High-performing teams are the cornerstone of organisational success. These teams demonstrate exceptional productivity, innovation, and resilience, setting the standard for excellence. But what characteristics define high performing teams? What challenges do they commonly face, and how can organisations support their growth and sustainability? We delve into these questions, sharing insights from our research on the attributes that make teams excel and common challenges and focus areas.

Characteristics of a High Performing Team

At PBC, we have spent a lot of time examining not just the potential of individuals and leaders at work, but how these behaviours and preferences impact team functioning. Our research-backed philosophy is that a team’s effectiveness can be assessed based on the following:

Performance: characteristics that impact the capability of the team to achieve the deliverables and results they are responsible for. They include:

• Strategy: How the team plans ahead, and sets and tracks strategic priorities
• Innovation: How the team thinks outside the box and innovates
• Accountability: How the team uses feedback and support to hold each other accountable
• Readiness for Change: How the team responds and aligns to change
• Results: How the team focuses on achieving results
• Meeting Effectiveness: How efficiently and effectively the team leverages meetings

Culture: characteristics that impact on the team’s standards of behaviour and values that influence how they work together to achieve their objective. These include:

• Trust: How the team builds trust and connection with one another
• Professional Conflict: How the team deals with conflict and difficult conversations
• Communication: How the team leverages communication
• Emotional Intelligence: How the team exercises emotional intelligence
• Collaboration: How the team collaborates and supports each other for success
• Resilience: How the team responds to challenges and setbacks

Challenges and Focus Areas Teams

Our latest research into high-performing teams has shown that the biggest challenges for teams have been effective collaboration, tackling difficult issues, accountability, and process improvement (i.e., standardising, streamlining, and improving internal processes). When we looked at how this aligned with the vast literature on the most important characteristics needed for effective team functioning, two core characteristics stand out – Trust and Communication.

Trust (Culture) – For some, trusting others at the best of times can be challenging. In a work setting, trust in a team member is built through a multitude of subtle observations and interactions. Leaders know that building trust and espousing a trusting environment is important – there is now an increased need and effort required to build and maintain this trust within their teams.

Communication (Culture) – Communication and trust go hand-in-hand. Communication is a platform on which trust can be built and maintained. Effective teams navigate socio-emotional processes such as relationship building and cohesion effectively. Clear and consistent communication helps to fill gaps and prevent assumptions that can undermine trust.

In terms of Performance characteristics, Strategy and Accountability also need to be considered:

Strategy (Performance) – Organisational priorities must be clear, with a strong emphasis on strategic direction to ensure the business remains operational and future-focused. Regular strategic reviews and updates can help maintain clarity around the business’s long-term and short-term goals.

Accountability (Performance) – Effective accountability is crucial for high-performing teams. It involves establishing clear expectations, regularly monitoring progress, and providing constructive feedback. By fostering a culture of accountability, teams can ensure that each member takes responsibility for their actions and contributions, leading to improved performance and outcomes.

Gathering Feedback and Assessing Teams

To better support your team, ask yourself: “How effectively does my team demonstrate these characteristics?” Do you think your team feels the same?

Rather than relying on your own reflections, afterthoughts, or experiences, approach the question above with the same rigour you would if you were to support, develop or coach an individual team member. One way to do this is through capturing data that helps you identify what an individual does well, and what they need to focus on developing to be effective. Psychometric assessments and 360 feedback are ways to do this at the individual level.

Like individuals, different teams will have different strengths, development areas and challenges. So, getting real, practical feedback about the team, from the team, will help focus how you support and develop them. Gathering honest and practical feedback can be challenging. An effective way to encourage feedback is through the safety of anonymity – this can allow more reserved individuals to have their say as well.

Like individuals, different teams will have different strengths and different development areas and challenges. Getting real, practical feedback about the team, from the team, will help focus how you support and develop them.

High Performing Team Assessment

PBC’s High Performing Team Assessment was developed to give leaders and team members an extra layer of insight into how effective team members felt the team’s performance and culture was. It is a way to accurately diagnose what’s working and what’s not, but in a way that preserves anonymity of team members so they can be open and transparent about their observations and experiences. Used in conjunction with other psychometric data, it can be a powerful way to identify real and relevant needs of your team and benchmark the effectiveness of your team against others around the world.

Key Considerations for Developing High Performing Teams

• The characteristics of a high performing team are consistent regardless of a team’s physical location.
• Effective collaboration, tackling difficult issues, accountability, and process improvement are ongoing challenges that need targeted efforts.
• The capacity of your team to demonstrate the behaviours and characteristics associated with high performing teams requires continuous support and development.
• Resist the temptation to take a “top tips” approach to supporting your team.
• Gather data about how your team is currently functioning (feedback about the team, from the team) in a safe and objective manner (We can help!)
• Use data to inform where you target your support and efforts as a leader.

To learn more about how PBC can help you support your leaders and teams, contact us on 02 8918 0888 or email us at info@peterberryconsultancy.com

To find out more about the High Performing Team Assessment and how you can become certified, click here.

*This article is authored by Dr Lynne Cruickshank.