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Getting Your Team to High Performing Sooner Rather than Later

Getting Your Team to High Performing Sooner Rather than LaterThe quicker you can get your team to be a high performing team, the more effectively you can meet the goals and objectives of the initiative. A high performing team works well together – they rely on each other to accomplish the goals of the project, understanding their individual strengths and using those strengths to accomplish the work.

There are a number of ways to get a team through the stages of team development quickly. These include:

  • Enabling the team to spend time up front to get to know each other on a personal level. Do this through having early team meetings (before the project is officially launched) and enable for time to socialize. A variety of team activities is a great way to get team members acclimated to each other. This will increase their comfort level in working as a team.
  • Keep the team size smaller – no more than 8 – 10 members on the team. The smaller the team size, the easier it is for team members to get comfortable with each other. It also requires team members to rely on each other to accomplish the objectives of the project. Certainly this is not always possible and when it is not, use sub team leads to help you in getting the team to a high performing stage.
  • Ensure that for projects that have an organizational-wide impact, that every department/functional area is represented on the team. This enables for a variety of perspectives to be shared and expertise in individual team members that enables for more effective working relationships and reliance on each other.
  • Get the team involved! From the very beginning of the project and building the documentation – scope statement, risk management plan, stakeholder register, communication plan, etc. you want them engaged in the project.
  • If possible, enable for team members to remain on the project from the very start through to the end. Adding in new people to the team only sets the team back to a storming stage and you’ll need to help them get back to performing.

Remember that as a project manager or team leader, you play a very important role in getting the team to the high performing stage. This is done through sharing the leadership role with the team and ensuring the team has a shared vision and mission to strive toward.

What are your ways to get a team to a high performing stage?

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