Key questions to establish high performing teams

This article is the first in a series about developing high performing teams. It covers assessing the current state of your team and suggests you start by asking a series of questions. The following issues of Show Case will cover implementing changes to improve team performance and sustaining the culture of a high performing team.

This article is the first in a series about developing high performing teams. It covers assessing the current state of your team and suggests you start by asking a series of questions. The following issues of Show Case will cover implementing changes to improve team performance and sustaining the culture of a high performing team.

Attributes
What do you need from your team to be successful in terms of:
Attitudes - Culture - Work styles - Skills

Assessment

Be reflective and honest with yourself and appraise your strengths and weaknesses as a team leader. Get feedback from your peers, direct reports and manager. Ask the question ‘Am I a leader worth following’?

• Do I inspire and motivate people modelling the behaviour, values and attitudes I expect of my team?
• Do I engage the team in setting a common vision and clear goals?
• Am I approachable and accessible to my team?
• Do I acknowledge our success as a team and share ownership when the team stumbles?
• Do I encourage others within the team to take a leadership role?
• Do I effectively manage issues and potential disablers to the team’s success?
• Do I provide an effective interface with the rest of the organisation and ensure our team is well informed?
• Do I touch base regularly with the team and the individuals to discuss progress, give feedback and provide support?
• Do I have a plan in place to develop the team and build on the strengths of the team and individuals?
• Do I give the team space to make judgements, take the initiative and be self directing?
• Have I developed a culture that people want to join and promulgate?

Assess the team

• What are the strengths of the team as a team and as individuals?
• What are the weaknesses of the team as a team and as individuals?
• What functions and roles does the team have – are there any key roles of functions missing or over-subscribed?
• What are the skills and knowledge that should be shared with other team members?
• What skills and knowledge deficits are apparent?
• What are the behaviours, values and attitudes that support the team and need to be reinforced?
• What are the behaviours, values and attitudes that disable the team and need to be addressed?
• What is the level of team and self awareness of their strengths, weaknesses and performance?

Identify

• those who will embrace change
• the formal and informal leaders
• those who drain the life force of the team

For further information on this article, contact Marg Roberts, marg@probity.co.nz, 027 476 4148.