10 Ways To Build High-Performing Teams

According to Ron Ricci and Carl Wiese, authors of the book, The Collaboration Imperative, high-performing teams have the following characteristics:

1. People have solid and deep trust in each other and in the team's purpose--they feel free to express feelings and ideas.
2. Everybody is working toward the same goals.
3. Team members are clear on how to work together and how to accomplish tasks.
4. Everyone understands both team and individual performance goals and knows what is expected.
5. Team members actively diffuse tension and friction in a relaxed and informal atmosphere.
6. The team engages in extensive discussion, and everyone gets a chance to contribute--even the introverts.
7. Disagreement is viewed as a good thing and conflicts are managed.  Criticism is constructive and is oriented toward problem solving and removing obstacles.
8. The team makes decisions when there is natural agreement--in the cases where agreement is elusive, a decision is made by the team lead or executive sponsor, after which little second-guessing occurs.
9. Each team member carries his or her own weight and respects the team processes and other members.
10. The leadership of the team shifts from time to time, as appropriate, to drive results.  No individual members are more important than the team.

The 10 Characteristics Of High Performing Teams

According to Ron Ricci and Carl Wiese, authors of the book, The Collaboration Imperative, high-performing teams have the following characteristics:

1. People have solid and deep trust in each other and in the team's purpose--they feel free to express feelings and ideas.
2. Everybody is working toward the same goals.
3. Team members are clear on how to work together and how to accomplish tasks.
4. Everyone understands both team and individual performance goals and knows what is expected.
5. Team members actively diffuse tension and friction in a relaxed and informal atmosphere.
6. The team engages in extensive discussion, and everyone gets a chance to contribute--even the introverts.
7. Disagreement is viewed as a good thing and conflicts are managed.  Criticism is constructive and is oriented toward problem solving and removing obstacles.
8. The team makes decisions when there is natural agreement--in the cases where agreement is elusive, a decision is made by the team lead or executive sponsor, after which little second-guessing occurs.
9. Each team member carries his or her own weight and respects the team processes and other members.
10. The leadership of the team shifts from time to time, as appropriate, to drive results.  No individual members are more important than the team.

Seven Questions To Ask Each Team Member

High-functioning and effective teams can disagree and still produce excellent products and results. Team members can also disagree and still care about each other. And, they can challenge each other to think differently.

Best-selling leadership book authors Scott J. Allen and Mitchell Kusy recommend that leaders ask seven tough questions of their teams to help maximize their results.

Here are those questions to ask each team member:

1. What are some obstacles affecting this team?
2. What are opportunities we could take advantage of that we have been largely ignoring?
3. Where can you take greater ownership on this team?
4. Where have you let this team down?
5. Compared to other teams with which you are familiar, how are we doing?
6. When was the last time you complimented the team or one of its members?
7. How open are you to giving direct feedback to team members?