How to Manage Team Performance
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Simon Rowland
Unit 531
What makes for effective team performance?
To build effective teams it is essential to know what contributes to strong team cohesion and performance. That is, an effective team is not only a high performing one; it is also one where team members enjoy working together. On teams that work well, team members feel so committed to the team that they put team success ahead of their own. Here are some of the key features of high performing teams. This list is not meant to be exhaustive but it does cover some of the major factors.
Clear Goals – It is important to define what team success means and to establish ways of measuring it so that team members can see precisely whether they are making progress and whether they achieve their goals or not. This is easier to do for a discrete project than in an ongoing operational setting, but not impossible.
Open Communication – Effective team work has a machine-like efficiency because each part is fully in sync with every other part. To achieve this level of coordination, open communication is essential. Team members need to keep each other fully informed of critical developments in their work. The team manager can be a role model in this regard.
Trust - Trust is important for open communication but also for risk taking. Team members need to feel safe to take risks, to say things that might make them look stupid and to disagree with the majority when the majority is wrong about something. An atmosphere of trust can only be created if team members do not put each other down when mistakes are made.
Mutual Respect – Respect can only be earned. A lack of respect usually means that some team members are not seen as adding as much value as the others. This may be due to a team member being less competent, less experienced or less motivated than the others. A good manager coaches less respected team members so they can start earning respect. If some team members are not respected, the motivation of the entire...
Unit 531
What makes for effective team performance?
To build effective teams it is essential to know what contributes to strong team cohesion and performance. That is, an effective team is not only a high performing one; it is also one where team members enjoy working together. On teams that work well, team members feel so committed to the team that they put team success ahead of their own. Here are some of the key features of high performing teams. This list is not meant to be exhaustive but it does cover some of the major factors.
Clear Goals – It is important to define what team success means and to establish ways of measuring it so that team members can see precisely whether they are making progress and whether they achieve their goals or not. This is easier to do for a discrete project than in an ongoing operational setting, but not impossible.
Open Communication – Effective team work has a machine-like efficiency because each part is fully in sync with every other part. To achieve this level of coordination, open communication is essential. Team members need to keep each other fully informed of critical developments in their work. The team manager can be a role model in this regard.
Trust - Trust is important for open communication but also for risk taking. Team members need to feel safe to take risks, to say things that might make them look stupid and to disagree with the majority when the majority is wrong about something. An atmosphere of trust can only be created if team members do not put each other down when mistakes are made.
Mutual Respect – Respect can only be earned. A lack of respect usually means that some team members are not seen as adding as much value as the others. This may be due to a team member being less competent, less experienced or less motivated than the others. A good manager coaches less respected team members so they can start earning respect. If some team members are not respected, the motivation of the entire...