All right, let's dive into this deep dive
on high performance teams.
You sent over this podcast episode,
Building a High Performance Team,
the definitive framework for driving innovation and results.
And well, it seems like there's a lot to unpack here.
And I think a lot of us have been there, right?
Like, you've got your team and they're doing okay,
but they're not, you know, not exactly like blowing
anyone away.
Have you ever thought about like,
what it would take to get that, I don't know,
that Avengers level energy,
where everyone's just clicking and getting
these amazing results?
Well, yeah, I think that's a pretty common struggle.
It's almost like you have all the right ingredients,
but you're not quite sure how to put them all together
to make like an amazing meal.
And that's kind of what we're gonna try
to figure out today, right?
How to take a group of people and turn them into
like this incredible high performance team
that's both productive and innovative.
So the source that we're looking at today
starts off by kind of painting this picture
of what a high performance team actually looks and feels like.
They compare it to a like a finely tuned orchestra
where every instrument has its part,
but they all work together to create something
really amazing.
And instead of sheet music, they're driven by ideas
that like bounce around like pinballs,
all that energy and momentum,
but what really makes these teams so effective, you know,
the source talks about three key things,
clear vision, diverse skill sets, and strong leadership.
And that seems pretty straightforward, right?
Everyone knows where they're going.
Everyone brings something different to the table
and you've got someone to kind of steer the ship.
Yeah, but it's not just about having a leader in any sense.
The source really stresses that effective leadership here
is not about controlling the team,
but about cultivating the right environment.
It's more about creating the space for the magic to happen,
you know, where everyone feels empowered to contribute.
Okay, okay, I'm intrigued now.
So how do we actually create this magical environment?
Well, the source actually provides a five step framework
and honestly, it's surprisingly simple.
But I think before we jump into all five steps,
it's worth spending some time on that foundation,
you know, building trust and psychological safety
within the team.
Oh, absolutely.
The source is right on the money with that one.
It's like building a house.
If you don't have a solid foundation,
the whole thing's gonna fall apart.
If you have a team and everyone's worried
about making mistakes or being judged,
they're not gonna take risks,
they're not gonna share ideas,
they're not gonna live up to their full potential.
Yeah, that makes total sense when you put it that way.
So how do leaders actually like cultivate
that sense of psychological safety?
What does that look like practically?
One of the big things the source talks about
is leaders showing vulnerability, you know,
being willing to admit when they don't know something,
being open to feedback and creating that space
where it's okay to make mistakes and learn from them.
Yeah, it's almost like giving everyone permission
to be human, right?
You do not have to be perfect all the time.
And I bet that can be really freeing for a team.
Exactly, and the source makes it clear
that it's not all in the leader.
Everyone on the team needs to help create
and maintain that space.
That means encouraging open communication,
actually listening to each other
and respecting those different perspectives,
even when you don't necessarily agree.
So it's not enough to just say,
hey, everybody speak your mind,
you have to actually create a culture that supports it.
Right.
And that's where some of these other steps come in
that the source mentions,
like clearly defining roles and responsibilities,
fostering open communication
and setting those clear performance metrics.
But we'll dig into those a little bit more later.
Yeah, I'm starting to see how this all kind of fits together
now, but before we move on to the rest of the framework,
what are some challenges you've seen
when it comes to actually building this trust
and psychological safety in teams?
You know, one of the toughest things I've seen
is getting past that fear of conflict.
People avoid conflict because they see it
as something negative.
But a healthy conflict when it's managed the right way
can be so productive.
That's really interesting
because it's so counterintuitive, right?
We're taught to think of conflict as a bad thing.
It is, but when you think about it,
a lot of innovation comes from questioning the status quo.
You need those different viewpoints to clash.
And that can only happen when everyone feels okay
with speaking up.
So how do you encourage that healthy conflict
without things getting out of control?
Is there like a secret formula?
Well, there's no magic recipe, unfortunately.
But there are some key ingredients.
You know, you start by setting ground rules
and having clear expectations
for how these disagreements are gonna be handled.
Everyone needs to know it's okay to disagree,
but it has to be done respectfully.
And it sounds like that psychological safety
plays a big role there too, right?
Because if people are too scared to speak up,
you're not gonna get that healthy debate
and you're missing out on all those valuable insights.
Oh, absolutely.
Psychological safety is like the bedrock.
It allows for that open and honest communication,
which is so important for resolving conflict
and building those strong relationships.
This is all making so much sense.
It's making me rethink how I approach my own teams, you know?
But let's get to the rest of this framework
and see how it all ties together, you know?
