Comments on: What does a high performance team look like? http://dharmaconsulting.com/what-does-a-high-performance-team-look-like Sat, 21 Aug 2010 22:59:47 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Peter Bradford http://dharmaconsulting.com/what-does-a-high-performance-team-look-like/comment-page-1#comment-682 Peter Bradford Mon, 06 Jul 2009 15:43:21 +0000 http://dharmaconsulting.com/?p=906#comment-682 For me, a "high performance team" is one where every individual is empowered to make decisions and take action in ways that benefit both the team and themselves. A high performance team leader often acts as part facilitator, like a switch in an electrical circuit, to help connect the energy of team members with the purpose of their common goal. Along the same lines, organizational and personal "impedance", which can result from self-serving leadership, opaque or ad hoc processes, and a variety of other maladies, keep a high-performance team from reaching their potential. In a way, as described in some refrains of Daniel Gilbert's "Stubling on Happiness", most probably can't comprehend the value of self-actualizing on an individual or organizational/team level. I think this is certainly true of internal reward systems which tend to favor prior models and narrow definitions of success. I would suspect for individual's that truly appreciate the experience of the high-performance team, the engagement, drive, and movement compels them to a great degree. But I do think there has to be some collective recognition to help put the hard work of teaming on challenging tasks in perspective. Probably the best way to repeat success and recreate high-performance is to inject a critical mass of individuals (2-3 on a 6-8 person team) with prior experience and expectations. If there is sufficient collaboration and sharing of norms, I believe the team can collectively achieve higher order goals. Interestingly, productivity numbers have gone up in the US as one might expect with the initial "thinning of the herd." I tend to believe that free market forces help facilitate people to think deeply and make choices about what their vocations really are vs. what they've been earning a paycheck doing. That can be good for everyone -- to a point. Businesses and organizations are also similarly forced to question work they're doing which has been perpetuated without deep consideration for the value it provides their constituencies. Remaining teams don't become "high performing" because they are the one's left doing the work, but I suspect through a more conscious and difficult process of self awareness, examination, and continual re-evaluation. For me, a “high performance team” is one where every individual is empowered to make decisions and take action in ways that benefit both the team and themselves. A high performance team leader often acts as part facilitator, like a switch in an electrical circuit, to help connect the energy of team members with the purpose of their common goal. Along the same lines, organizational and personal “impedance”, which can result from self-serving leadership, opaque or ad hoc processes, and a variety of other maladies, keep a high-performance team from reaching their potential. In a way, as described in some refrains of Daniel Gilbert’s “Stubling on Happiness”, most probably can’t comprehend the value of self-actualizing on an individual or organizational/team level. I think this is certainly true of internal reward systems which tend to favor prior models and narrow definitions of success. I would suspect for individual’s that truly appreciate the experience of the high-performance team, the engagement, drive, and movement compels them to a great degree. But I do think there has to be some collective recognition to help put the hard work of teaming on challenging tasks in perspective.

Probably the best way to repeat success and recreate high-performance is to inject a critical mass of individuals (2-3 on a 6-8 person team) with prior experience and expectations. If there is sufficient collaboration and sharing of norms, I believe the team can collectively achieve higher order goals.

Interestingly, productivity numbers have gone up in the US as one might expect with the initial “thinning of the herd.” I tend to believe that free market forces help facilitate people to think deeply and make choices about what their vocations really are vs. what they’ve been earning a paycheck doing. That can be good for everyone — to a point. Businesses and organizations are also similarly forced to question work they’re doing which has been perpetuated without deep consideration for the value it provides their constituencies. Remaining teams don’t become “high performing” because they are the one’s left doing the work, but I suspect through a more conscious and difficult process of self awareness, examination, and continual re-evaluation.

]]> By: John Langlois http://dharmaconsulting.com/what-does-a-high-performance-team-look-like/comment-page-1#comment-681 John Langlois Mon, 06 Jul 2009 14:38:16 +0000 http://dharmaconsulting.com/?p=906#comment-681 Results in my company are typically interpreted to mean "business results." And that's okay because ALL firms are in business to make profit. If they don't turn a profit, then they aren't in business long. But who says we can't make profit and have a great time in this process? My definition of a high performance team, based on some idea prodding in your post here might look like this: "A high performance team gets the job done while challenging and counseling each other and <b> laughing </b> all along the way." The first sign of a poor performing team, in my experience, is the fear many have of counseling each other for the benefit of both parties. The executive in your post unconsciously put off the "don't counsel me" pheromone and his life was sadder as a result. I'm guessing that there wasn't many smiles or laughter in his meetings. Probably just coincidence. Results in my company are typically interpreted to mean “business results.” And that’s okay because ALL firms are in business to make profit. If they don’t turn a profit, then they aren’t in business long.

But who says we can’t make profit and have a great time in this process? My definition of a high performance team, based on some idea prodding in your post here might look like this:

“A high performance team gets the job done while challenging and counseling each other and laughing all along the way.”

The first sign of a poor performing team, in my experience, is the fear many have of counseling each other for the benefit of both parties. The executive in your post unconsciously put off the “don’t counsel me” pheromone and his life was sadder as a result. I’m guessing that there wasn’t many smiles or laughter in his meetings. Probably just coincidence.

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