Why do some teams perform better than others? What sets these teams apart from the rest?
Building a high-performing team requires more than just pulling together a group of talented people with the right skills. It requires careful development and nurturing of key characteristics, behaviors, and best practices.
In this article, we’ll cover:
Let’s dive in!
A high performing team is a group of individuals who leverage their collective skills, diverse perspectives, specialized expertise, and complementary strengths to accomplish challenging goals. High performing teams are hyper-focused on achieving clear, outstanding results. They thrive on a foundation of trust, collaboration, and a shared sense of purpose.
But high performing teams aren’t made by magic. You need the right approach to performance management, to empower teams to collaborate, innovate, and do their best work together.
The success of your organization starts with the success of your employees. High-performance teams help drive new ideas, get work done, and achieve goals. When teams are aligned, get feedback and coaching, and have what they need to do their best work, they can break down barriers and get results.
While every team is different, there are common characteristics that high-performing teams share.
When employees understand how their job fits with the goals and mission of your organization, they’re more engaged and productive. High-performing teams know their “why” and work together to support a shared vision. Our research shows that highly engaged employees:
High-performing teams are aligned in their focus, purpose, and priorities. They set team and individual goals that support this shared vision. Goals are not only aligned, but clearly defined—so everyone knows exactly what they need to do and how to get there.
Quantum Workplace research shows employees are 3.2X more likely to be engaged when their individual performance goals are aligned with organizational goals.
Conflict can quickly derail an otherwise talented and productive team. High-performing teams minimize unnecessary conflict by clearly defining each person’s role and responsibilities. This:
When communication breaks down, performance suffers. High-performing teams set clear expectations and create effective channels for communication. This way, everyone knows when and where to communicate and who they need to connect with. Conflict is normal, but high-performing teams know how to navigate it in a healthy way that minimizes obstacles.
High performing teams foster a culture of continuous improvement through open and constructive two-way feedback. Team members feel empowered to share their ideas, concerns, and suggestions without fear of retribution. Managers actively seek feedback from employees, valuing their perspectives and leveraging insights to drive team growth.
This feedback-driven approach not only enhances individual performance but also strengthens team dynamics. It leads to increased collaboration and adaptability. Not to mention, collected feedback can be translated into further development opportunities for employees.
Salute, a leading name in the Professional Services industry, surveys its employees to understand how they might build higher performing teams. Salute’s Executive Vice President of HR says:
“I'm thrilled to share just how much Quantum Workplace has revolutionized the way we do things around here. It's been a game-changer, really. We've gained greater insights into what our team members feel and think. This has been a goldmine of information, helping us fine-tune our performance management and create a culture where continuous improvement and accountability are at the forefront."
High-performing teams focus on what matters most and spend their time accordingly. They understand that not all work has equal importance or urgency. They manage projects based on what tasks have the highest priority and highest impact. This keeps work aligned with organizational goals and ensures everyone is focused on work that drives growth.
One-on-one meetings serve as a cornerstone of high performing teams, promoting clarity and connection between managers and employees. These meetings go beyond mere status updates, providing a dedicated space for individualized discussions on goals, progress, and challenges.
Managers should use 1-on-1s to understand employees' aspirations, offer guidance, and provide the necessary support to overcome obstacles. By nurturing a strong manager-employee relationship, high performing teams create a sense of belonging and commitment that fuels team success.
The level of collaboration and teamwork required for high achievement depends on trust and mutual respect. Employees on high-performing teams value each other and trust each person to do their job. They respect diversity of thought and experience and recognize those differences make them stronger. This culture of trust helps everyone:
High-performing teams understand that success results from team effort. They celebrate wins together and take opportunities to recognize and show appreciation for each employee’s contributions. This builds a strong culture of collaboration and helps everyone feel valued and connected.
Our research consistently shows that ratings, rankings, and pay-for-performance do not drive employee engagement. But recognition does.
Highly engaged employees are 70% favorable on the item “If I contribute to the organization’s success, I know I will be recognized”
Even the best teams have room to grow. High-performing teams value feedback and learn from their mistakes. They look for opportunities to grow by nurturing a feedback culture and investing in employee development. Continuous learning propels growth and keeps teams striving for higher achievement.
