Becoming a High Performance Team

Motivation

Find out what motivates your team. Not every member of the team is motivated in the same way, so find that one factor that drives each person on your team individually and work on motivating him individually as well as the group. Contests can work for some people on your team, but there are others out there that do not enjoy competition and motivation. For others on your team, a personal sense of accomplishment or public recognition might be what drives them. If you can find that driving factor for each person on your team you can motivate the whole team to perform at a high level.

Set Goals For Your Team

Create a common goal for your team to work towards together. This might be something concrete like completing a project several days before the due date. It could also be something that encourages teamwork, such as forming small groups to give presentations on skills or topics that the rest of the team will benefit from learning about these topics. Keep track of the team goals determine if your team meets these goals. Reward the team if the goals are met, possibly with a team lunch to show you appreciate the effort the team made.

Constant Feedback

If you don't give your employees feedback on the performance they are giving, they won't know if they are doing a good job. Feedback does not always have to be negative with complaints about the quality of work or effort. Instead, hand out positive feedback as well. Encourage your employees by giving them expanded roles in areas they declare an interest in that you feel they have a high level of competency. This form of feedback will help them feel as if you view them as a vital member of the team and value their quality of work.

Challenge Your Employees

Don't let your employees start to feel like they have mastered what is expected of them. Find new tasks that they can use their skills they have mastered and develop new skills at the same time. If employees feel they have nothing to challenge them in the job, the team performance can suffer as they fail to reach and exceed company goals.