Every effective team needs the right elements to be successful. The following list includes the top six characteristics of high performing teams. Teams that get results…
1. Share Vision
A team that gets results always has a shared vision and shared priorities. While each person may not agree on every nuance, this shared vision unifies them and provides focus for their energy.
2. Love Work
If you absolutely love 75% or more of what you do, you will feel less stress, complain less about your job, and wake up energized to get to it. Team members who love their work add great value.
3. Work Hard
One team member that does not work hard can negatively impact the morale and performance of the whole team.
4. Stay Sharp
Your value to the team is influenced by how well you stay on top of your professional skills. Research has shown that experts, or those who are the best of the best, are four times as productive as an average member of the team.
5. Communicate Often
We may feel we have shared the right information in the right volume, but we often forget that people are overwhelmed with messages and most people are not very good listeners! Communication helps build and maintain shared understanding and trust.
6. Relate Well
The foundation for any strong relationship is trust and respect, and it is critical that a team relates well to one another. It requires intentional effort to create trust, and it requires almost no effort to lose it!
For more learning on building effective teams as well as on navigating the challenges to leadership and organizational growth, order our book GUIDE: Building the Team. Setting the Direction. Fulfilling the Mission.
Jay Desko is the CEO of The Center Consulting Group and brings experience in the areas of organizational assessment, leadership coaching, decision-making, and strategic questioning. Jay’s degrees include an M.Ed. in Instructional Systems Design from Pennsylvania State University and a Ph.D. in Organizational Behavior and Leadership from The Union Institute.
