How to Build a Thriving Team

How would you feel if your team was high-performing and thriving?

This is a worthy goal for all leaders!

We all want a team that feels engaged, works collaboratively, and exceeds expectations.

But is this actually possible?

It sure is!

But it can only be achieved with intention and effort!

High-performing teams don’t just happen by accident.

For example, my client Sylvie called me a year ago.
She inherited a team that was quite dysfunctional.
So, we developed a 12-month strategy to move her team from mediocre to high-performing.
A year later, her team is still not perfect, but they are now a high-trust, high-functioning, and aligned group.

How did Sylvie achieve her goal over the past year?

Well, she worked hard and stayed really focused and committed.

Ready to take your team from good to great?

Here are the 4 steps that you can use to develop a high-performing team:

1. Set crystal clear goals: Imagine trying to play darts blindfolded. That’s what it’s like for your people if they don’t know the team’s goals. Ensure everyone knows not just the team targets but also how their role fits into the big picture. It’s like giving them night-vision goggles for that dart game!
2. Build trust like it’s your job (because it is): When your team trusts each other, magic happens. Work flows smoother, ideas fly faster, and those impossible tasks are suddenly not so impossible anymore.
3. Create a culture with purpose: Think about the culture you want for your team. Creative? Responsive? Collaborative? Whatever it is, remember – it starts with you. Leaders set the tone, meaning all the behaviours that you expect from your people must be modelled by YOU first.
4. Play to your strengths: If you’ve never used the DiSC profile or a similar assessment of your team’s strengths and weaknesses, it’s like a cheat sheet for understanding your team’s superpowers. When everyone works in their zone of genius, you go from good to great.

Now, you might be thinking, “This sounds great, but it also sounds like a lot of work.”

And you’re right, it is.

But let me ask you this: what are you and your team losing by not operating at a higher level?

Remember, Rome wasn’t built in a day, and neither is a high-performing team. But with dedication, the right tools, and a lot of patience, you can create something truly special.