This whole puzzle of building a high performance team.
Okay, so we've established that trust
and psychological safety are the foundation.
What comes next?
Well, the source lays out a series of steps.
And one that jumped out to me was the importance
of defining those roles and responsibilities.
They even used a football analogy.
Imagine a football team where nobody knows their position,
just chaos running into each other all over the field.
Oh, that's a perfect way to picture it.
And you're right, that step is so crucial.
When everyone understands their role
and how it fits into the bigger picture,
it just streamlines everything.
It avoids a lot of potential conflict
and frustration down the road.
And knowing what's expected of you having the power
to make decisions that reduces stress
and just makes people feel safer.
Right, it's like having a map instead of wandering
around aimlessly in the woods,
hoping you stumble upon your destination.
So once you have those roles figured out,
what's next in building this like dream team?
Well, you've got these amazing individuals
and they all have their expertise,
but they need to work together well.
So step three is all about collaboration and communication.
Okay, but how do we actually make that happen?
Do we need like fancy software
or team building exercises?
You know, it's less about specific tools
and more about the culture you create.
You want to bake collaboration and communication
into like everyday work life.
Simple things like regular check-ins,
brainstorming sessions,
maybe even a shared online space
where people can bounce ideas off each other.
So it's about just creating those opportunities
for connection, making it easy to talk and share ideas.
Exactly, you want communication
to be a natural part of the workflow,
not just something that happens
when it's absolutely necessary.
I can just picture it like a team where ideas are flowing
and people are excited to work together
and everyone feels like they're really contributing
to something bigger.
That's the goal, right?
But we're not there yet.
We still have a couple more pieces to this puzzle.
You're right, we need a way to measure success
and make sure we're on track.
And speaking of staying on track,
that leads us to step four, setting performance metrics.
The source describes metrics as the team's GPS.
You know, without it, you could be driving in circles.
They help you track progress, celebrate wins,
and see where you can improve.
Right, so it's not just about choosing random numbers,
it's about choosing things that actually reflect
how well the team is doing
and whether they're moving towards their goals.
Exactly, and don't forget,
those metrics can be tailored
to whatever the team is trying to accomplish.
It's not a one-size-fits-all thing.
That makes sense.
It's about finding those indicators
that tell you if you're on the right path.
But we don't want to get bogged down
with tracking every little thing
and lose sight of the bigger picture, right?
Definitely not.
Metrics are meant to empower the team,
not micromanage them.
It's about finding that balance.
This framework is like really coming together,
but there's one more piece,
and it's something I'm really passionate about,
continuous learning.
Ah, yes, step five, investing in continuous learning.
And it's not just about keeping those skills sharp,
it's about keeping people engaged
and excited about their work.
The source actually suggests that learning
makes work more fun.
Oh, I totally agree.
When people feel like they're growing and learning,
they're just more invested.
And all that learning breeds curiosity
and a desire to push the limits,
which is so important for innovation.
Exactly.
And it can be simple things too,
like encouraging people to read articles, attend conferences,
even just having some time
for personal learning projects.
It's about making that learning a priority,
not just something you squeeze in if you have time.
Exactly.
I want to send the message that learning is important here.
And it's not just about absorbing new info either,
it's about putting it to use, trying out new things.
Oh, for sure.
And that's where that idea of feeling forward comes in.
The source emphasizes celebrating those wins,
but also those spectacular flops,
seeing them as like learning opportunities.
It's like, it's okay to mess up
as long as you learn from it.
Yeah, and share those lessons with the team.
That's how you create a true learning environment.
I love that, a team that's always learning
and growing and changing, always pushing the limits.
But how do we make sure all this learning
turns into innovation?
How do we make sure those new skills and ideas
are actually put to use?
That's where the source's final point comes in.
Building a culture of innovation.
And they offer three strategies.
First, encourage creativity, brainstorming, wild ideas,
even though it's so crazy they just might work concepts.
Just create a space where it's okay
to think outside the box.
So it's all about giving people permission
to be creative, to let their ideas run wild.
Exactly.
The second one is about providing the resources
to bring those ideas to life.
Maybe it's new tech, spaces for brainstorming,
or even just giving people the time and freedom to explore,
whatever it takes to unleash their creativity.
It's about breaking down those barriers
and letting people turn those what-ifs into reality.
Exactly.
And the last one is about remembering
that innovation isn't a straight line.
There are bumps along the way.
Embrace those, learn from those failures,
celebrate those big wins and spectacular flops.
See failure as a stepping stone, not the end of the road.
And it all ties back to everything we've been discussing.
