An organization is only as good as the people running it are. Building a dream team requires more than a list of skills and assets, and definitely more than a screening process during the interview phase. A team is a complex system. A system of organisms performing well alone, and better together.

So, how do you build a high performing team? What are key components to monitor and focus on?

1. An environment inspiring safety

Working in a safe environment takes you a long way towards improving the efficiency of your team. Teams who operate within fear lack motivation and inspiration to work, and end up operating by diminishing value. Promoting safety in the workplace starts at the top, building a matrix of trust between team members, which will generate support and communication between each other.

2. Build a culture not a system

We often hear organizations talking about what great systems they’ve put in place for their teams to thrive. However, teams do not follow systems and strategies, teams follow Culture. Build a Culture that will allow your team to bond, provide feedback and support one another. Culture will run the system not the opposite.

3. Retain quality and performance

Retention and turnover are a metric that says a lot about an organization’s team. How long people stay in the organization speak to the latter’s culture and environment. It also speaks to the future of the organization and its team’s potential. You can imagine that a team whose members change frequently will not meet the same performance as a team whose members stick together for a longer period of time.

4. Great Leadership

A great team asks for even greater leadership. Many CEOs, managers, and other people in leadership positions, confuse their job description with being strictly related to the business of the organization; when in fact, the majority of a leader’s job is to take care of those they are in charge of. Intuitively monitoring happiness within their teams, and actively investing their time into improving it.

It starts with being humble enough in order to be reachable. Knowing that accountability starts at the Top of the pyramid, and that they are responsible of everything within the organization.

The management position requires hiring the right people.

Hire fast, fire faster, promote fastest.

Because just the good performance is as easily spotted as the bad one; and the good one should be rewarded faster than the bad one punished. This will inspire others to aim for more, and grow within the organization.

Finally, leaders should build bridges with their team members, learn how to get rid of corporate cancer when people don’t get along, and maintain a high touch relationship with their high performers through outings, family dinners etc. This over communication will generate an even greater culture improving the efficiency and performance of a team.

SEE YOU AT THE TOP!