 High-performing teams are built, not recruited. Talented people on the team increases the team's potential. Hiring great individuals on their own doesn't increase the overall team's performance significantly. High-performing teams produce amazing results because of how they operate, how team members work together, how they communicate and collaborate, and how they support and help each other. High-performing team members all know that they are better off when their team as a whole is better off. In too many company cultures, the competition between individuals to get ahead, to get that next promotion, prevents true teams forming. Even more importantly, leaders and managers haven't been taught what they need to do to overcome this and other hurdles to building high-performing teams. To help change that, we're going through what to do differently to build high-performing teams at work. We are covering, firstly, what makes high-performing teams at work, secondly, what high-performing teams do differently, and third, building a high-performing team, four things the manager needs to do differently. We have been working in groups for centuries, and working together has been a key to human success. Leaders and managers should work on the environment and demonstrate the practices they want to instill in their teams. Team members know how to work together and will do so when you create the right incentives, building great team performance. My name is Jess Coles, and if you're new here, Enhance.training shares people management expertise, resources, and courses teaching you how to build high-performing teams. I've included links to additional videos and resources in the description below, as well as the video timestamps, so do take a look at these. And if you like this video, please give it a thumbs up and subscribe. Before we dive into what managers should do differently to build high-performing teams at work, we should talk about what makes high-performing teams and why we should care. There are many characteristics of high-performing teams, including the following. In high-performing teams, the team and everyone in the team are very clear about their responsibilities and the goals they need to reach, individually and collectively. Team members understand how their work fits into the department and organization's purpose. They know why their work is valuable to the larger group. High-performing teams have clear roles, which are communicated throughout the team, so everyone understands what they and everyone else are doing to achieve the team's goals. There is a lot of trust between team members of high-performing teams, both on a professional level and at a personal level. Team members have each other's back. High-performing teams have a lot of open, honest communication. There is always the hum of voices discussing solutions, providing help, opinions, challenge and feedback. The communication is honest, direct and diplomatic. Everyone knows what's happening and where they stand. Feedback is essential to improve. Your high-performing teams are constantly providing feedback and feedback goes in all directions, up, down and sideways. Honest, considered feedback is encouraged and listened to. High-performing teams demonstrate a collective desire to learn and get better. Team members are expected to learn, encouraged and helped by colleagues as much as their leaders. High-performing teams are laser focused on delivering results. It progresses tracked and communicated constantly. Team members know what they personally need to do to help the team deliver as a whole. There is a lot of visibility and collaboration in amazing teams. Why should we care about creating high-performing teams? The business environment is ultra competitive. The people employed are the business. People make the decisions. People create the value. High-performing teams create a lot more value for little extra cost. The performance difference is not just 10% or 20% more. It is many times more. I personally have seen and created these huge differences multiple times in different companies with different teams. Most managers should be able to build high-performing teams when they know how to do it and build skills and confidence to make the changes needed. Knowing what to do is a critical starting point. We've covered many characteristics of high-performing teams. I'm going to quickly touch on what high-performing teams do differently from most other teams. These six approaches are part of what high-performing teams at work do differently. Firstly, communication and collaboration are everywhere. In high-performing teams, you see team members constantly at each other's desks, chatting, discussing and even arguing. There is energy in the air, a desire to overcome problems together and enjoyment in collaborating and being successful together. Communication and collaboration are the lifeblood of high-performing teams. Secondly, the team celebrates the differences. Using team member differences, you know, their different opinions, viewpoints, experience, knowledge and skills is what makes high-performing teams. The team maximizes everyone's strengths as much as possible and uses diversity to create stronger, better solutions to the business problems they face. Third, team members create genuine, authentic relationships. High-performing teams are built on relationships. Team members get to know and understand the character, interests, ambitions and preferences of their colleagues. They look for and find the positives, the connections and build genuine, authentic relationships. Team members enjoy working alongside their colleagues. Fourth, mutual accountability is the norm. Accountability is a big factor in amazing teams. No one wants to let their colleagues down. Each team member will do their best to deliver what is expected and needed from them. Equally, asking for help early is encouraged and praised. Help asked for is given quickly. The team succeeds or fails together. Fifth, decision-making happens at all levels. Each team member understands what level and type of decisions that they are expected to make and which they should refer to their seniors or manager. Everyone works quicker and with more psychological safety than teams that refer most decisions to their manager. Sixth, praise and recognition are everyday practices. Praising great actions, decisions and results happens every day in high-performing teams. It is all the little comments sharing appreciation that really count. Praise given is specific, considered and heartfelt. Team members openly and actively recognise all the contributions made by others to create great results. These are all habits of high-performing teams. There is a lot that you, as a manager, can do to build amazing teams. Building a high-performing team, what the manager needs to do differently. Firstly, be with the team, not above the team. Social and group status are important to most in any collection of people. It takes a lot of hard work to be promoted into the management positions and you should be proud of your achievement. It can be very easy and tempting to reinforce your management status to your team through your actions, decisions and behaviours. Great managers do the opposite. They work to demonstrate they are part of the team, not above it. They work hard to serve the team, to help support and share their knowledge and skills for the benefit of the team. A key approach to building a high-performing team as a manager is to be with the team and not above the team. Without the team, there is no need for a manager. You can create a lot more value through your team than as an individual. Your team is vitally important to you and your career and demonstrate how much you value them every day. Secondly, everything you do needs to scream trust and that you will have your teams back. Without trust, you don't really have a team, just a collection of individuals. To be a true team, they must trust you and each other. Demonstrate you are trustworthy. Invisibly protect your team. Help team members be better. Extend trust. Listen and act on team members' good ideas. Don't punish learning mistakes. Praise more than criticise. Get to know each team member. Treat each person as an individual. Make decisions in the team's best interests, not yours. There are so many things that you can do to scream, I am here for you. Work hard to build trust. Third, clear, simple, repeated direction until everyone is bored. Every manager is told to provide direction, yet few managers go far enough. Great managers provide consistent and clear direction through what they say and also through their actions, decisions and behaviours. Great managers work hard to repeat and reinforce direction. They don't stop talking about what is expected and what the team needs to do. They don't stop asking team members for ideas on how to achieve team and individual goals. High-performing teams know exactly what is expected on multiple levels. This surety and confidence in where they're going provides psychological safety, permission to take risks, encourages decision-making and taking independent but aligned action, all in service of helping the team reach their goals. Great managers never stop giving clear direction to their teams. Fourth, work hard to support, help and develop your team. Being a successful leader or manager is a careful and difficult balancing act. Your management of success requires authenticity and being yourself, yet also conforming within the wider team. You are asked to lead, yet you also need to serve your team for success. To build high-team performance, you have to ask a lot from your team, yet you also have to give a lot back to create a fair deal for everyone. Work hard to support your team with your skills, knowledge and experience. Get involved and help them solve the problems they face. Actively share what you have learnt through teaching, mentoring and coaching team members. Give as much or more than you take. So in summary, building high-performing teams is clearly not easy. The rewards on a personal level as well as a business level through increasing team performance are significant. The top managers create eight times more value than average managers. This is a huge difference. Managers create value through their teams so the team's performance is the manager's performance. Use all the tips I've shared on what to do differently to build high-performing teams at work. I have covered, firstly, eight characteristics of what makes high-performing teams. Secondly, six things high-performing teams do differently. And third, four things the manager needs to do differently to build amazing teams. There are more approaches, behaviors and actions needed. Yet by implementing what we have covered today, you'll be well on your way to building a high-performing team. For more help to build high-performing teams, please visit us at enhance.training and take a look at our management skills accelerator course. Thanks very much for watching and I look forward to speaking to you again soon.