HOW TO BUILD A WINNING TEAM

(2 mins read)

It’s obvious that you have heard, read or experienced working in or interacting with a High Performing Team. Everyone invests lots of thinking, time and effort to create an inclusive and engaged team. Due to this fact, there are so many definitions or models of the High Performing Team. This is the reason why there are many different ways to reach the destination.

Two years ago, all was set and clear. HPT meant more or less working closely together, highly focused on their goals and achieving business results. The pandemic accelerated changes on high performing team concept as well. We rarely meet in an office environment and connect virtually with a technology support. We use technology to share files, project plans, coordinate our work. There is more focus on the HUMAN element, positive work culture or work/life balance. There is less focus on WHAT and more focus on the HOW. New ways of working are more empathic and humanic.

Below there are principles of the WINNING TEAM concept. It’s not rocket science or a totally new team performance model. It’s rather a best practice which I developed over the last couple of years. It’s a combination of ten Principles and ten descriptions for the Winning Team Ways of Working.

According to the “less is MORE” approach, it is less about policies, processes, guidelines, politics and egos. It’s MORE about principles based thinking and acting.

Principles of the Winning Team:

1. TRUST – psychological safety enabling open and honest communication, constructive debate, challenge and feedback
2. PASSION – love what you do and do what you love
3. DIVERSITY – diversity of experience, background, thoughts, points of view, ideas
4. PURPOSE – a crystal-clear, common and inspirational motivation
5. ALIGNMENT – common understanding and execution of Why?, What?, Who?, When? and How?
6. EMPOWERMENT – we are drivers, not passengers
7. LEADERSHIP – we are leaders and all act as leaders
8. CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE – we understand and support customers
9. INNOVATION & CREATIVITY – we welcome disruptive, innovative, creative and bold thinking
10. INTEGRITY – right stuff when nobody is looking

Ways of Working of the Winning Team:

1. We work anywhere and anytime
2. We ask questions to understand
3. We do not compromise
4. We make decisions
5. We are tough to a problem and soft to a person
6. We keep it simple
7. We promote productiveness and efficiency vs busyness
8. We celebrate failures and successes
9. We learn from mistakes
10. We are having FUN

Did you spot one interesting element?

Yes, there is nothing about goals, budgets, P&L, strategies!

It’s all about the CULTURE and the WAYS OF WORKING. All intellectual power, individual efforts and team energy will be put behind what is supposed to achieve and it will be achieved.

At the end, let me ask you a couple of questions which will help you to reflect on high performing model. The purpose is not to push you for a change. If something is working well, there is no need to change it. The questions below would help you to reflect and initiate some improvements if needed.

1. Are you satisfied with a collaboration within your team?
2. What are the strengths of your TEAM?
3. Is your team focusing more on WHAT or HOW?
4. On a scale from 1 to 5, where 1 is “strongly disagree” and 5 is “strongly agree”, what is a team effectiveness of your current team?
5. Is there anything you would change in case of ways of working of your team?

Focus on your team culture – team purpose. It will help you to create a team spirit; the spirit of a winning team.

Keep reflecting, keep changing and keep building the WINNING TEAM!