Building a high-performing team is essential for achieving success in any organisation.

As defined by Katzenbach and Smith (1993) in their book The Wisdom of Teams, a high-performance team comprises of a small number of people with complementary skills who are committed to a common purpose, performance goals, and an approach for which they hold themselves mutually accountable.

While each may be highly skilled and the group maybe diverse in their background and make up they have to focus on achieving a common business goal or team goal. They are likely to share similar values, commit to innovative problem-solving, have a sense of ownership, communicate well and collaborate effectively to consistently deliver the best results. 

Here are some key strategies to help you build and maintain a high-performing team:

1. Transform Your Hiring With Diverse A-Players: A team that’s made up of different personalities includes a variety of behaviours, communication styles, and ways of working. They come with different backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives. Different perspectives improves the quality of innovation as well as decision-making.

Diverse teams see things in many ways and can get the organization to the next level. They share ideas, collaborate on creative solutions, recognize new market opportunities, and better appreciate customers' needs. High-performance work teams also engage in active listening. When people with differences come together determined to engage in active listening it encourages innovation, drives growth and contributes to the overall success of business performance.

Research by The Wall Street Journal found that companies with above-average diversity produced more revenue from innovation (45% of total) than those with below-average diversity (26%). This resulted in overall better financial performance.

A-Players are the top 10% of performers in that specific role at the salary level. B-Players are in the remaining top 25% of performers in that role. While everyone can be an A-Player in the right job when managed in the right way  it makes sense to always be recruiting at the highest level. A-Players are “free” because they are hugely more productive. It makes no sense to attempt to save money by paying less for a C-Player. That will cost the business far more, both in the short and longer term.

2. Set your Team up with its own Mission or Purpose Statement as well clear goals and objectives: Having a purpose statement will drive motivation and create a connection amongst team members. Consider these factors when putting your statement together:

• Who does your Team service?
• What does your team do, deliver, or create?
• What values do they stand for?
• What are their minimum positive behaviour standards even in the worst of circumstances?
• What principles, processes, systems or business models would they not give up on even if results were not great?

Ensure your team references their purpose statement in the work that they do. This way, they’ll understand their role in the bigger picture. They’ll also understand how their role and individual goals fit into your organization's overall mission.

Ensure that the team has a clear understanding of its goals, objectives, and priorities. Clearly defined goals help align everyone's efforts and provide a sense of purpose. Clarity is the precursor of focus and of motivation.

3. Create Alignment around Clear Roles, Responsibilities and Strategies: Define clear roles and responsibilities for each team member to minimise confusion and ensure accountability. Make sure everyone understands their contribution to the team's overall objectives.

Take the time to clearly define these with each individual–for present initiatives and future projects. Then, if any issues arise, everyone is already on the same page, and it’s far easier and quicker to sort out.

Teams rarely disagree about the big stuff, the purpose and goals while alignment around Roles, Responsibilities and Strategies or Methods to be used is often times what’s missing from traditional teams.

4. Strong Leadership: Effective leadership is crucial for building and leading high-performing teams. Leaders should be able to inspire, motivate, and empower team members while providing direction and support.

5. Effective Communication: Foster open, honest, and transparent communication within the team. Encourage active listening and provide opportunities for team members to share ideas, concerns, and feedback.

6. Trust and Collaboration: Foster a culture of trust and collaboration where team members feel comfortable sharing ideas, taking risks, and supporting one another. Encourage teamwork and emphasize the importance of collective success over individual achievements.

7. Continuous Learning and Development: Encourage continuous learning and development by providing opportunities for training, skill-building, and professional growth. Invest in your team's development to keep skills up-to-date and relevant.

8. Celebrate Success and Learn from Failure: Celebrate achievements and milestones as a team to recognize everyone's contributions and boost morale. Additionally, embrace failure as an opportunity for learning and growth, and encourage a culture of experimentation and resilience. The biggest room in any home, including yours, is the room for improvement.

9. Regular Feedback and Performance Evaluation: Provide regular feedback to team members to acknowledge their contributions, address areas for improvement, and reinforce positive behaviour. Conduct periodic performance evaluations to assess progress towards goals and identify areas for development.

10. Adaptability and Resilience: Foster adaptability and resilience within the team to navigate challenges, overcome obstacles, and thrive in dynamic environments. Encourage a mindset of continuous improvement and adaptability to change.

By implementing these strategies and fostering a supportive and inclusive team culture, you can build and sustain a high-performing team that achieves outstanding results and drives organisational success.