Developing and Sustaining High-Performance Work Teams: Background

Developing and Sustaining High-Performance Work
Teams
Background
Work teams are the backbone of contemporary work life. Executive teams run corporations.
Project teams create new products and services. Matrix teams help develop everything from
pharmaceuticals to the delivery of services in consulting firms and charitable agencies.
Marketing and sales teams deliver products and services to customers. High-performance work
teams are essential to the way most organizations organize and carry out their work, resulting in
superior performance, which translates into a significant competitive advantage.
A team is a group of people who work together to accomplish something beyond their individual
self-interests; however, not all groups are teams. A simple but effective description of what is
meant by "a team" comes from Jon R. Katzenbach and Douglas K. Smith's book, The Wisdom of
Teams: Creating the High-Performance Organization: "A team is a small number of people with
complementary skills who are committed in a common purpose, performance goals, and
approach for which they hold themselves mutually accountable."1
What distinguishes high-performance teams from other groups is that a team is more than a
collection of people simply following orders. To function effectively, a high-performance team
also needs:
 A deep sense of purpose and commitment to the team's members and to the mission.
 Relatively more ambitious performance goals than average teams.
 Mutual accountability and a clear understanding of members' responsibilities to the team
and individual obligations.
 A diverse range of expertise that complements other team members' abilities.
 Interdependence and trust between members.
The use of work teams is widespread in all types of organizations throughout the world—with
good reason. High-performance work teams have an advantage over the work of individuals
because each member can offer new ideas, talent and viewpoints. In addition, high-performance
work teams predictably execute strategy, meet goals and need little management oversight
because they are empowered and responsible for their functional activity and accountable for
performance. Compensation and incentives are usually tied to the achievement of team and
individual goals, respectively, with a heavier emphasis on collective team performance. Because
superior team performance is so highly valued, these teams do not tolerate marginal and
underperforming individual contributors.
Business Case
The use of teams has expanded dramatically in response to competitive challenges and
technological changes. Team structures allow for the application of multiple skills, judgments
and experiences that are most appropriate for projects requiring diverse expertise and problem-
solving skills. Teams can execute more quickly, make better decisions, solve more complex
problems, and do more to enhance creativity and build skills than an individual can. Their use
also increases productivity and morale; well-functioning teams can outperform individuals and
even other types of working groups.
There are four key reasons why teams work:
 A group of individuals brings complementary skills and experience that exceed the
abilities of a single individual.
 Teams support real-time problem-solving and are more flexible and responsive to
changing demands.
 Teams provide a unique social dimension that enhances the economic and administrative
aspects of work.
 High-performance teams generally have more fun at work than low-achieving teams or
individuals.
Characteristics of High-Performance Work Teams
Although there is no simple measure of performance effectiveness for groups, and no team is
identical, there seems to be a shared understanding of what makes an effective group work.
High-performance work teams are generally composed of a combination of purpose and goals,
talent, skills, performance ethics, incentives and motivation, efficacy, leadership, conflict,
communication, power and empowerment, and norms and standards.
Team purpose, goals and roles
High-performing teams are synergistic social entities that work toward the achievement of a
common goal or goals—short term and long term. They often exemplify a total commitment to
the work and to each other. Team members do better work when their roles are clear: They know
how to do their jobs and why they are doing them. Each member must understand and support
the meaning and value of the team's mission and vision. Clarifying the purpose and tying it to
each person's role and responsibilities enhances team potential, as does the inclusion of "stretch"
goals that increase the challenge necessary to motivate team members.
Talent, skills and work ethic
High-performance teams begin by recruiting and retaining their best talent while quickly helping
low-performing members find other places to work. Morale typically increases as performance
increases. After selecting for talent, it is critical to ensure that the team members possess
complementary skills (e.g., technical, problem-solving, decision-making and interpersonal
skills). Team members must exhibit a sustained commitment to performance excellence, exercise
candor and mutual respect, and hold themselves and their organizations accountable at both the
individual and team levels.
Incentives, motivation and efficacy

Both monetary and nonmonetary systems that encourage high performance have a positive
impact on tactical implementation of the team's goals. Over the long term, intrinsic motivators
such as personal satisfaction at work and working on interesting projects provide the greatest
impact on performance. In addition, a belief in one's self and abilities encourages people to take
more strategic risks to achieve team goals.
Leadership
High-performing leaders generally accompany high-performance work teams. Essential

leadership qualities include the ability to a) keep the purpose, goals and approach relevant and
meaningful; b) build commitment and confidence; c) ensure that team members constantly
enhance their skills; d) manage relationships from the outside with a focus on the removal of
obstacles that might hinder group performance; e) provide opportunities for others without
seeking credit; and f) get in the trenches and do the real work required. There is widespread
agreement that effective team leaders focus on purpose, goals, relationships and an unwavering
commitment to results that benefit the organization and each individual.
Conflict and communication
Conflict management is an essential part of becoming a high-performance team. Open

communication in such teams means a focus on coaching instead of on directing and a focus on
the ability to immediately address issues openly and candidly. The key to team performance is
open lines of communication at all times to provide motivation, maintain interest and promote
cooperation.
Power and empowerment
Empowered work teams increase ownership, provide an opportunity to develop new skills, boost
interest in the project and facilitate decision-making. Researchers refer to the ideal situation as
being "loose-tight," such that specific decision-making boundaries are constructed with enough
room for individuals to make empowered choices.
Norms and standards
Like rules that govern group behavior, norms can be helpful in improving team development and
performance. Norms for high-performance teams include open lines of communication, early
resolution of conflict, regular evaluation of both individual and team performance, high levels of
respect among members, a cohesive and supportive team environment, a strong work ethic that
focuses on results, and shared recognition of team successes. The key is that high-performing
teams actually discuss and agree to their operating rules—standards that each team member
agrees to uphold and for which they hold each other accountable.

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Developing and Sustaining High-Performance Work

There are four key reasons why teams work:

Characteristics of High-Performance Work Teams

Team purpose, goals and roles

Talent, skills and work ethic

Incentives, motivation and efficacy

High-performing leaders generally accompany high-performance work teams. Essential

Conflict and communication

Conflict management is an essential part of becoming a high-performance team. Open

Power and empowerment

Norms and standards

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