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Tag: Team engagement

Posted on November 24, 2020June 10, 2026

High performing teams start with this one important ingredient

High performing teams start with this one important ingredient

I’ve been thinking a lot over the past few weeks about what it takes to create a great team.  Not just a good team – but a world class team that work together to create exceptional results.   

The truth is, if you lead a world class, high performing team made up of A players, it’s not  because you’re lucky and it didn’t happen by accident.

A high performing team takes work!

Regardless of whether you’re leading a team of people who report directly to you, or you head up a project with a team pulled together from across the business – it’s up to you to engage these people to work cohesively and effectively to implement the strategy.

Take a moment now to think about your team….

Do you have a team of A players?  Or do you have a mixed bag of high performers, average performers and some who drain your time and energy on a daily basis?

Building and nurturing a high performing team is a non-negotiable for me.  I may only have a small team, but it’s a mighty team. 

I love these women and together we create a little collective magic each and every week.  Making do is not an option.  Settling for B and C players is not an option.  Only the best will do.

Leading a high performing team starts with a decision.

You need to decide that a world class team is what you want, what you deserve and that it is indeed possible. No more leaving it up to fate. If you want to be known as a leader who can attract and develop talented people, it starts with deciding that you’ll do what it takes.

The next step… is to make it a priority. 

But the challenge I see is that leaders often make do with the people they’ve got. 

They are so busy, struggling to keep their workload under control that they fall into the trap of making do and settling for average performance from their team.

It takes time and energy to manage, engage and nurture team members. If you are to build a world class team you must clearly articulate the standards you expect and have the challenging and confronting conversations that at times need to be had. 

It may mean parting ways with some team members.  These decisions are never easy but in hindsight usually turn out to be the turning point not only for you as the leader but also for the rest of the team.

The foundations of a high performing team:

1. Decide

It all starts with deciding that a world class team is your goal.  You must believe it’s possible and then make it your priority.  This may require a slight shift in thinking – away from making do with what you’ve got to expecting more from yourself as a leader and from your team.

2. Set expectations.

Your team cannot live up to your expectations if they don’t know what they are.  Start by setting and communicating what you expect from each individual and collectively as a team.  But don’t stop there.  Provide regular feedback based on these expectations, recognising good performance and specific coaching on areas of improvement.  Recognise great performers love to be stretched and given opportunities for growth. 

3. Lead your people.

To attract and maintain exceptional people you must be a great people leader.  Good people follow good leaders.  Take time to reflect on your leadership of people.  Be honest with yourself… is this an area of growth for you?

So, have you made the decision that you deserve to surround yourself with a high performing team?  Yes.  It does take work – but it’s worth it. 

Everything becomes easier and more enjoyable when you are working effectively towards a common goal.  And it never ceases to amaze me what can be achieved when you bring together the passion and commitment of a great team to make something happen.

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[jc_buttons]

At some stage in your career, you will be confronted with the need to have a difficult conversation. 

You know the type… it makes your stomach lurch and has you wanting to do everything but have that conversation.  It could be dealing with a customer complaint, providing negative feedback to a team member or letting someone know their employment has been terminated.

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Whatever the nature of the conversation, they all involve an element of risk.  They are often scary and rarely easy but always necessary.  Our innate biological instinct to avoid pain and discomfort, along with the fast paced, high pressure of our work, often have us avoiding these types of conversations.

Unfortunately, issues that are left unaddressed can potentially worsen, destroy trust, undermine teamwork, damage engagement and limit the likelihood of a successful outcome for all.

Your reputation with your team is also on the line.  If issues are left to fester, your team will start to question your effectiveness and your commitment to tackle the difficult issues.  Courageous conversations provide you with a clear pathway to building relationships, growing your influence and allows you to set clear expectations and standards with your team.

Even writing about this topic brings up for me old feelings of anxiety and my own personal torture that comes from putting off something I know has to be done.  I was a master at telling myself that the problem would sort itself out with time or create more urgent and pressing matters to attend to rather than addressing the challenging conversations as they arose.

