Building a high-functioning team isn’t just a nice thing to do, experts say there is a strong business case to do it. Companies that cultivate strong, collaborative teams consistently outperform their competitors, driving innovation, engagement and results, according to the FranklinCovey Blog.
Studies have shown that high-performing teams are significantly more productive and creative than ineffective teams, making more-informed decisions and saving more time while producing better results. High-functioning teams also see higher employee engagement and job satisfaction, reducing turnover by 50%.
Joel DeRouchey, professor swine nutrition and state Extension leader at Kansas State University, says building a high-functioning ‘team’ is one of the most important things you can do to achieve success, whether it’s your team at work, a volunteer committee, or even your family. Though the size and dynamics of each of those teams varies greatly, what makes them high functioning doesn’t.
Shared Purpose
As an educator, DeRouchey has had the opportunity to be a part of many teams and see a lot of teams in action. From his perspective, teams must constantly evaluate if they need to refocus, recharge or reset. That starts with asking yourself some questions, he says.
“Are you engaged? Are you with people who truly believe in the purpose of the team?” DeRouchey asks.
He says high-functioning teams share the same goals.
“Whether you’re building a team of employees in the barn or in the boardroom, you have to start with the same goals of self-improvement,” DeRouchey adds. “This requires being open-minded, being a good listener and speaking up when needed.”
The most important trait high-functioning teams possess is horizontal accountability, he says.
“I’m accountable to my team members,” DeRouchey explains. “We all have some individual responsibilities that we have to be champions for, but we must realize how our role impacts the other team members.”
He says horizontal accountability builds trust, understanding and self-awareness that helps each individual improve while propelling the whole team forward.
“To me, that accountability to others is key,” DeRouchey says. “Teams that are always trying to one up each other get destroyed really fast.”
When is it Time to Move on?
One of the hardest parts of being a part of a team is recognizing when it’s time for the team to be done.
“All teams don’t have to stay in the same function and fashion for decades and decades,” DeRouchey says. “They need to evolve to those who can work together, have a common mission and trust each other.”
Teams that don’t work well together aren’t productive or fun. He says this is often due to selfishness among one or more members of the team.
“Sometimes people are concerned if others are getting credit, or if they feel the limelight is being taken away from them,” DeRouchey says.
Other times, the challenges arise when someone is doing a disproportionate amount of work because somebody else isn’t pulling their weight.
“There’s never an exact equal percentage of time spent on every little thing between members of a team,” he points out. “There’s never a equal percentage of who gets the credit.”
But he argues high-functioning teams don’t care who gets the credit. They just want to get it done right. When teams become unfunctional, or people lose interest, it’s important to be able to make hard decisions for the good of the bigger team, DeRouchey says.
“I don’t know what the right word is, but you’ve got to be happy on your team, and if you’re not, then you need to reflect on whether or not you should be part of this team,” he says.
It’s also good to look around to see if there is somebody on the team who’s causing unhappiness or if something the team is doing is causing it. If so, it may be time to hit the reset button.
“We can get into the blame game pretty fast on a team,” DeRouchey says. “That’s human nature. We need to instead look in the mirror and take a step back and say, ‘All right, if something’s not going right, what is it? Is it me? Is it the situation?’ Then, go figure out how to best go forward.”
DeRouchey shares more on The PORK Podcast. You can watch it here on YouTube or listen anywhere podcasts are found.
