Lighthouse News

The concept of a team is not unfamiliar to us. From athletics, to school assignments, to volunteer activities, we are trained to become members, active participants and, even, leaders of teams. Most people recognize that teams are crucial to the success and progress of businesses and organizations.

Yet, the difference between a “group of people working together” and a high performance team is similar to the difference in a LION hunting its prey on the African savanna and a domesticated CAT sitting in front of a fire.

High performance teams are more than a group of people working together to accomplish a common task. They share a common vision and purpose that inspires their performance. They feel accountable for their work, solve problems, make decisions and fully invest themselves in the organization. In order for a team to achieve high performance, they must be allowed the time to set their purpose, operating norms, characteristics and desired performance results.

High performance teams have been defined as self-managing, multi-functional groups of people who are organized around a whole process and empowered with full responsibility for their own success. To achieve this, certain elements must be present.

The CHARTER (or the “why”) is the definition of why the team is in existence and provides clarity for team members. It focuses on the customers, purpose, team goals and team vision.
The DESIGN (or the “what”) is the architecture of the systems and structure of the team. It focuses on the core work processes, roles and responsibilities, procedures and norms, and systems.
The RELATIONSHIP (or the “how”) is the area in which team members understand how to relate to each other. In this element, the focus is on trust, respect, communications, cohesion, and synergy.

Come back next week for Part 2 of this story – and do contact Lighthouse4Business.com to talk about our trainings for your teams.