High Performance Work Team Leader Do These Things

19 May High Performance Work Team Leader Do These Things

There is constant consultant chatter about the value of High Performance Work Teams (HPWTs), but very little information about how to create them. Because the goal of every team is the same – achieve the outcome that caused the team to be created in the first place – I don’t believe there is a secret sauce that will generate a HPWT. Instead HPWTs are regular work teams that do the work with the same amount of time and resources other teams have, but they do the work with a different mindset, one that makes each HPWT Member responsible for the performance of the overall team and each individual Team Member’s performance.

To more specifically describe what this means, I wrote about the characteristics of HPWT Members (https://www.linkedin.com/post/edit/10-characteristics-member-high-performance-work-team-paul-glover). This follow up piece addresses the other side of the equation necessary for a Team to become a HPWT – what is required of a HPWT’s Leader. But before we go there, let’s examine Why High-Performance Work Teams are so important to an organization’s success?

HPWTs provide organizations with a significant competitive advantage in the marketplace by

1. With the Diversity of Mindset that exists on HPWTs, more innovative decisions are made faster and better not only about how to do the work (be effective) but also about how to do the work better (be more efficient).
2. Implementing decisions more quickly because the communication between Team Members is faster and clearer.
3. Doing better quality work based on trust, collaboration and support and
4. Being 50% more productive then average work teams because each Team Member owns the outcome.

Of course, for a team to become a HPWT requires the Team Leader do what every team leader is required to do and then some more.

Regular Team Leaders:

1. Make sure the Team Goals are Achieved.
2. Make sure Team Members are Properly Trained.
3. Include Team Members in Goal Setting, Decision Making & Work Process Improvements.
4. Remove the Internal Barriers to Team Performance.
5. Motivate Team Members to Perform.
6. Recognize & Celebrate Individual & Team Performance.
7. Improve Team Members and the Team by honest and timely feedback on their performance.
8. Remove Non-Performing Team Members from the Team.

A HPWT Leader also:

1. Provides Respect to every Individual Team Member and challenges stereotypes (age, race, gender, generational).
2. Discovers and finds a use for the talent of every Team Member.
3. Requires relationship building and collaboration among all Team Members.
4. Relinquishes control to Team Members over how the work is performed.
5. Expects discretionary effort from all Team Members and themselves so Team goals are exceeded.

The Coach’s Corner: Building and maintaining High Performance Work Teams are not easy tasks. But the demands of the New Economy will accept nothing less then superior products and services. These can only be achieved by Teams that are dedicated to each other and committed to the accomplishment their goals.

I could be wrong…but I’m not.