What is a high-performance team and what does it look like to you?
A high performing team is a group of individuals who share a mutual vision, goals, metrics and who collaborate, challenge and hold each other accountable to achieve outstanding results (Developing High Performing Teams, 2015). These groups of people are your high performer and will usually be working on complex projects. According to Denning’s, high-performance teams have the following elements:
1. Have a time-bound, predefined operational objective, with commitments to produce some product or service.
2. Are focused on accomplishing a task.
3. Are connected by interdependent tasks and values.
4. Membership is appointed by the organization.
5. Exhibit characteristics of a community.
High- performance teams differ greatly from your normal team or group. The big difference is the level of commitment within the team. A normal team will get the task completed without any issues, but the sense of excitement that might have brought them to the job in the first place isn't there (Denning (2011). In contrast, high-performance teams have a high sense of excitement and are committed to each other and the project. This sense of committing goes beyond your normal team. According to Denning (2011), “high-performance teams have the characteristics of effective communities” (p. 157). They share positive and strong relationships; they have a commitment to shared values, norms, and meaning; they have a shared history and identity; with a high level of responsiveness to members and to the world (Denning (2011). These high-performers encourage each other; they work toward a common goal, sharing their values and visions with the team; they use clear communication and have a sense of ownership (Butler, n.d.).
I have the privileged to participate in a flight crew of 11 people. The team was composed of 3 pilots, 2 flight engineers, 2 navigators, 3 sensor operators, and 1 in-flight tech. The crew operated as a high-performance team. We were fully invested in the mission, had the same expectation and shared similar morals and values. This was a high-performance because we shared a mutual vision, goal and desire to accomplishing the mission. We worked great as a team and invested in each other’s growth. Denning (2011) identified four patterns of working together. These patterns are; Work-groups, Teams, Community, and Networks.
In a work-groups, you will have similar work tasks and report to the same supervisor. Teams clearly defined responsibilities, no decision-making power, and a high degree of interaction among its member. A community is self-organizing, shared responsibilities, shared common interests and values. Team network is a little unconventional, many people have never met face-to-face-, and they do share an interest in organizational storytelling.
I had a great experience working as a member of a selection board. The board was composed of 6 different members, from various communities of the Navy. The goal of the board was to examine each application and select the best candidate for Officer Candidate School. It was a great opportunity to work with individuals with the same common goal and professionalism. The outcome of our decisions affected the lives of the selectees and proved the system to be fair and consistent. The selection of the board members is as important as the selection of the candidates. There is a great of responsibility and committing of selecting the best candidate out of the group. In contrast, I worked with a group that did not get along very well. We were in charge of developing an internship for the command. The reasons for the miscommunication and weak team workmanship was because the majority of the team did not see eye to eye. According to Denning (2011), “the viability of a high-performance team or community is going to depend on its members” (p.165). In my case this was the problem with the team, not having everyone’s buy in affected the way we operated. In the end, we accomplished the objectives and learned how to cope with different perspectives within the team.
Overall high performance teams impact the end
users of their product by molding the potential expectations (Denning, 2011). It
is beneficial for organization to develop high-performance teams. The benefits
of such teams are great and will help the team advance the next phase of
leadership. As leaders we need to understand the importance of developing and nurturing
subordinates. Forming teams will enable individuals to grow in knowledge and strength.
I have personally gained much leadership training by being part of a
high-performance team and I encourage anyone to participate and interact with
such a team.
Reference:
Butler, A. (n.d.). Building an Exceptional Team. Retrieved
April 30, 2016, from http://slideplayer.com/slide/2527947/
Denning, S.
(2011). The leader's guide to storytelling: Mastering the art and discipline
of business narrative. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass/A Wiley Imprint.
Developing High Performing Teams. (2015). Retrieved April
30, 2016, from http://www.centerod.com/developing-high-performance-teams/
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