Welcome to Friday 411, issue #087. In 4 minutes, with 1 insight and 1 action, you will build the base of a high-performing team.
1 Insight
High-performing teams don’t happen by accident. A high-performing team is the result of an intentional structure.
One hallmark of an effective leader is the ability to build a high-performing team. High-performing teams consistently exceed expectations, achieving outcomes that surpass what individuals could accomplish on their own. Team members feel a greater sense of accomplishment and satisfaction in their work, and the organization benefits from sustained contributions. (For more on this, see The Wisdom of Teams.)
The Stability of a Stool
In furniture design, a three-legged stool is one of the most stable frameworks:
- The three legs allow weight to distribute evenly among the points of contact, creating balance.
- A three-legged stool is self-leveling, sitting flat even on slightly uneven surfaces as it adapts to the contours beneath it.
Just as a three-legged stool provides stability for seating, there are three “legs” that create a secure base for a high-performing team.
We recently worked with a company to establish these legs. While this business had existed for over 30 years, several new members had joined the leadership team. They were working to identify ambitious three-year goals for revenue, profit, and employee retention. Reaching these goals required high-performance. First, they needed a stable base.
We spent three days laying the foundation for their transformation, helping them establish the three crucial legs they’d need to make progress:
Leg #1: Every Person Takes Responsibility
Have you ever worked with someone who refused to take responsibility for their mistakes? Or a colleague who blamed others for every problem without acknowledging their own contributions? Or perhaps someone who made excuses to avoid accountability?
Unfortunately, we’ve encountered such individuals too. These team members are cancerous to high-performing teams. They erode the cohesion that binds a team together and diminish overall effectiveness.
In a high-performing team, every member take responsibility in two key areas: their areas of ownership and influence.
1. Their areas of ownership.
Each team member takes responsibility for everything that they have 100% control and authority over. This includes their attitudes, actions, habits, and words. They must own their behavior fully and not shift blame when things go wrong.
2. The results in their area of influence.
Responsibility also extends beyond what you control. Even if you don’t have direct control over a result, members of high-performing teams take responsibility for the outcome. Think of a football coach: they aren’t playing on the field but still take responsibility for the game’s result.
When someone takes responsibility for both their area of ownership and their area of influence, we call it 125% Responsibility. Members of high-performing teams embrace this level of responsibility. They don’t blame others or make excuses. When everyone takes 125% Responsibility, the whole team works together to solve challenges.
Leg #2: Every Person Actively Builds Trust
We believe every single person wants to work in an environment of trust. Even in organizations like the Mafia, people hope their associates won’t betray them.
In every organization, leaders are responsible for building trust with each team member and fostering a trust-filled environment. Once everyone embraces 125% Responsibility, each person must also commit to cultivating trust with their colleagues.
But trust doesn’t just build itself. It requires that each team member strategically and proactively extend trust to others.
When you give trust to others, you usually receive it in return.
Trust, in a high-performing team, isn’t a vague idea. It’s built through three specific types of trust:
1. Relational Trust
In Relational Trust, members get to know each other as individuals. They share facts, opinions, and experiences, finding common ground that fosters genuine connections. They learn about each other’s families, interests, and hobbies.
2. Integrity Trust
Integrity Trust is the confidence you have in a person’s character. It’s a belief that they will be honest and fulfill their promises. Team members trust that others have the team’s best interests at heart. Instead of questioning motives, they give the benefit of the doubt when they don’t understand someone’s behavior.
3. Skill Trust
High-performing teams rely on each other’s abilities. Each member needs to trust that their colleagues have the skills to do their job well. If someone needs help, they should be able to ask without fear of judgment or micromanagement.
Great teams don’t expect trust to develop organically. Instead, they intentionally and strategically cultivate it.
Leg #3: Every Person Plays By the Same Rules
Team members need clear guidelines for how they interact and work together. Without this structure, teams often fall into petty arguments, internal politics, and unproductive “meetings after the meetings,” where people discuss issues behind closed doors instead of addressing them openly.
High-performing teams avoid these pitfalls because they identify the rules that they will play by.
High-performing teams use Team Operating Principles (TOPs) to guide their behaviors. TOPs are a set of guidelines that every person on a team commits to and holds each other accountable to. These principles establish the rules of engagement for the team.
Once the team identifies their TOPs, each person agrees to uphold them and to hold their colleagues accountable as well. Whenever someone violates one of the Principles, anyone on the team can challenge the person.
When these three legs are in place, leaders have a stable base for creating a high-performing team that consistently exceeds expectations.
1 Action
If you’re building a high-performing team, go in order. Start by making sure everyone takes 125% Responsibility, then move to building trust, and finally identify your TOPs.