High-performance teams are dedicated in their work toward a common goal,

and they can be held to a high standard. Over time, the members of a high-
performance team will continue to hone their individual skill sets in a way
that benefits the group as a whole.

If you have high-performance teams in your company, you can rely on these
professionals to get complex, sensitive work done in a quality manner. There
are a number of additional benefits to cultivating high-performance teams at
work, too—this guide will show you how to get started.

Table of contents: Building high-performance teams

 6 benefits of a high-performance team

 Common characteristics of high-performing teams

 How to build a high-performing team

 5 exercises your team can implement to become high performers

Common characteristics of high-performing teams

While every high-performance team will be a little different due to

companies’ unique needs, the highest performing teams tend to share
several common characteristics:

 High skill levels: Members of high-performance teams are often experts

in areas that compliment their colleagues’ skill sets.

 Trust among teammates: For teams to work effectively at a high level,

they need to trust each other—and their leaders. Luckily, trust is
something that can be cultivated and improved over time.

 Dedication to group goals: A high-performance team is typically

focused on achieving the goals of the group over the goals of the
individuals. Because they’re powered by a shared vision for team
success, high-performance team members can work in sync and
collaborate effectively.

 Commitment to results: High-performance teams are also interested in

the results of their work. This goes beyond simply reviewing metrics—
the most high-performance teams will want to have a deep
understanding of how they are performing in pursuit of their teams’
goals as well as individually. Team members are likely to be committed
to ongoing improvement in multiple areas.
  Accountability and adaptability: Individual members of high-
performance teams are also generally willing to be held accountable
for the results of their work—and adaptable if things need to change. If
a project doesn’t go quite as planned, a high-performance team will be
able to regroup, reassess, and adapt to a new plan for continued peak
performance.

6 benefits of a high-performance team

The benefits of building a high-performance team include:

1. High productivity

2. Strong decision making

3. Diverse skill sets

4. Innovative solutions

5. A strong work ethic

6. A commitment to quality

You can build a high-performance team by hiring with specific characteristics

in mind, conducting performance-building exercises with your team, and
following the eight steps in this article.

How to build a high-performing team

When you really need outstanding results on a project or initiative, you may
want to be involved in the hiring process in order to ensure that the people
you’re bringing onto your team have the right characteristics. But what if you
can’t handpick your team?

If you’re working with a team that’s already formed, there are still steps you
can take to help them develop their skills for maximum performance.

1. Work to build trust in your team

2. Keep lines of communication open

3. Support team members’ needs

4. Establish clear direction for the team

5. Set SMART goals

6. Encourage constant teamwork

 7. Invest in education and training

8. Grow your team strategically

1. Work to build trust in your team

The first thing you can do to build a high-performance team is work to build
trust among its members. For a team to work together effectively at a high
level, they’ll need to trust each other—and you. When your team members
have strong bonds of trust, they will be more likely to:

 Respond to your guidance and leadership

 Rely on each others’ capabilities and skill sets

 Support each other in times of high pressure or demand

 Feel more comfortable communicating their concerns and needs to

each other and team leaders

If you’re leading a distributed team, you may need to invest additional time
and resources to build trust with your remote team members. The same
principles and practices that work in the office may not always translate well
to a remote environment.

Regardless of where your team works, though, the steps on this list are a
great place to start increasing performance.

2. Keep lines of communication open

Clear and open communication is an important part of building trust and high
performance.

When leaders of high-performance teams are transparent about company,

department, and individual performance, it encourages workers to grow
professionally and strengthens dedication to a common cause. To maintain
clear communication with your in-office or remote high-performance team,
remember to:

 Let team members know that they can come to you with questions,
concerns, or for support in the workplace

 Provide constructive feedback to team members about how they can

continue to grow individually and as a collective unit
  Streamline communications and make sure everyone understands
where to turn for updates, especially when working remotely

 Schedule periodic all-hands team meetings to ensure everyone is kept

up-to-date about important company developments and key priorities

 Check in with team members regularly

3. Support team members’ needs

In addition to giving feedback to team members, it’s important that the

leaders of high-performing teams are open to receiving it as well. By creating
a safe space for your team members to come to you with questions,
comments, concerns, and needs, you can further strengthen the bonds of
trust.

It’s also a good way to learn how to better support your team members and
help them perform at a higher level. This support can take several forms,
such as:

 Providing professional guidance

  Helping team members work through roadblocks on project progress

 Advocating for your team with other departments when engaging in

cross-functional work

 Supplying your team members with the tools, training, and resources
they feel they need to perform their jobs effectively

 Identifying and addressing skills gaps

4. Establish clear direction for the team

Even the best teams need guidance and direction from leaders. When
working with a group of high performers, you’ll want to show them how their
work supports your company’s overall mission and goals. This creates a
shared sense of purpose and gives your team a clear path. Combined, this
can help boost productivity.

5. Set SMART goals

High-performing teams also work toward achievable, measurable goals.

These goals can be personal or shared—and “achievable” doesn’t have to
mean easy! You can create realistic yet complex goals, and even stretch
goals, for your teams.

The SMART goals framework can help guide you toward the creation of
effective goals. When setting a goal, you’ll want to make sure that it is:

 Specific

 Measurable

 Actionable

 Relevant

 Time-bound
‍

Remember to also link your team members' individual goals back to

department and company priorities. This will help to create a sense of
purpose and cohesion throughout the team.

6. Encourage constant teamwork

When setting goals and priorities for your team, remember to keep
teamwork at the forefront. By giving your high-performing team members
continual opportunities to work together, you can continue to strengthen
professional bonds and develop team members’ reliance on each other.

If your team is partially remote, be sure to pair distributed and in-office team
members on projects. This way, all members of your high-performing team
have equal opportunity to collaborate and work together.

7. Invest in education and training

By investing in continuing education and professional development training,

you can help your high-performance teams (and their output!) grow. This can
take many different forms. Depending on your unique team needs, purpose,
and goals, you may decide to:

 Provide individual team members with access to skill development

courses
  Run group training webinars for your team to learn from together

 Send your team to relevant industry conferences and seminars

 Provide an optional continuing education benefit, such as tuition

reimbursement

If you’re planning training sessions for your team, focus on both hard and
soft skill development.

 Hard skills are typically job-related and technical, such as using specific
software programs, understanding complex equations, and preparing
or delivering effective presentations.

 Soft skills are often considered personality traits (but can be learned).
They include things like customer service acumen, being a good
listener, having a strong work ethic, managing your emotions, and
giving or receiving feedback.

Ongoing improvement in both hard and soft skills can help your team
continue to level up its performance.

8. Grow your team strategically

The most effective teams are often fairly small. Large teams can make it
difficult for everyone to participate, provide input, and feel heard. According
to McKinsey & Company, large teams may also separate into smaller “sub
teams” that are not fully aligned on common group goals and initiatives. By
keeping team size small, you can create better cohesion among team
members and improve performance.

That said, there is still a time and a place for larger teams. In some
situations, such as building a corporate leadership team, it can be beneficial
to have the diverse array of experiences and opinions that you get from a
larger team. When it’s time to grow your team, a management
consultant can help you build the best organizational structure for your
company.

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