Assessing a High Performance Team

Teamwork in business has become one of the hottest subjects in business and supervision literature. Everywhere you look, there is another article on self-directed teams, self-managing teams, cross-functional teams, project teams, quality improvement teams, and of course, management teams. The primary reason for this is simple.

 

It appears that baby boomers and other people born after World War II like being part of a team. Where their parents relied on themselves, their own skills, their own motivation, and their own ability to get the job done, later generations look to their peers for the support, motivation, and assistance to achieve work-related objectives. Whereas those people born prior to 1946 (the year traditionally used to mark the beginning of the baby boom) generally want to be told what to do and simply allowed to do it, the people born after 1946 want to be involved in as many aspects of their business lives as possible. They want to participate. They want to be “in on things.” They want to know why they are doing the work they are doing. They want to feel they are contributing to a “greater good.” They want to feel they are part of a team.

 

This emerging reality causes us to focus on two fundamental questions:

1. What is the difference between a group of people and a team?
2. What is the difference between a team and a “high performance” team?

The key difference between a group of people and a team is a team is a group of people pulling together in the same direction and dependent on each other for their common success. 

 

The distinction between a team and a high performance team is not so easily drawn. In order for a team to be properly described as high performance, it must possess seven characteristics. These characteristics are: 

1. A mission that motivates 
2. Common goals 
3. Mastery of the fundamentals 
4. A communications system 
5. Trust 
6. A need for continuous improvement and the ability to correct course
7. A task/social mix

When all seven of these characteristics are present, the performance level of a team increases significantly. It moves from average performance to high performance, and its members enjoy the corresponding benefits. Let’s take an in-depth look at each of these characteristics and the role they play in team building efforts.

 

A mission that motivates

A mission raises people above the day-to-day tasks that make up the bulk of what we call work. This is no less important when attempting to focus a team than when attempting to lead individuals. In order for a team to rise above the average, it must have a focus that is above the average. High performance teams have a clearly defined mission. They are able to look beyond the immediately visible and see the future. Most importantly, it is a future that is worth the extra effort required if the team is to distinguish itself through its performance.

 

Common goals

While a mission is the first characteristic of a high performance team, it alone is not enough to unite the individuals who comprise the team. Somewhere along the path to exceptional performance, that mission must be converted into specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, time-based goals – goals that can be seen and touched.

 

Organizations invest a considerable amount of time, effort, and energy in establishing strategic goals, annual performance plans, and budgets. Once established, these goals should be measured on a regular basis. If you learn about and pay attention to these planning functions, you should be able to connect the vision of your mission with your actions as team members.

 

Mastery of the fundamentals

Once a team has a mission that motivates its performance and goals to direct its activity, it is essential the individuals who comprise the team have the skills necessary to successfully achieve the first two characteristics. Average teams have ability. High performance teams master the fundamentals. They know the basic skills of their work so well their execution of those basics is instinctive.

 

A communications system

On closer examination, however, you would find the main reason people feel communication is a problem is there is often no real agreement as to what they should be meeting or talking about. The business world does not suffer from a lack of communication, but rather from unfocused communication. Everyone is talking; we just are not talking about the same things.

 

High performance teams do not just communicate, they agree as to what the communication should center around. They have a system for communication.

 

Trust

Whenever two or more people work together, the question of trust is bound to be raised.

 

High performance team members understand there are three different kinds of trust that must exist if true trust is to exist. Those three kinds of trust are:

1. Disclosure trust is the trust that exists when any member of a team believes he or she can say absolutely anything to any other team member without fear of being criticized, ridiculed, or talked about behind his or her back.
2. Contractual trust is knowing when someone makes a commitment to you, they have every intention of keeping that commitment – at the time it is made.
3. Informational trust is the ability to trust what a person says to you is, to the best of that person’s knowledge, true, complete, and accurate.

A need for continuous improvement and the ability to correct course

All teams perform at some level. High performance teams perform at a level consistently above the average team. One reason is they are never satisfied with their present level, whatever it might be. They consistently strive for continuous improvement as a natural part of their day-to-day activities. Course correction is the ability to realize you are going down the wrong path and having the courage to change direction. This is often easier said than done because it sometimes requires an admission that an earlier decision was wrong.