That safety, the learning, the open communication,
it all helps to build a culture where innovation can flourish.
This is like a really well-rounded framework.
It goes from building that foundation of trust
to fostering a culture of real innovation.
But what are some of the biggest obstacles
that you've seen teams run into
when they try to put these things into practice?
You know, a lot of times it's just getting everyone
on board with change.
People resist new ways of doing things,
especially if the old way was working fine.
It's that if it ain't broke, don't fix it mentality.
But the thing is, sometimes things are broken
and we just don't realize it.
Or maybe we're just settling for okay
when we could be doing something incredible.
That's it.
And that's where leadership makes a difference.
Inspiring the team to buy into this new way of working,
to see those benefits,
to push themselves out of their comfort zones.
And it's not all on the leader either, right?
It's about making everyone feel like they own it,
that they're accountable.
Oh, absolutely.
Get everyone involved, from defining roles to setting goals.
When people feel like they're part of something bigger,
they're more likely to care about it.
This has been amazing.
You know, we've gone through this whole framework
from trust and safety to building a culture of innovation.
And we even started talking about some
of those real world challenges.
But I wanna shift gears a little now
and focus on you, the listener.
This is where it gets real, you know?
Taking these big concepts
and applying them to your specific situation.
Right, we've talked about trust, roles, communication,
metrics, learning, all of it.
But now the big question is,
how do these things play out in the real world?
What does it look like to actually put these ideas
into practice on your team?
Well, let's start with psychological safety.
Remember how the source talked about leaders being vulnerable.
It could be as simple as admitting when you don't know something
or just encouraging open discussion
about those mistakes and challenges.
It's about making it okay to speak up,
to share ideas, even to disagree.
And when it comes to those roles and responsibilities,
think about clarity.
Does everybody on the team understand
what they're supposed to be doing, what their goals are,
how their work contributes to the bigger picture?
Everyone on the same page,
rowing in the same direction, right?
Exactly, and that feeds right into collaboration and communication.
Does your team have regular chances to connect and brainstorm?
Do you have ways to make sure everyone is sharing information?
Team meetings, brainstorming, even just a shared space online
where people can bounce ideas off each other,
create those opportunities for people to interact.
And what about those metrics?
Are you tracking the things that actually matter?
Are you using them to get better and celebrate your successes?
Remember, they're supposed to help the team
not be used to micromanage them.
And then there's continuous learning.
Are you giving your team chances to grow?
Are you encouraging them to try new things and challenge themselves?
Training programs, mentorships,
even just some time for learning and exploring new things.
The main thing is to build a culture
where learning is important and part of everyday work.
You know, we've covered a lot in this deep dive,
but I want to leave you with one last question,
something to really think about from the source.
If you could give your team one thing, one resource
to help them be more creative and innovative, what would it be?
You know, it's funny, we tend to think about these ideas separately.
Trust, roles, metrics, learning.
But as we're talking about it, they're all connected, aren't they?
Totally. You can't really have one without the others, right?
They all work together to create that space
where a team can really do amazing things.
And that brings us back to that continuous learning,
which is the fuel that keeps the engine going.
Oh, I like that.
So let's talk more about that continuous learning
and how it connects to everything else.
The source, it really stresses that continuous learning
isn't just about formal training programs.
You know, it's more about building that culture
of curiosity and experimentation and sharing what you know.
Yeah, like you're creating a team of lifelong learners, right?
Always exploring new ideas and pushing those boundaries.
Exactly. And I think that goes back to that psychological safety, right?
If people feel safe to try things and make mistakes,
they're more likely to really embrace that continuous learning.
For sure. If you're worried about being judged or punished
for trying something new,
you're not going to step outside of that comfort zone.
So how do we create that environment then,
where people feel supported and encouraged to learn and grow?
Like, what can leaders do practically speaking?
The source had a few ideas, and one that really stands out
is giving people the time and resources they need to actually learn.
Setting aside time for conferences, courses,
even just reading articles.
Making it a priority, right?
Not just something you squeeze in when you can.
Yeah, exactly. You want to show them that it matters.
And it's not just about, like, taking in information either, right?
It's about putting it to use, trying new things.
Totally. And that's where that idea of failing forward comes in, right?
The source talks about celebrating wins,
but also those spectacular flops.
Yeah.
As learning experiences.
Yeah, like, it's okay to make a mistake
as long as you can learn from it.
And share those lessons.
That's how you create a learning organization.
I love that.
A team that's always growing and adapting,
always pushing those limits.
But how do we ensure that all that learning actually leads to innovation?
How do we make sure those new skills and ideas are actually being used?
