Receiving a suggestion such as that is a huge compliment. It means that we have made a difference and that they are seeing the benefits of the work that they are doing with us. It also means that they trust us, which, for a trainer, coach or consultant is very gratifying. It truly makes us feel good when someone wishes to share the positive benefits that we have assisted them to realize with their friends and family members.
The sad thing is that many of those companies with terrible work environments, dysfunctional teams and a lack of productivity are the least likely to be open to making any changes in order to improve the situation. They are in that position for a reason.
Typically organizations that invest in enhancing their teams meet one of two criteria:
- The first type of company willing to invest in enhancing their team is those that are failing and are desperate for a solution that will help them to survive. These companies are typically interested in short-term fixes, but still maintain the basic philosophies that are the root cause of the problems.
- The second type of organization willing to invest in enhancing their team is that which appreciates the value of employees. They aspire to have full-team engagement with a dedicated focus on the organization’s mission and vision. They are typically committed to continuously improving individual and team performance in order to improve the company and better serve their customers.
Over the years we have studied companies to learn about why they have the type of culture that they do. Specifically we wanted to understand why some organizations are so successful at creating high performance teams while others are not. What we found is that there are a number of attributes that they have in common.
Top 10 List of High Performance Teams
1. Creating a High Performance Team is not an accident. The companies that have achieved this have done so as part of their overall strategic plan.
2. They place a high value on individual and team contributions. When the going gets tough, they invest in their greatest resource – their people. This is accomplished in a variety of ways including training, coaching, and mentoring.
3. Leaders are self-confident. They strive to surround themselves with the best employees and assist them to continue to grow and develop.
4. Leaders are selected for their ability to lead people rather than strictly for their technical skills.
5. Leaders believe that they went through the hiring process to find the best person for the job. Thus, they want to capitalize on those skills, knowledge and insights. They provide an environment for their employees to shine, which in turn, allows the organization to shine.
6. There is a very clear and compelling mission and vision. Each member of the team understands his/her role in successfully achieving that mission and vision. This ensures that the team is aligned to a common goal.
7. Open communication and trust is valued and cultivated. This creates a safe environment for continuous improvement and innovation.
8. The leaders have a high level of achievement drive and they realize that the best way to achieve high performance and improve the bottom-line is to invest in developing their teams. This is backed up by decades of research performed globally at organizations of all descriptions.
9. The organizations are led by individuals with a high degree of emotional intelligence, and they strive to develop the competencies at all levels of the company.
10. They realize that no matter how much the world changes, people still do business with people. Customers are attracted to companies with happy employees. They know that they will get great service, and most everyone wants to associate with happy people.
High performance teams are achievable, and are what differentiates a world-class company from the competition. The only question is whether or not executives are willing to make the investment needed to reap the rewards. For additional information about how we can assist you to develop your High Performance Team, contact us at ral@pmginternational.net or visit our web site at www.pmginternational.net.
Oh my goodness - how true! I recently had a great compliment as well and found exactly what you are saying to be true. Those that often need what we have to offer the most, are the ones that continue to go it alone - almost always to their detriment. It would certainly be much nicer if organizations did value their employees in the way many of them verbalize it (but don't practice it). It's very gratifying to work with companies that truly want to invest in their employees to create high-performance teams. Great article.
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