And you guessed it, burying my head in the sand only magnified the problem and impacted my business results.  Difficult conversations are scary because the stakes are high, but the cost associated with ignoring the problem is often even higher.

Now is the time to stop procrastinating and make the conversation happen.

The following keys will help guide you to achieving an optimal result.

1.  Manage your emotions.  Difficult conversations can often be emotionally charged.  By remaining calm and in control of your emotional energy you will set the tone for the meeting. Emotions are highly contagious.  Your power lies in your ability to remain grounded and focused on the outcome.  Don’t let the poor behaviour of others be an excuse for your’s.

2.  Seek a common goal. Take the time at the beginning of the conversation to clarify the higher common purpose or goal.  Very often we are striving for the same goal but conflict arises when we differ in the approach, standards or expectations.  By clarifying that you are actually seeking the same common goal will diffuse some of the tension from the outset.

3.  Separate story from fact. The story is often super charged with emotion.  Clarify your opinion while respecting the others point of view.   Address behaviours not the person.  Avoid pointing fingers, blaming or making vague accusations.

4.  Listen to understand.  Avoid the temptation to do all the talking and race straight to solution mode.  Resist making assumptions and come from a place of genuine curiosity and a desire to understand the other’s point of view.  Step into their shoes for a moment to see the situation from their perspective.  Listen and acknowledge where they are coming from before sharing your views on the situation.  As Stephen Covey says in his book 7 Habits Of Highly Effective People – seek to understand before seeking to be understood.

5.  Be future focused.  Stay focused on working towards an agreeable outcome and what needs to change or improve.  Set clear expectations and document agreements on what each party commits to do.

6.  Speak powerfully. The way you convey your message is important.  Speak with confidence and certainty.  Neuroscience has proven that powerful, positive language has a profound impact on our own and others’ behaviours and outcomes.  If you don’t yet feel confident…. act as if you are. Over time and with practice you will be!

7.  Prepare and practice.  Difficult conversations are just that… difficult.  They require practice.  They do get easier and you will become more effective with practice.   Ensure you take the time to prepare, getting clear on the outcome you wish to achieve and setting yourself up for success with a sense of calm and certainty.

Whatever your profession, position or level of experience… it is inevitable that you will come across the need to have difficult conversations that require you to be courageous, step outside your comfort zone and take a risk to address the issue.

Keep in mind what is at stake. If you stay silent and tiptoe around the issue your reputation, team moral, trust, relationships and, ultimately, organisational results are on the line.

By taking action and addressing issues as they come up you will build your influence, impact and career success…. one conversation at a time.  So be bold, listen bravely and believe that you can. 

[jc_buttons]

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Lets connect on LinkedIn – If you’re ready to take your career and leadership to the next level, let’s connect. Join me on LinkedIn to access insightful tips, exclusive content, and conversations that will help you lead with confidence and influence.
Join the newsletter list for weekly tips and strategies showing you how to ignite your career, lead your way and accelerate your success. 
Watch The Next Level Training to breakthrough to the next level of leadership, impact and recognition.  
Get my best tips on working smarter not harder 
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Book a FREE leadership support session with me. 
Can’t find what you’re looking for? Contact my team.

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Team engagement matters.  Successful teams who consistently achieve superior results are filled with highly motivated, engaged team members who approach their job with energy, enthusiasm and creatively. 

But where do you find these people who willingly put in the extra effort, who provide exceptional customer service, who look for ways to support business growth and who are brilliant at working with others in the team to come up with innovative solutions?

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Imagine the results your team could achieve if everyone fit this description!  For many businesses this is nothing more than a dream.

These types of team members seem few and far between… and that’s because they are.

Highly engaged employees are rare!  According to the most recent Gallop Poll only 24% of Australian team members are “engaged.”  20% are “actively disengaged” with the rest being “not engaged.”

Engaged employees stand apart from the rest because of the level of discretionary effort they bring to their role.