And that's where the source's last point comes in,
fostering that culture of innovation.
And they talk about three main strategies.
First one, encourage creativity.
Brainstoring, those wild ideas,
even the ones that sound a little crazy at first.
You know, create a space where people feel comfortable thinking differently.
So it's about giving people the freedom to be creative.
Yeah.
Without being judged.
Yeah.
And the second one is about providing the resources to make those ideas happen.
Maybe it's tech, space for brainstorming,
or just giving people the time and freedom to explore whatever it takes.
It's like taking away those barriers
and giving them what they need to bring their ideas to life.
Exactly.
And the last point is to remember that innovation is not a straight line.
There are going to be bumps in the road.
You got to embrace those, learn from those failures,
celebrate the wins, but also those flops, you know.
Don't see failure as the end, but as part of the process.
And it goes back to everything we've been talking about,
the safety, the learning, the communication.
It all contributes to creating a culture where innovation can actually happen.
This framework really does cover everything,
from that foundation of trust to building a culture of innovation.
What are some of the biggest things you've seen trick teams up
when they try to put these ideas into practice?
One of the most common things I see is just getting everyone on the same page about change.
People can be hesitant about new ways of working,
especially if the old ways seem to be going fine.
That's that if it ain't broke, don't fix it.
Thinking, right?
But sometimes things are broken and we don't see it.
Or maybe we're settling when we could be doing so much better.
Yeah, that's it.
And that's where leadership comes in, right?
It's about inspiring the team,
getting them excited about this new way of doing things,
helping them see those benefits and push themselves out of their comfort zone.
But it's not just the leader's job, right?
Everyone needs to feel like they own it, that they're accountable.
Absolutely.
Everyone should be involved from deciding roles to setting goals.
When people feel like they're a part of something bigger,
they're going to care about it more.
This has been so insightful.
We've gone through this entire framework
and now we're talking about those real world challenges, you know?
But I want to shift gears now.
Focus on you, the listener.
This is where it gets real, right?
Taking all these concepts and figuring out how to apply them to your own situation.
Yeah.
We talked about trust, roles, communication, metrics, learning, all of it.
But now the big question is, how does this actually work in practice?
What does it look like to apply these ideas to your own team?
Well, think about that psychological safety.
Remember how the source talked about leaders being vulnerable.
It could be something as simple as saying,
hey, I don't know the answer.
Or just encouraging people to talk openly about mistakes.
Creating that space where it's okay to speak up to disagree.
When it comes to those roles, it's all about clarity.
Does everyone on the team know what they're supposed to be doing, what their goals are,
how their work contributes to the team's success?
Make sure everyone's on the same page working together.
Exactly.
And that leads right into the communication, right?
Does your team have regular opportunities to connect?
To share ideas, is there a system in place to make sure everyone is on the same page?
Team meetings, brainstorming sessions, or even just a shared space online
where people can bounce ideas off each other.
It's all about making sure those channels of communication are open.
And don't forget about those metrics.
Are you tracking the right things?
Are you using them to improve and celebrate your wins?
Those metrics should be used to help the team, not to micromanage them.
And then, of course, there's the continuous learning.
Are you giving your team the chance to learn and grow, to explore new ideas, to challenge themselves?
Maybe that's training, mentorships, or even just dedicated time for exploration and learning.
The point is to make learning a core part of your team's culture,
something that's valued and encouraged.
We've covered a lot in this deep dive, but before we wrap things up,
I want to leave you with one last thought-provoking question from the source
that might help you apply these principles to your own team.
If you could give your team one resource to boost their creativity and innovation, what would it be?
That's a really good question. Makes you think.
It does, right?
It makes you think about what your team really needs to be successful.
It could be something concrete, like new software or a whole lab dedicated to innovation.
Or maybe it's more about having the time to brainstorm
or just making sure you're recognizing and rewarding those new ideas.
Whatever it is, it shows you have to be deliberate about how you approach innovation.
Yeah, it's not going to just happen on its own.
You have to create the right environment and give people the support they need.
And it's something you have to keep working at.
Right. There's no finish line when it comes to building a great team.
You know, it's all about constantly improving and adapting
and making sure that everyone feels like they can contribute.
And that they can learn and grow and really push those boundaries.
I think that's a great place to wrap things up.
So thanks for joining us on this deep dive.
We've covered a lot, but hopefully you've learned some things you can take back to your own team.
Remember, building a high performance team, it's a journey.
And the most important step is the one you take right now.
So what's your next move going to be?
We want to hear from you.
Share your thoughts or your own resource idea with us on social media.
And until next time, happy team building.