Employee performance is an ongoing concern. Here are three areas to focus on if you want to build a team that can perform at a high level over time.
I've found that getting a team to perform well is a bit like maintaining my health. Gimmicky solutions don't last long. It's only the long-term, tried, and true strategies that maintain consistent, positive results.
This is because, as with health, team performance isn't a one-time event. It's an ongoing consideration. It's something that you need to maintain both now and in the future.
In my search for consistent team performance, I've found a few powerful, combat-tested ways to create (and maintain) high-performing teams. Here are three of the best of those tactics to inspire you as you manage your own team.
1. Fill your team in on what's going on
You can't expect a team to perform if it doesn't understand the why, what, where, when, and how of its collective tasks. But I challenge you to go further than just answering the basics. Ask yourself the question: Do you keep your team updated on their goals and objectives as you go along?
Transparency and communication are critical elements of an engaged team. McChrystal Group reports that when leaders update their employees routinely on the status of their company's objectives, staffers are 38 percent more engaged.
That is a staggering statistic that every leader should keep in mind. Don't keep your team in the dark if you want them to perform well together.
2. Set Smart goals (especially measurable ones)
I've found that vague goals aren't just ineffective, but they can derail your team's success.
You can't set an ill-defined goal and then communicate it to a group of people, especially if they have different experiences and perspectives. When that happens, you end up with a chaotic smorgasbord of results as each person pursues their own interpretation of how to accomplish your team's goals.
Instead, focus on Smart goals: Smart, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-Based. In this case, I want to highlight the measurable aspect of team goals in particular.
Vantage Circle points out that a measurable goal allows your team to break down their efforts into detailed sub-goals. Each of these relates to your overall Smart goals and allows you to define your progress over time. This tangible aspect is critical to maintaining performance as you go along.
3. Diversify your team to unleash its creativity
DEI is a politically charged topic with important cultural ramifications. It is reshaping the modern workplace -- and not just through the makeup of the workforce. It's also a powerful business tool, including helping to maintain high-performing teams.
One of the driving factors behind diversity as a business strategy is the fact that it sparks greater creativity. When you work in a diverse group, you run into different beliefs, education, training, experiences -- you name it. Everyone brings their own professional perspective to the table.
The result is a more open-minded and productive approach to problem-solving. In fact, vice dean for diversity, equity, and inclusion at Columbia Business School, Adam Galisky, reports that even the simplicity of dating someone from another culture transforms a person's thinking and boosts their creativity.
If you want your team to maintain its edge, make sure it is a group of diverse individuals, each with its own unique skills and perspectives. When you give a diverse group tangible goals and you keep them updated over time, you can create a powerful unit that can perform at a high level, no matter where, when, or what you collectively work on.
A version of this article appeared on inc.com, posted on March 29, 2023
EXPERD, Human Resources Consultant, Jakarta – Indonesia