 

A task/social mix

The final characteristic of high performance teams may seem trivial at first, but upon closer examination you will find it is actually the result of the presence of the first six elements. This seventh characteristic is a task/social mix. Sometimes referred to as the “beer and pizza syndrome,” task/social mix is the ability of team members to enjoy and appreciate each other’s company on a personal, as well as a professional basis. It is the ability to grow and improve from simply being together, regardless of the setting.

 

As you invest your energies in building a high performance team, it is essential you understand the role each of these characteristics plays in your efforts. All are required if you are to build a truly high performance team. Most importantly, you, as a member of your team, must constantly and objectively evaluate your team’s progress toward them. The status of being a high performance team does not come without effort. The results, however, are clearly worth the work.

 

Everyone enjoys being part of a winning team. Research shows that winning teams demonstrate certain characteristics and patterns of behavior. By assessing how frequently and effectively your team demonstrates these characteristics, you will be able to make improvements that are necessary to become a truly high performance team. For more information on how to embark upon a High Performance Team Assessment, call us toll-free at 1-800-999-6615, email us at mail@tweedweber.com, and/or visit us on the web at www.tweedweber.com. Also, be sure to follow us on LinkedIn (Tweed-Weber, Inc.) and Twitter (@TweedWeber).

 

 

Market Research and Strategic Planning: Tools for Strategic Management

Over the past several years, much has been written about the value of teams and the positive impact a successful team culture can have on an organization. We believe that to be true, and conduct employee surveys all the time to assess the health and climate of organizations. Greater levels of involvement and empowerment have resulted in statistically supported levels of enhanced productivity. But what about at the leadership level? That is a different ball game. Balancing traditional executive leadership behavior with the elements of successful teaming can be frustrating. A number of actual case studies show that team failures can result in detrimental effects to an organization's overall competitiveness. Where do these initiatives often fail? Typically, they are flawed from the start. You cannot approach a management team the same way you approach a project or functional team. The level of responsibility is obviously different, as well as the nature of the work for which the team is responsible. Successful management teams are created with these differences fully understood from the start by all team members.

A model for high performance teams at the management level is essential because a strong management team "at the top" can be a tremendous source of competitive advantage. In addition, a strong management team is extremely enabling to an organization looking to leverage leadership from a designated individual to a natural team. It takes time, but starting correctly can improve the probability of success.

Developing a game plan
When it comes to strategic planning, it is hard to avoid sports analogies. This is perfectly logical. Business, like sports, requires scouting, planning, skill and execution – all performed in a competitive arena. You could never imagine a professional team in any sport sustaining a winning tradition without a well-constructed, well-executed game plan. A strategic plan is your organization's game plan for winning. When the management team has defined its primary role as providing effective guidance and leadership for the organization, it recognizes strategic planning as the tool. The following are three basic actions that need to be taken in order to develop winning organizational "game plans."

#1 – Involve your management team in discovering what is truly going on in your competitive arena.
Perform a meaningful market analysis that includes a significant level of customer input. This is critical for two reasons: 1) you can't develop a sound plan based on intuitive hunches alone; and 2) your management team needs to develop a consensus relative to what is going on out there. In order for a management team to perform its primary role, the elements of market awareness and urgency will be essential. A purposeful information gathering activity will help address this requirement.

#2 – Develop long-term objectives and define strategies to accomplish those objectives.
It is critical to know where you are heading. Are you looking for a 20% growth in sales with a minimum 12% net profit? Are you looking to increase market share by 50% in a specific area? Are you determined to establish a dominant position in a given market? Whatever you determine, make it a stretch, but attainable. Defining the strategies to get you there depends upon your organization’s source(s) of market advantage. The five sources of market advantage are low price, product differentiation, unrivaled service, niching, and partnering. Upon which source(s) will you base your organization’s growth? In order to determine your organization’s sources(s) of market advantage, you will need to reference the findings of your market research and your team’s assessment of your organization’s internal strengths and weaknesses.

#3 – Communicate the plan and implement the strategies.
Communication is key for successful implementation. Winning companies have a large percentage of employees that understand the mission, vision, values, and strategies of the organization. This common understanding directs their actions. It is extremely important to work towards making communication a more efficient process. Keep in mind that effective communication is an ongoing process which takes discipline.