These team members willingly go the extra, work with a sense of passion and purpose and are connected and committed to the company goals.

In contrast, actively disengaged employees are generally disgruntled, and looking for ways to disrupt and more often “infect” those around them with their less than positive attitude.

And, most frustratingly, they take up your time and energy managing their behaviours and poor performance.  This can impact everything from customer service to sales, quality, productivity and retention.

The group of “not engaged” employees represent the greatest untapped potential for improved team performance and results.  This group is not overly hostile but tend to sleepwalk through the day, watching the clock, bringing with them an unmotivated and uninspired energy to the office.

I can relate to this.  For most of my working career I have sat firmly in the “engaged” group, willingly going the extra mile to get the best results possible for the business and loving the work I was doing.  So to my shock and dismay, several years ago I slipped into the “not engaged” group.

I didn’t have a great relationship with my manager. I felt that the work I was doing was not valued and I was disconnected from the bigger picture and goals of the business. I still enjoyed working with the team … but that was not enough.

I would dread the thought of going to work. I watched the clock, counting down the minutes until it was time for coffee, lunch or time to go home. I was going through the motions continuing to do what was necessary …. but no more than that.

So with the majority of employees heading to work each day, lacking energy, passion and full engagement, how do we convert these people into highly effective team members to increase performance and sustainable business growth?

Here are 5 simple strategies from the Closing The Gap by Gebauer and Lowman.

1.  Know them.  The relationship between you and your team is a critical factor in team member engagement and performance results.  We all respond positively when others demonstrate to us that we matter, that we are respected and that what we bring is of value.

Commit to really getting to know your team.  Focus on understanding their strengths, their goals, what drives them, and what is important to them.  Get to know them as a person not just another cog in the wheel.  

2.  Grow them. Being provided opportunities for growth is a significant driver of engagement.  A commitment to growth at all levels shows team member that there is a future for them within the organisation and a pathway to achieve their career aspirations.

Employees also report a sense of commitment and loyalty towards the business if they have been given opportunities for growth (either formally through courses and seminars or informally through ongoing support, mentoring and advice.)

3.  Inspire them.  Engaged employees feel aligned with the business purpose, values and vision.  They believe that their work is meaningful and that their contribution is recognised as important.

Team members who put in the extra discretionary effort also like and trust their manager.  Inspire the trust and respect of your team through your actions and your authenticity.  To learn more about this, check out this article.

4.  Involve them.  Team members must feel like they have an opportunity to really make an impact and to have a say.

Ensure that each and every team member knows how what they do, influences the business outcomes.  Assist them to feel connected to the business vision and part of the success of the business.

The companies that have high employee engagement tap into the knowledge and expertise of their team.  Seek feedback from your team ensuring that you genuinely “listen” to what they have to say.  Acknowledge that given that they are the one’s on the “front line”, their opinion and ideas matter.

5.  Reward them. Reward and reinforce the behaviours you want.  Take notice and provide feedback to your team when you see them demonstrating the behaviours that contribute to team engagement.  Like wise … challenge behavior that undermines the team engagement.  There must be consequences if you expect behaviours to change.

The performance of your team is directly linked to the engagement of your team. 

It is your responsibility as the leader of the team to build a culture of engagement.  When you do this…. you will be handsomely rewarded by creating an environment were the team is passionate and committed to producing extraordinary results, maximising business growth and overall performance.

And doesn’t that sound like an environment worth creating!

[jc_buttons]

Click below to…

Lets connect on LinkedIn – If you’re ready to take your career and leadership to the next level, let’s connect. Join me on LinkedIn to access insightful tips, exclusive content, and conversations that will help you lead with confidence and influence.
Join the newsletter list for weekly tips and strategies showing you how to ignite your career, lead your way and accelerate your success. 
Watch The Next Level Training to breakthrough to the next level of leadership, impact and recognition.  
Get my best tips on working smarter not harder 
Read my latest blog post.
Book a FREE leadership support session with me. 
Can’t find what you’re looking for? Contact my team.

Similar Blog Posts

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