High Performance Teams
Attributes, Dynamics and barriers
Team vs Group
Performance
High Performance Team
Functioning Team
Group
Team formation
Committee
Effectiveness
WHAT IS IN COMMON?
• Purpose
• Role – Ownership – Make a difference
• Communication –
• Effective – frequent – clear – consistent
• Internal vs external communication
• Feedback
• Involvement –
• Role and experience – Partnership – Respect
• Process Orientation
• Process tools – problem solving – planning – meetings
agendas - behavioral norms - process improvement tools
• Continuous Improvement
• Tools – knowledge - Time
Modified from Sandy Pentland, MIT 2011
Key drivers of communication
• Energy
– Level of exchange amongst team members
• Face to face
• Videoconference
• Email and sms
• Engagement
– Distribution of energy amongst team members
• Cluster engagement
• Discovery
– Exploration outside team boundaries
Modified from Sandy Pentland, MIT 2011
Features common to HPT
• Equal distribution listening and talking
• Face each others
• Communicate directly
– Not through the chair
• Side conversation
– short
• Coffee breaks
– explore
Dynamics of HPT
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•
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Don’t be a hero, the team is.
Debate before making decision
Let every one talk
Ignore the status quo
Resolve serious issues, never
play it down
• No place for casual team
members
• Identify barriers
Conflict and team
performance
Performance
Optimal healthy conflict
Constructive conflict
Destructive conflict
Conflict
Choosing team members
• Define primary goal
• Skills and know-how
• Personality fit
• Influence
• Motivation
• Communication
Good HPT members
• Click (the X factor)
• Excellent connectors
• Time equity
– Divide time equally amongst team members
• Active good listeners
• Short high energy conversation
• Always bring ideas from outside
– Not at the group expense
Why teams fail ?
Dysfunctional team
• Lack of Trust
– Avoidance and holding back, vulnerable
• Avoiding conflict
– Stagnant thinking, artificial harmony
• Patchy Commitment
– Suboptimal contribution, ambiguity
• Lack of Accountability
– Low standard
• Poor Processes
– Ineffective
there had been an explosion, and that he and the crew had done what
they had done thousands of times before in the simulator.
The aircraft is safe. We have four engines. We have lost one.
We have shut down. It's possibly could have even perhaps
restarted it but to be safe we won't.
So you are safe. We practice this procedure probably three or
four times every three months and so today we get to work the
procedure
HPT Leadership
• Clear vision
– Every member can assume leadership role
– Team output is critical in the success chain
– Why and how, objectives, time frames, deadlines
• One to one meetings
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What push their buttons?
How they measure their performance?
How they like to be managed?
Every one is motivated differently
• Room to deliver – less pressure
HPT Leadership
• Measure achievements
– Open discussion on performance
– Constructive frequent feedback = no pile ups
• Stay positive
– Keep your calm
– Reassure and support
• Socialize regularly, build friendship
– Take time out
– Play together
• Celebrate before moving on to the next challenge
“ There is no limit to
what can be accomplished
if it doesn,t matter who
gets the credit.”
Ralph Waldo Emerson