Bringing it all together
Implementing a strategic plan is an ongoing effort, one that involves the alignment of people and processes behind defined objectives and strategies. We believe this is the responsibility of the management team. Successfully addressing this issue will require your management team to make (and truly believe) the assumption that the large majority of people in the organization (if not all) would rather do a good job than a bad job. People need direction, guidance, feedback, and appraisal in order to work in an effective and efficient manner. Providing this ongoing support should be the responsibility of the management team, and the process and appropriate skills should be developed in order to provide this support effectively. This aspect of managerial performance is often overlooked. Professional management behavior does not naturally evolve, it is developed purposefully. Accountable organizations are those that recognize and act on this principle.

Conducting research and developing a strategic plan is not as daunting as it may appear. If you believe it has merit, it is probably best to talk to someone who has experience in helping similar organizations through the process. Doing this will help you increase your level of awareness and understanding about the requirements, benefits, and potential pitfalls. As you and the people of your organization approach the end of 2013, ask yourselves whether you are ready to make a significant change to take your business to the next level. If the answer is yes, then you will need to do something significantly different, and we can help. Call us toll-free at 1-800-999-6615, email us at mail@tweedweber.com and/or visit us on the web at www.tweedweber.com. Also, be sure to follow us on LinkedIn (Tweed-Weber, Inc.) and Twitter (@TweedWeber). We would be glad to share our experiences with you and help you decide the right plan of attack for your organization.

What can you gain from a Customer Perception Survey?

With the first day of fall comes the inevitable change of the world around us. The leaves begin to transform colors, the weather is up in the air (never knowing if it should be hot or cold for the day), and night comes faster than usual, but with every change comes a new beginning. This holds true with businesses as well.

As society changes, businesses must adapt to the differences, especially when dealing with transactions from customers. Understanding your customers is an important aspect to every successful business, and your ability to identify what makes them tick or what they need is always a number one priority. But how do you uncover these little tidbits of information? It’s easy; conduct a Customer Perception Survey. This type of survey allows businesses to measure customer loyalty, customer satisfaction, effective communication, and overall business trends.

Customer loyalty
When a person hears loyalty, they automatically think of being faithful, never straying. This also holds true in the business world. Businesses have to understand the magic behind the inner workings of their customers, since they are one of their biggest assets. This understanding consistently impacts the success of your business. A customer perception survey helps pin-point what customers like and what they don’t like about a business.

Customer satisfaction
A truly satisfied customer is one who doesn’t have any outstanding negative issues with a business, and one who will refer that business to others. In order to reach this magnitude, listening and following through are essential to maintaining the utmost satisfaction. Give customers a chance to voice their opinions about issues regarding a business, and then fix them.

Effective communication
An essential component to dealing with others is effective communication. When done properly, it gives a business the information needed to know what is and what isn’t working at that given moment. It also offers an opportunity for the business to let their customers know about any important changes or innovations in the company.

Spotting trends
Being able to spot a trend before a competitor is critical and could provide a significant advantage. Research can help with this. Although understanding customer satisfaction and loyalty are major drivers, capturing the wisdom of customers offers a business the upper hand in their given industry.

Along with these four areas, customer research allows businesses to critically evaluate their product development, determine product/service features, and determine acceptable price points. It also allows customers to voice their opinions about different strengths and weaknesses (their needs, wants, and expectations) and specific areas for improvement the organization should consider. It gives a business the chance to get into the minds of customers and evaluate what is important when adapting to the changes in society. But most important, customer research can increase sales! Utilizing the results of a customer survey can be incorporated into a business plan, and strategies can be developed to bring a business to their highest working capacity and potential.

If you’re wondering if a customer perception survey is right for you, we can help. Call us toll-free at 1-800-999-6615, email us at mail@tweedweber.com and/or visit us on the web at www.tweedweber.com. Also, be sure to follow us on LinkedIn (Tweed-Weber, Inc.) and Twitter (@TweedWeber).Like with fall, winter is around the corner, but when spring arrives, new growth begins. Now is the time to notice the changes within your industry and within your customer base, and remember that with every change comes a new beginning. No one can guarantee certainty, but market research can guarantee clarity. You will Know More, so you can Do More.