talented top performer to play nicely with others!
Building a high-performing team requires leaders to encourage specific habits and characteristics so that their team members can work well together, meet their individual goals and get results for the organization.
Drawing on research presented in the Forbes article, “14 Characteristics of High-Performing Teams” and Dr. Christian Poensgen’s, “5 Signs of a High-Performing Team,” as well as our own extensive experience helping leadership teams to become cohesive and high-performing, here are the characteristics that indicate a high-performing team—and what steps to take if your team isn’t there yet.
1. Clear objectives and shared vision
What to look for:
Can every team member state the team’s purpose?
Are folks on the team able to articulate the team goals (for the team they are on, not the team they are leading)?
Do they know how what they do connects to the bigger picture?
What to fix:
If the folks on your team aren’t able to summarize priorities or goals in a few sentences (it shouldn’t be a struggle to articulate them), it’s time for a reset.
First, talk about vision and values because a shared vision is foundational to a high-performing team. As people see the good that comes from having an aligned vision and values, a strong and successful organizational culture develops.
Clarify and set goals for your team, establish how success will be measured and define roles. Too often in organizations, we ask for leadership teams to break down silos and achieve shared goals, yet we continue to compensate and reward them for the work of the department under them—reinforcing the silos.
It’s also important to help everyone understand how their roles connect to the organizational purpose (because creating a purpose-driven workplace improves employee engagement and drives success).
2. Open communication
What to look for:
Does information flow freely or do people sit in silence?
Are progress updates shared regularly and honestly?
Do team members raise problems or concerns early, or hide them?
Are folks able to be candid with each other, even if the topic is tough or contentious?
Is there healthy conflict around ideas or unhealthy conflict around personalities?
Do you see signs of destructive behaviours that make healthy communication challenging? This would include things like, “the meeting after the meeting,” or criticizing someone’s decision even after the team agreed to it—or thinking “that decision doesn’t apply to me (or my department).”
Can team members speak to each other (listening to understand, not to respond), or do they hide behind email?
What to fix:
Make space for everyone on the team to share ideas, concerns and feedback in ways that suit their individual personality styles. What do you see with team communication rhythms? Effective communication team dynamics allow the quieter and the louder personalities to be heard. Demonstrate how to discuss difficult topics at team meetings.
3. Trust and psychological safety
What to look for:
Consider the folks on your team. Do they trust each other? How do you know?
Will team members admit mistakes?
Do they ask for help readily if they need it?
When people share feedback, is it an opportunity to learn or to lay blame?
What to fix:
If team members are avoiding difficult conversations (or don’t deal with them in healthy ways), there’s likely a trust gap.
Building trust is essential to healthy communication, but your team needs to move beyond predictive trust (expecting each other to follow norms and laws) to vulnerability-based trust (the belief that they can raise concerns, have disagreements, ask for help, admit mistakes and hold others accountable without fear of retaliation, humiliation or resentment).
Leaders can build trust in small moments, such as noticing effort, sharing credit and staying true to their word. When leaders can handle criticism and have the courage to make mistakes (and learn from them), their actions set the tone for everyone on the team.
There are also strategies for creating psychological safety on your team, which means that folks feel safe and engaged at work (moving from feeling included, to feeling safe to learn, to feeling safe to contribute and then to feeling safe to challenge the status quo). Think of it as moving from basic inclusion to courageous innovation.
Pro tip: At Padraig, we recommend Patrick Lencioni’s, The Five Dysfunctions of a Team to learn about trust; we incorporate his leadership model into our Five Behaviours of a Cohesive Team leadership program.
4. Recognition and accountability
What to look for:
How frequently are successes celebrated? Who initiates celebrating them?
Are team and individual achievements recognized?
Are project deadlines missed? Are there signs of overwhelm?
Does everyone take ownership of outcomes? Or do they focus only on their own tasks?
Are people supportive and happy for others when they succeed?
Is there a culture of accountability and high standards?
What to fix:
It’s important to remember that team accountability isn’t about blame; it’s about trust. Leaders who can create a workplace where shared ownership is the norm—where everyone understands their responsibilities—will build clarity and strengthen connections on the team. Clarify roles with a framework like the RACSI index; ensure that each decision has one decision-maker.
Balance accountability with recognition of achievements. Remember the old saying to praise in public and criticize in private? Do that. Celebrate wins with individuals and teams, understanding that some personalities like a quiet “way to go” rather than kudos in front of everyone. When someone misses a deadline, address it promptly and in private. This way, you’ll create a high-performing team that will seek feedback and not fear it.
Celebrate wins—everything from small wins, big successes and milestones—one-to-one and as a team. Make honouring effort a habitual part of your culture, especially when it ties into the organization’s values.
5. Productive meetings with purpose
What to look for:
Are meetings purposeful, with a single decision-maker identified for each decision that is needed?Are the decisions being made and documented clearly?
Are they concise?
Do people share authentically and respectfully?
Is silence agreement or hesitation?
What to fix:
Get everyone engaged with meaningful meeting agendas that stay on time and result in documented decisions and action items. No one should leave a meeting wondering what the point was. Even online meetings should be focused and involve everyone required to attend. Model that sharing challenges or dissent candidly is safe. Ensure that folks leave knowing what the action items are, as well as who is responsible and who is accountable.
6. Diversity and resilience
What to look for:
Do members of your team have different skills, backgrounds and perspectives?
Do they struggle with sameness of thought?
Are differences viewed as a strength?
How do they handle change?
Do they recover from setbacks quickly?
What to fix:
Intentionally create an inclusive workplace with talent drawn from diverse backgrounds. Encourage folks to speak up when they have ideas to contribute.
Assist your team members with building resilience, so that they’re ready to handle change and treat challenges as opportunities to learn and grow. It’s also important for leaders to build capacity so that they are ready to help their teams thrive under pressure.
Coach’s Questions
Which of the characteristics of a high-performing team do you see most clearly among your team members? What is a specific action you can take this week to strengthen one of these characteristics on your team? How are you intentionally shaping a culture of trust, effective communication and accountability on your team?
