Creating a Team-Based High-Performance Culture Assignment Sample

Creating a Team-Based High-Performance Culture

Introduction

The high-performance team is the concept strongly emphasised in the organisation, wherein the teams, group, members, and the organisation itself are highly focused and determined towards their aim and goals. These are usually highlighting the superior results in the business. This report will discuss the need for a high performing team in an organisation, their advantages, and some limitations. Besides this, a case study will also be discussed in that context. Based on the issues faced by the CST, some recommendation will be provided on the same.

Background

A high-performing team is a stable, interdependent, role-defined group of persons who share mutual values, trust, and share responsibility while having a clear focus and being directed by a strong leader (Hirst, et.al, 2016). According to Mike Cullen, Global Talent Leader, EY, a high performing team is the one that possesses three major features that are given below:-

• Shared Vision: Such teams have a clear and common team goal and the members understand very well what their day-to-day roles and responsibilities are and what their long-term objectives are.
• Right Mix: Nowadays, the business problem is quite complex that requires interdepartmental assistance. Todays' ever-changing technology has forced them to recruit employees from different fields and expertise.
• Commitment to quality and hunger for good results: It is the common quality of the high-performance team that they focus on quality and results. They show strong determination towards the achievement of high standards and outcomes. They aligned their strategy in achieving these goals.

Main Discussion

According to Vesso& Ruth, (2014), leaders and managers are always expected to deliver great performance. However, it is very challenging to lead a high performing team. Managers have to take many measures in order to sustain the performance of the team. They have to update the new challenges on regular basis. There is a need to raise the bar as it would keep them motivated. Another challenge associated with the high performing team as given in the research conducted by McDermott, (2014)is that while replacing a person in the team, a manager should think twice. In a high performing team, even a single member’s attitude may result in a chaos. One thing that has been found common in almost all the high performing team is that they are susceptible to burn out. Being highly productive, they are always pushing themselves and as a consequence of which they burn out. Anxiety, stress, and sickness are very common in such an organisation.

Siemens, an automation, electronics, and manufacturing company was facing the similar performance-related issues as that of CST. The management decided to implement the concept of high-performance in its modus operandi. Klaus Kleinfeld, global Chief Executive Officer, Siemens has defined certain characteristics of the high-performing team in his organisation. Based on these features, the management differentiate between high performing team and the normal team:-

Complementary Abilities:The best part of a high-performing team is that each member of the team possesses a certain set of skills, knowledge, and personal strengths. The main reason for the high productivity of the members is due to the high synergy between them.

Shared Leadership:the high-performing team is led by the dynamic leaders who are masters at coaching and mentoring. He/she has the experience and expertise in the field.

Adaptability to Changes:Project scope may change with time and sometimes it happens drastically. The normal team may step back and revel in pity but a high performing team will evaluate, adapt, and perform.

Regular Result Evaluation: The key secret of the high-performing team is that it evaluates its results on regular basis. This is required for quality and performance improvement after achieving every major milestone.

Communication: If all the aforementioned characteristics are the foundation for the team, then an effective open communication is the roof. In most of the high performing teams, attentive listening and a conversation are omnipresent. This results in the effective flow of information.

Recommendations

The workplace is changing and the customer’s demands are shifting and managers and leaders are held responsible for business success and failure. In order to address the changing demand and scope of the business, managers are required to build and manage a high performing team. In order to create a high-performing team, there are many things that a manager can do (Moga, 2017):-

• Forming a stable team: Even if the team has the best talent, there is no guarantee that it will perform at its best. It the stability in the team that brings up their best side. If members join and leave the team quickly, then this would hinder the team’s performance. Therefore, a leader should aim at retaining the members for a longer period.
• Recruiting, Selecting, and Managing Talent:High performing teams are usually characterised with talented people with a desire to learn and progress. Managers should recruit and select the best talent and retain them. This way they can put the right people in the right place (Hargreaves, et.al, 2014).
• Value Cohesion: Cohesion is a state of group bonding that creates a sense of belonging in the whole group. This is necessary to increase and improve the flow of information and build trust among the members. This would ultimately improve the performance.

• Setting up effective performance goals:By setting up effective and specific goals, the managers will be able to make the team more efficient. This way they will have set directions, focus, creativity, and tactility.

Conclusion

In this assessment report, a discussion on the need of high performing team in an organisation, their advantages, and some limitations. A case study of Siemenswas discussed in that context. Based on the issues faced by the CST, some recommendations were provided on the same.

References

• Hirst, G., Walumbwa, F., Aryee, S., Butarbutar, I., & Chen, C. (2016). A multi-level investigation of authentic leadership as an antecedent of helping behavior.  Journal of Business Ethics,139(3), 485-499. doi:10.1007/s10551-015-2580-x
• McDermott, L. (2014).  Developing high-performance leadership teams(Td at work : tips, tools & intelligence for developing talent). Alexandria, Virginia: ASTD Press. (2014). Retrieved October 28, 2018, from Insert-Missing-Database-Name.
• Hargreaves, A., Boyle, A., & Harris, A. (2014).  Uplifting leadership : How organizations, teams, and communities raise performance. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. (2014). Retrieved October 28, 2018, from Insert-Missing-Database-Name.
• Moga, B. (2017). High Performing Teams: What Are They and How Do I Build One?ActiveCollab Blog. Retrieved from https://activecollab.com/blog/collaboration/high-performing-teams
• Vesso, S., & Ruth, A. (2014). The main coaching areas for Estonian leaders for managing organisational change.  OrganizacjaiKierowanie, (1B), 82-94.