High performing teams strike a delicate balance between short-term results and long-term growth. While focused on achieving immediate objectives, they also invest in learning, growth, and development to stay ahead of the curve.
Talent reviews and succession planning are integral components of this approach, ensuring that the team's future leadership remains robust and ready for upcoming challenges.
By prioritizing both short-term wins and sustainable growth, high performing teams are well-positioned to adapt, innovate, and excel in a dynamic business landscape.
What sets high performing teams apart from the rest? In their pursuit of excellence, these teams go beyond the ordinary. They consistently achieve remarkable results.
Let’s uncover the five key things that high performing teams do differently that enable them to outshine their peers and drive success.
The only thing that’s certain at every organization is change. But that won’t scare a high performing team. These teams are not afraid to challenge the status quo.
Instead, they actively seek out new ideas, encourage innovation, and adapt swiftly to changing circumstances. By embracing flexibility and being open to change, they stay agile, resilient, and capable of seizing emerging opportunities.
To innovate and adapt, high performing teams need the space, buy-in, tools, and technology to learn big and make mistakes. That’s why high performing teams aren’t always judged by arbitrary KPIs—but on their organizational impact.
Organizational silos are no match for high performing teams. In fact, these teams are notorious for breaking down silos to encourage collaboration across departments, disciplines, and teams.
They achieve this by fostering an environment where individuals can freely and willingly share knowledge, leverage each other’s strengths, and work toward shared goals. This spirit of collaboration is amplified by the team’s collective impact and strengthens their relationships.
High performing teams know that meaningful recognition may look different to each individual employee. They use data to celebrate milestones—both big and small—to proactively and reactively recognize contributions to the larger team.
By doing so, they create a contagious culture of recognition and appreciation which motivates everyone to work smarter and strive for excellence.
High performing teams know that their success is only as strong as the processes and tools that enable them. These teams can’t be bogged down by disparate systems and siloed departmental data. To optimize their performance, these teams used tools that enable seamless collaboration, data-driven reporting, and automation of repetitive tasks.
These teams are never going to throw a team member under the bus. High performing teams embrace collective accountability by holding each other—and themselves—accountable for the team’s performance.
Building a high-performing team doesn’t happen overnight. It takes commitment and investment in continuous growth and development. Use the following tips to get started:
For employees to feel connected to a team, they need a unified purpose. This is where clear goals and team alignment come into play.
Managers of high-performing teams are always evaluating priorities and team goals to ensure they are effective and aligned. Keep organizational goals top-of-mind by regularly communicating and connecting those goals to the team’s work.
Take advantage of one-on-ones to check in with team members on their progress, identify key priorities, and ensure their work aligns with the overall team goals. This helps create a shared sense of purpose and ensures the team is rowing in the same direction to drive performance.
High-performing teams must be nimble and focused—so clear, streamlined communication is essential. Keep everyone on the same page by establishing clear processes and expectations for communication.
For example, teams might use Slack channels for water cooler chats and team updates but rely on project management tools like Asana to house project data, define responsibilities, and track progress and assignments.
Having set communication processes helps prevent conflict and ensures key information is shared with the right people, assignments and responsibilities are clear, and nothing falls through the cracks.
You might also consider creating opportunities for team members to share their expertise and learn from one another. Encourage cross-functional collaboration by organizing workshops, team-building exercises, or knowledge-sharing sessions where employees from different departments can collaborate on projects or discuss industry trends. This cross-pollination of ideas and skills enhances creativity, problem-solving, and builds a sense of camaraderie.
High performing teams empower their team members to make decisions and take ownership of their work. These teams don’t feel nervous to present a new idea, solution, or option to their management team. Instead, managers recognize that the best way to achieve maximum performance is by encouraging employees to take initiatives.
Encourage team members to contribute their ideas, provide input, and make autonomous decisions within their areas of responsibility. This fosters a sense of ownership, accountability, and fosters a culture of trust and empowerment.
Remember that regular recognition for this kind of contribution to the larger team can help employees connect to how their work benefits the larger organization. Which brings us to…
Acknowledging and celebrating individual and group achievements is crucial for building and sustaining a high performing team. Recognition and rewards not only boost morale, but they can reinforce desired behaviors and motivate team members to excel.
