How to Build a High Performing Team

Are you charged with building and managing a high performing team in your business and not sure where to start.

Here is a process borrowed from the Executive Coaching world that can bring you tremendous results very quickly … it’s called “3-D Objectives”. The name is due to its focus on three distinct dimensions of performance that are critical to any team’s success:

• Routine Activities
• Problem Solving
• Innovation

Here’s how it Works …

Take some time to sit down with each team member and coach them
until they are clear on their objectives in each of the following
three areas.

Now if you are put off by the term “Coach” - let me reassure you that Coaching is actually a pretty simple process of asking Open Ended Questions and then Listening carefully to the answers. I have included multiple possible questions in this post … in fact, you could just print this off and use it as your “cheat sheet for your own 3-D Objectives sessions with your people.

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*** Dimension 1 - Routine ***
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The routine activities that must be completed every week in order
for the team to meet its current goals. Reaching these goals
produces stability and gets the job done. These are mandatory routine activities. The two of you are getting clear on exactly what needs to be done every week for the team to be successful.

• What are the routine tasks you must accomplish every week to be successful in your job?
• What do other team members have to do so that you will be successful?
• How do your routine activities contribute to the team’s success
• How can I help you reach these goals?

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*** Dimension 2 - Problem Solving ***
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All teams have “problems”, areas where we need to improve and
redesign what we do to become more effective. Sometimes the
routine activities can crowd out problem solving. Dimension 2
focuses each team member on their role in these continuous
improvement activities.

• What problems do you see getting in our way?
• Which of those problems would you like us to address first?
• What would you suggest we do?
• What part of this problem solving are you willing to take  responsibility for?
• How can I help?

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*** Dimension 3 - Innovation ***
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The only constant these days is change. To help your team grow
and continue to remain innovative, Dimension 3 focuses each team
member on his or her role in creating breakthrough performance
and continuous innovation.

• What new products or services would you like us to develop?
• What stands in the way of us having those products or services right now?
• How can we develop your ideas, what needs to happen?
• How can I support you?

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Imagine the fun and energy when you sit down with each of your
team members to create 3 objectives in each of the above
dimensions.

Imagine the power of your whole team focused on
Getting the work done AND Problem Solving AND Innovation.

Note that each dimension is dependent on the one before.
If you work on problem solving and yet you don’t get the routine
work done, the team does not survive.
If you innovate and yet current problems don’t get addressed you
are building a house of cards that is destined to fall.

***Coaching Challenge - Amp It Up***

• Agree on personal action plans for each dimension. Have each team member share their personal plan with the whole team.
• Create a routine of coaching to all three dimensions quarterly.
• Include responsibility for all three dimensions in individual job descriptions - building a system for maintaining this 3-D focus.

Tagged as: business, Coaching, leadership, Performance, questions, Teams