How can you build high performing teams?

High performing teams are rarely a result of good luck, more often than not they have been built by a committed and skilled manager. You would be right in thinking that these secrets are really just common sense strategies, but how often does common sense fly out of the window when the pressure is on? Purpose. You will find successful teams work together for results. Does every member in your team know their role in the team? Expectations. Your team may know their role, but do they really know what you expect of them. As a leader only you can set the expectations for your team, make sure that there is complete clarity. Committed. Every member of the team needs to be committed to the team. A sense of belonging to the team is incredibly important. High performing teams work together. Do you have commitment from each team member to their role? Do you have commitment to the team goals? Without commitment, your team will not achieve its full potential. Supported. You team will need your support and they will reward it if they receive it. A priority should be finding out about the development needs of each member of your team. An unsupported team is like a table with no legs... rubbish. Know what good looks like. Inspire your team with a great example every day. If they dont know what good looks like, then they will never achieve it. So, where are you now? How good are you at this already? Spend the next few days thinking about each of these points when interacting with your team. At the end of the week, give yourself a score out of 10 on each section. Where do you and your team fall down? Take the time out to create an action plan to work on your weakest area the following week. Dont let yourself be put off if you dont see the results straight away. You need to think about where you have come from as well as where you are going. The longer a team has been underperforming the longer it will take them to learn to perform. Think about each individual member of your team, are they all developing or is development being held back by certain individuals? Do you think it is because they are struggling to achieve what you ask? Or are they just not trying to do it? If they are struggling then think about whether other team members can help you to support them. If a team member is failing through simple lack of effort, make sure you document all attempts to improve their behaviour.