Psychological safety is one of the needs that all high-performing teams have in common. Find out how to improve your team's performance by meeting certain conditions.
Lightning in a bottle:
Unlocking your team’s full potential and managing it in a consistent way can be a reliable predictor of organizational success. Capturing such power is quite difficult as it requires an individual approach, a dose of empathy and even then, a great deal depends on circumstances that might be out of your control. Despite its elusive nature, the secret formula of building a high-performance team is hidden in plain sight and comes down to understanding the very essentials of human nature – Without further ado let’s jump into what they are.
1. Valuable errors:
Do not let their brilliant problem-solving skills fool you – software developers are not robots and they do sometimes fail! Everyone’s allowed to make mistakes. It is an important and unavoidable part of a learning curve – the way you cope with errors as a leader is what makes the difference. Providing your team with constructive feedback creates far more value than simple correction or judgment and should be perceived as a long-term investment rather than a temporary solution for issues that occur. Proper narration builds a sense of safety among a team as much as creating a stable work environment, attractive salaries or healthcare plans do. Improvement-driven communication will help every leader make sure their team is delivering on time.
2. Build for growth:
No matter how unified and well-oiled they are, every team is a machine built of individuals. Highly motivated professionals constantly look to absorb more information and master new frameworks offered to them but their experience levels may vary when merged into a single team. Creating an opportunity to exchange knowledge and learn from more skilled colleagues can be a crucial factor in constructing high-performance teams (or even the recruitment process itself). Having a good support network and working alongside other people who actively encourage each other to grow is a great asset to a company. Invest in your team’s education, provide resources and mentorship. Build your team in a smart way and observe with reverence how productivity increases.
3. Start from the core:
Achieving a level of high performance requires a deep understanding of individuals’ capacities, drives and motivations. Forget about ‘one size fits all’ solutions and take time to get to know your players and build up from the core. Start with identifying the main purpose for each and every member of your team. Make sure everyone feels fulfilled and that they are following a path they want to be on. The right person in the right position will be happier and better motivated. Know their expectations and let them know what is expected of them to shape their work environment accordingly. Setting adequate goals and key performance indicators for the team will lead to an increased focus and help you to go a long way as a leader. Work to your players’ strengths and handle their weaknesses with improvement in mind. In addition, don’t hold a meeting for what could have been an email – Work efficiently and always aim to decrease unnecessary distractions.
Summary:
The most obvious solutions often need the most cooperation in advance. Although it is time-consuming and requires a certain skillset from both the leader and the team, this formula has proven to be very efficient across different industries as it comes down to fulfilling the needs that most people share. It’s important to identify the individual capacities and motivations of your team members to find the right route for their development, provide constructive feedback in day-to-day work and communicate in a clear way to improve the workflow. Last but not least, simply care about your team’s needs.
