Equity Residential

Shabnam Vaziri-Sadri

Through this article, Vaziri-Sadri discusses critical elements such as trust, collective ownership, communication and appreciation within teams, highlighting the importance of these factors in building and sustaining high-performance teams. She also underscores the role of both mindset and action in achieving success, emphasizing the need for continuous effort and focus from every team member.

High-performing teams are not products of hazard or luck, and they certainly don’t magically happen as a result of a—no matter how extraordinary—team-building event. A team is a complex entity made of people with different skills, backgrounds and perspectives, who are expected to use a variety of resources and work effectively together to achieve a common purpose. Building and sustaining a high-performing team is an intricate process. The success of this process is equally dependent on both, having the right mindsets and taking the right actions. The critical elements are building trust, developing relationships, setting goals, establishing accountabilities, and last but not least, a leader who inspires, aligns and coordinates productive behaviors.

Ownership Matters

When I am present at a meeting or an event where people take turns introducing themselves, I often hear them say they work for this or that person, referring to the leader of their team. Every time, I think to myself, I’d be far more interested to hear who they work with. The difference in language reveals whether or not the team has a sense of collective ownership. This is a mindset that great leaders promote in teams because it elevates the responsibility of team members toward the quality of team dynamics and productivity. Collective ownership serves as a basis to further strengthen the influential position of the leader as a coach, a coordinator, a guide and a source of inspiration.

Trust is an Act of Courage

Trust is the foundation of any working relationship and critical to building high-performing teams. Aside from applying the proven techniques to build trust such as showing integrity, listening with empathy, demonstrating ability and empowering others, it is important to think of trust as an act of courage and be vulnerable. Building trust is not a wait-and-see game. Requiring people to earn our trust first, not only delays the process but damages the outcome. The value of trust in any relationship is in its mutuality, which cannot be achieved if we start with mistrust. When it comes to delegation and relying on others to complete a task, it is wise to use our good judgment in assessing their abilities first. In matters of intention and integrity, however, everyone on the team, starting with the leader, needs to strive to be the first to initiate trust with other team members.

“Building and sustaining a high-performing team is an intricate process. The success of this process is equally dependent on both, having the right mindsets and taking the right actions.”

If You Have Nothing Nice to Say

Let’s challenge the old saying and take it a step further: If you have nothing nice to say, FIND IT! Allocating time in team meetings for individuals to express appreciation for each other brings people closer together. It creates a sense of belonging and it inspires motivation. It builds camaraderie and paves the way for better collaboration. A structured approach to this routine helps eliminate the risk of excluding anyone. This can be managed by having everyone take turns, going left to right (for example), from one person to the next, in the room or on the screen if meeting virtually. Repeating this activity, week after week, sends a clear message to everyone on the team that they matter and their efforts and contributions are seen. 

Communication is Key

Achieving synergy within a team demands more than great individual performances. It’s not enough to be great at what we do. We need to do great things together. This, we cannot achieve without effective communication. The leader of the team plays a critical role in creating the necessary safe environment for the flow of information and exchange of ideas. They set the tone and the expectations for the team’s communication routines and practices. Ultimately, it is up to the team to make it happen. The journey to successful communication begins with three simple but important beliefs: First, people are not mind readers. Therefore, we need to share what we plan to do, how we want to proceed, what we know, what we think and what we need. Second, people don’t have equal knowledge of everything. Hence, we need to show trust and lean toward disclosing information. We need to be vulnerable and ask for help. We need to be curious and ask questions. Third, nobody is always right. So, we need to separate ourselves from our thoughts and ideas and not get offended in the face of counter viewpoints.

Building a cohesive team and sustaining it at a high-performance level is a long and tedious process that involves the entire team’s focus and effort.