Regularly express your appreciation by taking the time to acknowledge the efforts your team members make. Weekly one-on-ones provide an opportunity for you and your team to stay closely connected on the team’s goals, tasks, and achievements. But don’t just recognize big wins. Recognition can happen during key milestones, steady performance, or instances where teams have gone above and beyond their job description.
Remember that the kind of recognition your employees like may differ from employee to employee. Be sure to center the kind of recognition your employees like best by evaluating their preferences over time.
Managers aren’t the only team members who can participate in recognition. Encourage team members to recognize and appreciate each other’s contributions with a “team shoutout” Slack channel or weekly email. This helps to foster a positive and engaging work environment at every level.
If you want consistent outstanding results, build a culture of continual learning and improvement. High-performing teams are curious. They ask questions, explore possibilities, and adapt based on what they learn. When teams are continually building on their knowledge and learning from past mistakes, they are more effective, efficient, and innovative.
Drive team performance by investing in your employees’ growth and development. Identify relevant development opportunities that focus on team needs and priorities, as well as individual goals. Employee development opportunities help employees feel motivated, empowered, and better equipped to do their job.
Inspiring employee impact requires a human-centered, engaging approach to performance that helps employees and teams understand the role they play in helping the company succeed.
Employees want to be successful—and they want to contribute to the organization’s success! But they also don’t want to jump through ineffective performance management hoops. They expect more from their organizations and managers.
Everyone in the organization—leaders, HR, managers, and employees—plays a part in building an engaging approach to performance management.
Senior leaders are responsible for setting direction and creating clarity around the organization’s most important goals—adapting as organizational needs change. They should set an example for what performance, accountability, and effective coaching look like—staying focused on outcomes and impact, rather than output and productivity.
HR plays a crucial role in driving performance management, ensuring the effectiveness of performance management initiatives. HR should help facilitate performance feedback, align performance metrics with organizational goals, and hold leaders accountable as coaches.
By co-creating performance programs with stakeholders—and regularly evaluating and adapting them—HR builds dynamic performance management systems that boost employee impact, employee development, and business success.
Managers translate organizational goals into team objectives and foster employee growth and development. They build relationships with direct reports, provide feedback, and ensure expectations are clear.
Managers also collaborate with employees to set goals, provide coaching, and allocate resources for success. Their feedback to senior leaders and HR improves the performance management process, while their continuous development enhances coaching skills.
See how Hudl empowered its managers with Quantum Workplace’s employee success platform
Leadership and HR can build a robust performance management system—but if employees aren’t active participants in their own performance, you won’t see impact. Employees should be doing their best to accomplish goals, give and receive feedback and coaching, and take ownership of their development and career trajectory, asking for help along the way.
Building a high-performing team is a marathon, not a sprint. But when you bring together the right mix of skills and experience and nurture these fundamental characteristics of a high-performing team, the payoff will be worth it.
Quantum Workplace has developed a suite of performance management tools that are designed to help you grow, manage, and scale your high performing teams.
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Setting clear and aligned goals is paramount to the success of high performing teams. Quantum Workplace's empowers your teams to set, monitor, and accomplish important goals with:
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Quantum Workplace’s 360, peer, and upward feedback help boost employee performance, growth, and development. Support a culture of continuous feedback within your teams with:
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Performance reviews are still a staple of most performance management programs—but you need them to be more effective, efficient, and engaging to improve performance. Make performance conversations simple and effective with:
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Motivate employees and celebrate success with real-time recognition. Easily share stories of success and help employees across your organization feel valued with:
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Empower meaningful conversations at every level, across any department. Increase communication, clarity, and engagement with:
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Objectively assess performance to identify rising stars and talent risk. Make strategic talent decisions with:
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Proactively identify gaps and create development plans to prepare for the future. Ensure the right successors are identified and developed with:
Learn more about Quantum Workplace succession planning
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Want to see how our tools can help support your high-performing teams? Check out our performance management solution here. Or, request a demo today.
Published July 25, 2023 | Written By Kristin Ryba
