People
Hiring
The first step to building high performing teams is to hire the right people. A-players only want to work with A-players, so bringing in B or C-players will only make your A-players leave. Don’t let that happen and don’t let your teams become mediocre. Teams are only as strong as their weakest link.
Training
The second step to building high performing teams is to train your people. Organizations that invest in their people see compounding returns.
I’ve heard leaders ask, “What if I invest in my employees only to see them leave after they’ve become great?” My response is, “Would you rather have average employees who stay, or great employees who could leave?”
In the end, if employees are properly cared for (e.g., compensated fairly and given growth opportunities), many will choose to stay. So training can actually improve retention rate.
Culture
Building the right culture is important because:
- It helps you control quality, and
- It allows you to scale the team.
Trust
A culture of trust is essential because it creates psychological safety so people can do and be their very best. In addition, trust mitigates egos and politics.
Process
Good processes make people more effective. So keep an eye out for opportunities to eliminate bottlenecks and tighten feedback loops. For a team to improve itself, it must have a continuous improvement process.
If an organization’s culture is clear, then it should be able to replicate its best people. And ultimately, what makes an organization succeed or fail is its people.