10 Things High-Performing Teams Do Differently

High-performing teams reach and exceed their goals while striving for constant improvement, but what sets these teams apart from their less successful peers? This article identifies 10 qualities of high-performing teams. Adopting these practices in your own organizational endeavors can help you promote efficient teamwork and maximize collective performance. 

How high-performing teams achieve exceptional results 

Strong interpersonal relationships, trust, and communication are at the forefront of how the highest-performing teams get work done more efficiently. Research shows that when team members believe they are appreciated, sense they are safe to express new ideas, and have opportunities for personal development, teams can thrive even in the most competitive fields.

Understanding the things high-performing teams do differently

Scientific research shows that humans have evolved the need to be competent, autonomous, and related to others, and when these needs are met, people have greater overall well-being and motivation. High-performing teams support the basic psychological needs of their team members, and in doing so create an environment where people can experience higher levels of satisfaction and effective performance. 

Psychologically fulfilled and content employees have been found to be healthier and more productive. Having a positive experience in a team setting with a focus on constructive feedback, respectful communication, continual learning, and recognition of accomplishments can help people be psychologically fulfilled in the workplace and enable team members to perform at their maximum capability. 

What high-performing teams do differently

Having talented employees is not all that matters when it comes to building a successful team. Some teams perform better than others because they cultivate specific qualities that breed success. Here are a few ways that leaders can build higher-performing teams.

1. Goal setting

Teamwork can become unproductive if the group’s goals are unclear, ill-defined, or miscommunicated. If people are not sure of their role in fulfilling a goal, this may result in lost time or resources. Multiple people might end up working on the same elements of the project — or perhaps even working in contradiction with each other.

Sharing a well-defined vision can strengthen a team’s motivation and interpersonal bonds. In addition to having a clear mission, it often helps to revisit goals regularly and change them if necessary. Tracking progress can help to identify areas that could use improvement and to build team motivation by recognizing achievements that are progressing the team toward its goals. 

2. Effective communication

Communication is at the top of the list of what can make or break a team environment, and many experts believe this is the key to a successful team. In the digital age, team leaders, managers, and organizers can foster effective communication (even remotely) by employing one or more online communication channels.

When promoting open, transparent, and frequent communication among team members, it can be helpful to cultivate respect and active listening. Active listening is a strategy and skill that can help build trust and openness among teammates. When people sense that they are really being heard they may be encouraged to communicate more often and effectively. 

To practice active listening, pay attention to what the other person is communicating, acknowledge them by nodding or verbally responding, and paraphrase what they said back to them to ensure all parties understand.

3. Continual learning 

High-performing teams can empower their members by providing opportunities for continuing education and personal development. Training initiatives encourage employees to deepen their skill set and, in turn, provide more value to the team. When organizations invest in employees’ personal and professional development, this can strengthen the team’s overall performance.

4. Performance evaluations

Performance evaluations can be another aspect of running a successful team. They create a collaborative culture where constructive and timely feedback offers opportunities for individual and team growth. Team leaders can continually check in with team members about their performance and encourage them to self-evaluate ways they might improve. This takes the stress out of waiting for a specific performance review day and allows a team to address potential issues before they become problems. This also means praising team members when they meet or exceed expectations. 

5. Collaboration 

Teamwork is a collaborative effort. Successful teams are interdependent, meaning that team members can count on each other to fulfill their individual roles within the context of the greater goal. High-performing teams boost innovation and problem-solving capabilities by leveraging their diverse skill sets, backgrounds, and perspectives. 

6. Recognition of accomplishments

Research draws a scientific connection between employees being shown recognition and appreciation and better performance at work. Thank-you notes, public recognition, certificates, and other means of showing appreciation have been found to improve the engagement of team members and foster a positive team culture. 

Showing gratitude for all that someone does for the team by celebrating personal and professional milestones and publicly recognizing the accomplishments of team members can help motivate them to continue and boost teamwide productivity.

7. Interpersonal trust

A trusting relationship between team members and management can enhance problem-solving. When employees sense that they are safe to express their ideas and take risks, this can promote opportunities for innovation. A sense of safety — both psychological and physical — encourages team members to contribute to collaborative efforts and create a high-performing team. 

8. Accountability 

Accountability is the responsibility of an individual to follow through on their commitments and take ownership of their actions. Individual accountability can be a major contributor to how well a team performs as a whole. Cohesive commitment and ownership of work duties throughout the team, highlighting how each person is individually responsible for the team’s collective success, promotes an environment where teams can be successful.

Each member of a team generally has an individual commitment to reaching shared goals. On high-performing teams, team members who routinely exceed expectations are not expected to pick up other team members’ slack; rather, each individual takes responsibility for their part in the team’s success. 

9. Constant improvement

One quality that sets high-performing teams apart is that they are constantly seeking new ways to improve. Continuous development means creating feedback loops to identify areas that need work. Modern data analysis tools measure performance indicators, allowing teamwork innovators an unbiased look into what works and what does not. 

10. Effective meetings 

Last but not least, high-performing teams maximize productivity and engagement during meetings. Having a well-planned agenda for meetings makes for efficient time management and can boost active participation. Some of the other features mentioned in this list, such as trust, collaboration, and active listening, are beneficial for making meetings more productive by encouraging open and honest communication between team members.

Efficient teams make the most out of meeting times by eliminating distractions, working out technical bugs beforehand, preparing an agenda, and having an appropriate meeting space. Higher-performing teams may start meetings with a check-in to keep team members apprised of how each person is progressing, followed by presentations from participants who have talking points in advance

Common meeting problems include a lack of direction, biased leadership, unprepared participants, too many talking points, or technician problems. Unnecessary or poorly run meetings beget low team performance. 

Mental health and productivity

Decades of research have revealed that when people are psychologically happier and more fulfilled, their work is more productive. Going to therapy is one way to improve interpersonal skills, learn emotional regulation, and work through any blocks that may hinder a person from reaching their full potential in their career, relationships, and life. 

Traditional therapy may not be an option for people with busy schedules because of limited in-person appointment times. With online therapy platforms like BetterHelp, an individual can receive care from a trained mental health professional from the comfort of their home. Potential benefits of online therapy include flexible scheduling, spending less time and money on commuting to sessions, and a greater variety of professionals and specialists who are not geographically bound.

Research on the effectiveness of online therapy compared to traditional therapy finds that the results are essentially equal. A systematic review and meta-analysis from 2018 looked at the treatment results of around 1,400 patients and found that online cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) was just as effective as in-person sessions for psychiatric and somatic disorders.