What we can learn from high performing teams

​Decades of research studying high performing teams has determined several specific attributes, behaviors, and mindsets which separate the best from the rest. Leaders and professionals can benefit from adopting these team practices to their work and to their life.

​Talk more, text less. We all know communication matters. The research shows that how we communicate matters a great deal. Phone calls are more personal. We can communicate nuances and answer questions immediately which can reduce confusion and improve productivity.

Well-run meetings, not more meetings. High performing teams begin meetings with a “check in” that keeps members updated on one another’s progress on work as well as personal events. Productive meetings have agendas which identify which items require decisions and which topics are intended to share information. Some topics may require pre-reading so meeting time is not taken up with reviewing documents. Meeting summaries are reviewed verbally and then emailed to participants and other appropriate stakeholders. These notes contain who is doing what by when to create the ultimate deliverable.


Appreciate and acknowledge. All of us want to feel valued, appreciated, and respected by people we work with. Showing others appreciation for their work efforts, strengthens bonds of trust and creates the conditions that contribute to creative problem solving.


Be yourself; authenticity counts. Expressing positive and negative feelings and ideas is an important part of being authentic in our relationships. It's also important to practice separating the problem you’re solving from the personalities of the people involved. Authenticity contributes to workplace wellbeing and individual performance. Feeling psychologically safe enables us to express contradictory ideas which supports creative thinking and creating new knowledge.


Schedule time for non-work-related activities and conversations. Personal conversations identify shared interests which fosters genuine affection and mutual respect. Whether it’s talking about a recent sporting event or the weather, we feel closer to people when we understand what matters to them. Coworkers benefit from relaxing together at work.


The power of these ideas comes in developing new habits and sustaining a positive mindset, especially when facing stressful situations. Each of us can adopt for ourselves these five lessons from high performing teams.