If you work in an environment where high-performance teams are crucial to the success of the company, you may or may not come to the realization that high-performance can equal high maintenance.
This doesn’t have to be the case though, here’s what you need to know;
Encourage Healthy Lifestyles
Before you skip ahead to the next tip whilst rolling your eyes into oblivion, hear me out.
You may not think a healthy lifestyle matters when it comes to high performance but I can promise you that it does.
In fact, Brendon Burchard, high-performance coach and a world leader in personal development, swears that a healthy lifestyle and proper sleep can push you to a new level of productivity and performance and if he says it, I believe it.
So how would you go about encouraging a healthy lifestyle?
For one thing, you could make it easier for your employees, especially your high-performance teams to get a workout in by setting up a workout space at the office.
Or if that isn’t possible you can inquire about group rates at your local gym and include that membership in your employee benefits.
When it comes to performance, however, good nutrition is key.
An incredible way to encourage good nutrition is to set up (and stock) a smoothie station in the staff kitchen so employees can help themselves to a nutritious, delicious meal whenever they need a boost.
Also, and I’m just putting this out there even though it should definitely be common knowledge, proper medical insurance is just common decency (and also a great way to encourage employee loyalty)
Set Up a Rewards System
I’m going to need you to humor me for a second and think about a kindergarten class and their teacher trying to tame 18 + of these little monsters.
Negative reinforcement may work in the short term but in the long run, it’s only going to make things worse.
The kids will become resentful, spiteful and even fearful and none of those emotions inspire good behavior or compliance in kids.
So what does the teacher do?
She sets up a system whereby she can allocate good behavior in order to ultimately reward the child for good behavior etc.
Now I’m not saying you should treat your employees like two-year-olds, I’m saying that the human brain is wired to respond positively to rewards.
You can easily set up a rewards system that will work for your company and people.
Maintain Good Relationships
There is nothing that is as catastrophic to your team’s performance than troubled or disgruntled relationships.
For example; a romantic relationship that has gone horribly wrong between two people on the same team (even though it’s most likely against company policy in the first place) it will cause a ripple effect of unfocused, unhappy, secretive and (possibly) vengeful employees.
It is the team leader’s responsibility to liaise these troubled relationships.
But employee relationships aren’t the only ones that matter though, the relationship between an employee and management is just as important.
Otherwise, employees may be more likely to be loyal to each other rather than the company.
Say, for example, an employee gets injured in the line of duty and is unable to come back to work again, apart from having a missing link in your high-performance team (as well as dealing with worker’s compensation) your employees will likely feel amiss, become unfocused and some even resentful.
This is a disaster for the well-being of a high-performance team.
Investigate Mistakes
Failures are normal in business, even though we’d like to think they’re not.
However, too many mistakes can also be a sign that something isn’t working right. Either the team you put together doesn’t mesh well or the workload is simply too much.
Whatever the reason, mistakes need to be investigated to get to the root cause.
There is simply no other way to restore functionality to a high-performance team – after all, you can’t fix a crack in the wall by pounding on it with a hammer.
You have to find the cause and then solve the problem to ensure that it doesn’t keep producing cracks in the structure and only then can you fix the crack, with some skill and finesse.
Keep The Inspiration Flowing
It’s important to inspire the minds of your high-performing team in order to keep the momentum and spark alive and on track.
In order to do this though, you will have to know what it is that inspires them.
Is it innovation such as new technological breakthroughs (or whatever is relevant to your industry)? If so, organize a trip to the unveiling of a new piece of technology.
Is it finding new ways to solve problems? Then do roleplays (the PG, office type) in order to spark some innovative thinking.
Another great idea is to have your high performing teams on a mailing list and you can send them articles, videos, and other media to inspire them.
As a team leader, you should already know what information would be valuable to your team specifically.
Take On Challenging Assignments
If you want your high-performing teams to remain at the top of their game then it’s crucial to consistently shove them out of their comfort zone.
And I do mean shove, like what a momma bird does to her chicks when it’s about time they learn to fly.
High-performing minds like to solve problems, whether those persons with said high-performing minds would admit it or not.
Besides, it won’t do anyone any good to ride the current and do the same thing over and over.
If you do that you will bore your high-performing teams out of their minds, and either they will completely regress or they will quit and find a job that does actually challenge them.
Take Time Off
When you’re firing on all cylinders all the time, you can so easily get burnt out.
The old notion, work hard – play hard is very wise and wiser still if you replace the word ‘play’ with the word ‘rest’.
Everyone needs the time to switch off and relax, particularly the people that you count on to be at their very best when they’re hard at work.
Encourage your employees to take some time off and spend time with their loved ones, because they will always return with an eagerness to work (especially the ones who have kids)
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