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7 Elements of a High Performing Team

1. Vision

“A vision is a picture of the future that produces passion in people.” – Bill Hybels

A company vision should have a clear, concise and compelling mission. It should be short and memorable so that everyone is able to recite it, even the janitor. A company needs to repeatedly remind the team of the vision. This helps bring alignment to all team members. If your company has a long, complicated and boring vision statement, consider rewriting it.

2. Complimentary Skills

Strong teams seek unity not uniformity. Everyone has skills but no one has all skills. Great teams are made up of members with complimentary skills. This minimizes individual weaknesses and maximizes individual strengths.

3. Authenticity

There should be a relaxed, informal atmosphere. Team members should be open and honest. They should admit mistakes, apologize without excuses and be unafraid to ask for help.

4. Constructive Conflict

The team should be intentional in soliciting differing opinions. The best decisions are made when all perspectives are considered. Meaningful debate about important issues should be a standardized practice in teams. Once a decision is made, each team member should carry it out as if it were their own decision.

5. Accountability

A chain is only as strong as it’s weakest link. One person can spoil the chemistry of a team. Team members need to hold each other accountable not just in the area of responsibilities but attitude. Talking poorly of the team or only looking out for oneself should not be tolerated.

6. Results

“However beautiful the strategy, you should occasionally look at the results.” – Winston Churchill

Teams should set measurable objectives or critical success factors by which they measure themselves. There should be consistent feedback on progress toward these goals.

7. Celebration

Outstanding performance should be recognized and rewarded. It is important to celebrate small improvements and milestones reached. This encourages the team to keep improving and moving forward.