How to create a top team
Let's cut to the chase: with a mediocre team, you can achieve mediocre results at best. More importantly, you run the risk of becoming progressively obsolete, if only because there will always be teams that perform better than yours.
I define a top team (or winning team) as one that consistently delivers top results and has fun doing it. So, it's not about running on the afterburner, but - on the contrary - full energy for team success, based on high inspiration and fun.
And, it's not just about teams in the narrower sense, but sometimes about entire companies.
When I look around, I see most teams in companies running at half power at most. And most of them are not even fully committed and enjoying their work.
On the contrary, those teams that are top performers are much more attractive to talent and display positive energy.
So, what are the top three levers you can use to create a winning team?
- Clarity of identity. You may be surprised that this comes first. The longer I coach teams, the more I see the difference in the identity that top teams and mediocre ones adopt. Identity is defined by the high expectations placed on each team member (and on leadership, of course) and by what we tolerate as mindsets, behaviors, and work practices. If you want to strengthen your team's identity, get in touch with me using the keyword "identity".
- Ambitious goals. I've never seen a top team that has mediocre goals. Winning teams have a habit of setting challenging goals and then "fighting" for and achieving them. Without that challenge, it wouldn't be fun. The good news is that many have simply forgotten this "drive" on the job, but show it on other occasions (sports, leisure). So, it can be reawakened.
- Selection of team members. Yes, this is part of it, too: Top teams are selective about who is on the team and who has to leave. I see too many leaders waiting too long before reassigning important positions (and on a winning team, every position is an important one). This is not about "hire and fire" at all, but about optimizing from a team and individual "player" perspective.
If you use these three levers consistently, you can turn any average team into a winning one in a relatively short time. Is this easy to implement? No, of course not!
If you want to take these steps, contact me for a consultation using the keyword "Top Team." ➔ Click here.