Entelechy conducted research of over 50 different studies on high performance teams. Some studies focused on motivation; some on trust; some on leadership; others on vision; still others on many other topics. The more we investigated, the more the characteristics of high performing teams fell into place.

Several important themes emerged which we used to develop a model. This model will enable you to more effectively identify and address what your team needs to become high performing.

HPTs are Concerned about the Process AND the Task

High performance teams are clear about WHAT they are to do – the TASK – and HOW they do things – the PROCESS.

TASK is concerned primarily about WHAT gets done.

PROCESS is concerned primarily about HOW things get done. High performance teams continue to be high performing even when the task changes because they have established processes.

HPTs are Concerned about the Team AND the Individual

Another theme that emerged was the distinction between TEAM and INDIVIDUAL.

High performance teams have a certain “teamness” about them. People want to be part of high performing teams. They want to contribute to the team and are willing to sacrifice for the team. At the same time, high performing teams recognize the value and contribution of each individual AND that individuals have specific needs.

TEAM is concerned primarily with the group as the entity.

INDIVIDUAL is concerned primarily with the group member.

The distinction is important since teams are collections of individuals. There are characteristics about how individuals work and react in teams that are different than how they react in groups or individually. Likewise, there are characteristics about how teams treat individuals that is different than how groups or individuals treat individuals.

Sub-Characteristics

While some characteristics can be clearly categorized as team/individual or task/process, other characteristics aren’t so definite so as to be easily categorized. Oftentimes, characteristics may fall somewhere between the continua. For example, each of the following characteristics were identified in our research; follow our thinking as we categorize the characteristic starting at the top of the HPT graphic and working clockwise:

TEAM = Sense of belonging; leadership; membership; team identity

TEAM/TASK = Shared common purpose and vision

TASK = Clear tasks, expectations, performance metrics, timelines

INDIVIDUAL/TASK = Shared responsibility; individual accountability

INDIVIDUAL = Creative talents; respect for diversity

INDIVIDUAL/PROCESS = Clear decision making, problem solving, and conflict resolution processes

PROCESS = Strong internal and external communications; norms

TEAM/PROCESS = Clear links with other groups and customers

The Characteristics of HPTeams

Keeping the TASK/PROCESS and TEAM/INDIVIDUAL arrows in mind, we labeled all eight areas of high performance teaming:

Participative Leadership

§ Envisioning and organizing leadership

§ Based on expertise

§ Shared

§ Team members accept and relinquish leadership

§ Creates interdependency

Aligned on Purpose

§ Shared purpose

§ Clear vision

§ Self-directing

§ Aligned goals

§ Members understand their roles and fit

Task Focused

§ The task guides the team and individuals

§ Job satisfaction

§ Challenge

Shared responsibility

§ Members personally responsible for the team and each other

§ Accountable

§ Loyal

§ Shared success

Innovative

§ Tap into each other’s creativity and talents

§ Diversity is valued

§ Synergistic

Problem Solving

§ Opportunity, challenge

§ Decision-making

Communicative

§ Open, honest

§ Inspired

§ Proactively share info

§ Humor

Responsive

§ Client/customer focused

§ Interactive

§ Mobilize quickly

§ Change direction

What’s the Big Deal about Teams?

Why are teams popular today? What’s changed about our environment and economy that makes teaming so critical? Here are a few of the reasons why teams have become critical in today’s economy:

§ More orientation towards a service and information society and away from an industrial society

§ Rate of change: no single person can keep up

§ Knowledge explosion: no single person can know it all

§ Most valuable corporate resources are people

Teamwork is not new. Our history depicts us as team-based hunters and gatherers. The industrial age changed us into individualistic automatons useful for the number of hours we can apply to our work. The information age and communication age is requiring that we move back to team-based work. We are coming to rely more and more on each other’s unique contribution and expertise.

The companies that can harness the untapped potential in individuals through the use of teams will have a competitive advantage over those who can’t.

HPTeams versus Other Types of Teams

In our research, we uncovered different types of teams. A traditional team is one that gets together typically to accomplish a task; emphasis is on the task and the individual and unique strength of each team member. Self-directed teams are more process focused and concerned that the “teaming” results in a good experience for all members. HPTeams seem to be able to simultaneously focus on the task and the process, on the team and the individual.

What are the similarities and differences between traditional, self-directed, and high performing teams?

Characteristic Traditional Team Self-directed Team HPTeam

Leadership central/single rotates shared

Purpose dictated/not team-derived, known combination

Task Focused medium self-directed defined boundaries

Responsibility individual shared shared

Innovative individual emergent emergent

Problem solving limited opportunity group

Communication limited/bound solid solid

Responsive task bound virtual combination

Self-Monitoring – The Ninth Characteristic

In conducting the research, we kept encountering a characteristic that defied categorization (or at least wouldn’t fit the model as we’d defined it). We found that HPTeams were especially adept at objectively and continuously monitoring how the team was doing. Not only did HPTeams monitor progress towards the goal (task monitoring), they took regular “temperature checks” to see how they were doing as a team – or even as individuals within the team.

Because the self-monitoring happened in each characteristic (and because it seemed that everyone shared responsibility in monitoring and reporting on the team’s progress and health, we added inward-pointing arrows in the model to call attention to this ninth – and omnipresent – characteristic.

Building HPTeams

While conducting the research and creating the above model proved to be informative and interesting, describing high performing teams is only the prelude to building high performing teams. (And in defending the importance of research and the resulting categorization, recall the quote: If you don’t know where you’re going, any road will do.) To build HPteams:

§ Identify your team strength and personal contribution

§ Consider the eight characteristics and identify where your team needs the most help

§ Take responsibility and declare how you will contribute to effectiveness of the team