Ellie C.

High-performing teams are autonomous teams that deliver measurable high-standards results relevant to the company’s key strategic initiatives in a timely & sustainable manner.

High-performing teams pursue excellence through shared goals, open communication, clear expectations, and a strong sense of accountability among their members.

However, building a high-performing team needs more than just putting together a group of talented people with the right skills—it requires careful development of some unique characteristics and behaviors.

What defines a high-performing team?

A high-performing team is an autonomous team that delivers measurable high-standards results relevant to the company’s key strategic initiatives in a timely and sustainable manner.

What are the four qualities of a high-performing team?

Specific exclusive attributes distinguish high-performing teams from the rest. Let’s look at some of the key characteristics of a high-performing team.

• Optimum autonomy
  

  • Situational awareness. Members of high-performing teams have a strong situational awareness of their team, partner teams, and the company’s strategic focus. Each member of such a team may have well-defined roles, but they are mindful of the big picture.
    
    Most importantly, these members know how their work fits in the big picture. And thus, members of a high-performing team know the ‘what’ and the ‘why’ of their jobs.
    
    
  • Proactiveness and cross-functionality. High-performing teams do not wait for orders from above when faced with a challenge. Instead, they proactively find out the relevant information or person to unblock them. Additionally, such teams relay necessary information to the impacted key stakeholders instead of waiting for others to “figure it out.”
    
    Moreover, high-performance teams work with cross-functional members as needed. Such teams can operate without having the leadership give orders on each step.

• High-standards
  

  • Engineering excellence. High-performing teams do the right things and do them correctly. They put users first and prioritize end-to-end product quality. Such teams ensure that their efforts and investments are relevant to the company’s strategic directions.
    
    A sharp focus on engineering excellence is an important distinguishing trait of high-performing teams. Designs push to make the software easy to maintain and agile without over-engineering. On the other hand, engineers strive to make the codebase better than it previously was.

• Timely
  

  • Delivering on commitments. Every company’s success depends on its team’s ability to deliver within the committed time frame. And thus, high-performing teams exercise judgment without overpromising on every high-priority objective to appear impactful. Instead of overpromising output and missing out, such teams pride themselves on achieving and exceeding commitments and expectations.
    
    
  • Such high-performance teams stand behind their commitments and continuously iterate their strategy to deliver the best possible outcomes.

• Consistency and sustainability
  

  • Consistent results. High-performing teams can sustainably deliver great results without compromising their members’ physical and mental health. In addition, such teams can ensure consistent high output without compromising end-users or partners or losing their trust.
    
    In other words, such teams known for high performance can repeat what they have done well. Their results are not a one-off only or fluke; they are consistent.

Read also: How to Build a Software Development Team Structure

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To sum up

High-performing teams comprise groups of results-focused individuals with specialized expertise and skills who deliver consistently superior output. When you bring together and nurture the right mix of people, skillsets, and experience, the payoff will always be worth it.

But remember, building a high-performing team is like running a marathon, not a sprint. Think of it as a continuous, iterative process rather than a one-off task.

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