Creating High-Performing Teams That Go the Extra Mile For Your Business

Are you sitting comfortably? Welcome to my series of podcasts that will help you to navigate some of the issues you might come up against when you’re a business owner. Today, I want to talk about how to create a high-performing team that will go the extra mile. 

Every business owner’s dream is to be able to create the kind of high-performing team that they know will get the job done, whether they are there or not. They want everyone pulling together in the same direction, united in pursuit of the same goals.  

Of course, you’re not dealing with robots here, you’re dealing with human beings, from different backgrounds, with different personalities and different levels of experience. Not everyone can be 100% motivated all of the time. Not everyone is a born team player. But the good news is, as a business owner and leader, there’s a lot you can do to bring people together, create a real sense of being a team, and stop divisive subcultures from developing.  

The most important thing you can do is work on building relationships with your team members.

Take an interest in them as a person, not just as an employee. Ask about their family and their interests, and you’ll have a far better idea of what makes them tick. It will make them see you as a human being too, instead of just ‘the boss.’  

Let people know that your door is open and that they can be honest with you.

You would rather know first-hand if they are feeling overwhelmed or overworked, rather than only finding out when they hand in their notice or they become completely disengaged. If your team members are working hard for you, they should feel like they can talk to you and be heard.  

Another important factor in getting your team to go the extra mile is rewarding and recognising a job well done.

Show them that you appreciate their hard work whether through an email, in person, or with a small gift. This will go a long way to making people feel valued.  

So much of your success, or lack of, when creating a high-performing team that pulls together is down to your actions and attributes as a leader.  

Looking at Yourself

It’s easy to blame others at times if things aren’t going the way we want them to, but sometimes we need to look at ourselves and see how we are contributing to the situation. This is difficult, but if you manage to be honest with yourself and identify where there’s room for improvement while remembering to show yourself some compassion, you’ll be in a far better position to get to where you want to be.

Remember that you may be a business owner with a lot of savvy and experience in your field, but you don’t need to have all of the answers, especially when it comes to managing people, because nobody does.  

So where could there potentially be room for improvement?

Could you work on improving your emotional intelligence and resilience, so that you can keep a cool head even during stressful times? It’s far more reassuring for a team to work with a manager who doesn’t lose their head in the face of the slightest challenge, and it makes for a far better working environment too.  

Do you always make the right choice and avoid cutting corners? This sets a good example for your team, and generally, people like to work for honest people.  

Speaking of honesty, how open are you with your team?

Do you share news or information with them, even when it’s not so good, or do you tend to leave them in the dark about things? The thing about keeping things from people is that it can be quite damaging to trust and morale. If people think there’s something they don’t know, they’ll start speculating and spreading rumours, and they’ll lose trust in you.   

As well as being open with people, it’s important to give them some autonomy.

Your team will never be able to prove to you how well they can perform if you keep micromanaging and getting in their way. Learn how to delegate and trust them to get the job done, and the payoff for you will be less stress and actually being able to take some time off! 

Be a mentor, not a micromanager.  

Being a mentor to your employees is a far easier path to creating a high-performing team than being a bully. Making demands on people might ensure compliance, but it’s not an incentive for people to go the extra mile. Mentoring them to develop and succeed is a much better strategy.  

Do you want to create a high performing team that wants to go the extra mile? Do you want to learn strategies that will pull your team together, lessen divides, and create a sense of belonging? 

I can help.  

I work with you and your team identifying needs and sharing bite-size training, virtually and on the work premises. 

I involve the team through workshops and 1-2-1s to upskill and develop both the team and individuals. I use team building activities to bond the team. 

Using strengths bite-size training and performance management the team will develop a strategic view of what’s needed for the business to flourish. 

Through the involvement of the team and capitalising on people’s strengths, it will create a high performing team that wants to go the extra mile. Pulling the team together stops sub-cultures and creates a feeling of belonging. 

Your team will develop confidence in their abilities and will learn how to make decisions and move forward, even when you are not there. 

Employees like to be involved and with the skills, I will pass on to you and your team you will see morale and working relationships improve. 

Why me?  

I’ve managed and led operational teams for over 30 years and I understand how personal lives and other issues can intrude on work, and what support teams need.  

I hold a Level 7 CMI Professional Consulting Diploma plus IODA Qualification Equal Opportunities, as well as a Level 7 CMI Diploma in Management and Leadership.  

If you’d like an energised, high performing team who work together efficiently and confidently even when you’re not there– get in touch with me to find out how. 

Read more about motivating your team

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