Highly Predictable Teams

Getting under the hood of what a high-performing team really looks like.

Highly predictable teams are the answer to many challenges in the workplace – innovation, improved delivery, digital transformation, etc. But in a world of shareholder value, tough economic climates, and the noise around AI innovation, the importance of teams and how they function has fallen out of organisational awareness in most companies.

The first thing to consider when thinking about teams is this: where are the people in your organisation right now? It’s a reality check everyone needs.*

• Engagement stats are low, at 20% in South Africa and 23% globally.
• Quiet quitters sit at 60%, and loud quitters at 20%.
• Employees wanting to leave sit at 70%.
• Globally, 53% of managers report being burnt out, and 36% of staff are very stressed.
• In the US, CEO departures are up 47% year-on-year.
• In South Africa, more than 50 top CEOs have moved in the last two years.
• Retrenchments are happening across the board.

If ever there was a time for leadership within organisations, it’s now. The question is: where does one even begin with a group of employees who have likely checked out? The answer lies in team leads and colleague relationships.

Start at the beginning

The first place people tend to go when thinking about teams is the organisational chart. This is, unfortunately, not an accurate reflection of what is happening on the ground. Yes, it’s good for budgeting and headcount, but more than two-thirds of employees report being on more than one team, and three-quarters of them say those teams are not reflected anywhere in company documentation.

The first thing to work out is the team structure within the informal network of employees. How do product teams really work with marketing? How does digital work with the data division, and so on?

Once teams have effectively been mapped, the next question to ask is: what makes up a high-performing team? The three areas that answer this question are people, processes, and technology and tools, each of which has its own focal points depending on the organisation.

But the real secret sauce lies in how people behave in high-performing teams. The common traits of high-performing teams have been defined** as:

• Highly focused
• Honest and kind
• Open to exploring new experiences
• Purposeful
• Transparent in ways of working
• Respectful of colleagues
• Valuing divergent viewpoints
• Always learning

Furthermore, a team that exhibits this kind of behaviour likely has a team leader who is intentional about the work the team is doing and who cares for their people.

Replicating this kind of culture across an organisation requires deliberate work with all team leaders and influencers within the company.

The results

Focusing on the people, process, and technology elements of teams – along with the behaviours they display – leads to measurable outcomes.

The three biggest call-outs from high-performing teams are that team members understand the value they add to their team; they report feeling cared for by their team lead; and their strengths are recognised and built upon by their colleagues.

High-performing teams have a rigorous cadence, strong processes, the right technology, and 360-degree visibility into their work. They deliver on time and within budget, while maintaining their mental and physical wellbeing.

When organisations have an effective forum for team leads and influencers, and high-performing teams, they can align organisational goals with day-to-day activities in teams, resulting in increased growth and more predictable delivery.

_{*Stats from Gallup, ADP, HBR, and Challenge Gray.
*Stronger Together by Simon Hartley, 2015.}