The winning formula for creating a High performing Team

Last Sunday was the FIFA World Cup final, and Argentina's victory and star player Messi, dominated social media and news channels. It was a great final match in the history of FIFA and will be remembered for ages. Congratulations to Team Argentina, which has lifted the cup since 1986.

However, it is worth noting that France has made its second consecutive appearance in the finals. One person who made this possible is Didier Deschamps, the head coach of France since 2012. Under his coaching & leadership, the team won the championship in 2018 and finished second in 2022.

Consistency is the hallmark of a high-performance team apart from their practice, hard work, discipline & passion to perform.

In the leadership journey too, we always in search for the winning formula of creating a high performing team. We look around and notice teams that are highly engaged and on top of their work. They strive to show consistent performance in all the seasons & prove their worth every time.

So, what makes them a high performing team? Sharing here my observation from workplace, surroundings & learning from the book "You win in the dressing room first"

A team is a reflection of its leader. Thus, team performance is directly proportional to leadership and vice versa.

It is said that "the winning team does not win on the playground or in the market place, but the process begins in the dressing room first," because success is a long process that is determined by a variety of factors:

-How a leader creates a positive & constructive culture and behaves with the team members?

-Understanding the team’s strengths & weaknesses is an important factor in deciding the role of every team member.

-Taking a deep interest in individual development helps in a good connection between team & leader.

Jon Gordon and Mike Smith described very nicely the winning formula with the 7 Cs to create a high performing team.

Culture, contagiousness, consistency, communication, connection, commitment, and care are the seven Cs.

?Culture:?

I have worked as a team under different kinds of leadership and totally endorse the idea that a positive culture creates a fertile ground on which performance flourishes.When a culture is built on a shared purpose, trust, goals, performance, and learning, it spreads positive energy in the environment for high productivity & growth.

Contagious:

Only Covid is not contagious but inspiration too. It has a ripple effect like when we throw a pebble in water, and the effect multiplies.

Positive energy has a positive effect, while negative energy has negative one. As a leader, we transfer the energy that each team member carries. One of the ways to infuse positive energy is to infuse it with mission and vision. It has a power to transform a small job into purpose & striving for purpose is the inspiration.

Yes, inspiration is contagious, & when it is conveyed with the right intent and the team feels that their action can add value and contribute to achieving that larger goal then positive energy spreads.

Consistency:

Consistency plays an important role in building a winning team. Being consistent not only limited to practice or performance but also on "walk the talk".?When a leader demonstrates his core beliefs and values in action, it brings a great sense of respect and trust.

When the leader is consistent in his views, thoughts, and values, then the team also gets aligned, understands, and helps create a good bond amongst the team members.

Communication:

Communication is undeniably the most important element in building a great team. Aside from being one of the most important characteristics of a leader and coach, good communication among team members aids in understanding and tuning to perform. They understand each other's strengths and respect their limitations.

Communication has a domino effect as it builds trust and leads to high levels of commitment.

?Connect:

Connection doesn’t need words, and it has an emotive meaning. It is a part of a relationship in which teams work toward a larger goal and collaborate as a family by understanding one another.

Connection is the next level of communication where more than the words our emotional quotient (EQ) works. Understanding each other, celebrating their success, respecting their weakness, and supporting them to lift them up at the time of need.?

The team with a great connection develops a sense of mutual respect and an excellent working environment. I consider myself fortunate to have worked in a team with a strong bond, and it was always enjoyable to go to work and complete projects as a group.

?Commitment:

There is no doubt that a dedicated team will give their all. But, commitment starts with the leader first.?As a leader, how committed are we to our teams? What efforts are we making to ensure the success of our team? How are we trying to support & help our team members?

The choice is between act as a manager or a leader.

The team will always remember those leaders who have contributed to their success and will help them grow. The efforts we are making as leaders to improve their lives and grow them can make a huge difference. This gesture itself can act as a glue between team, leader, and purpose.

Commitment = Action + Words + Feelings

Care:

There is a saying that "only those who care about you can hear when you are quiet."

When we ‘care’ for someone, we make the person valuable and part of our life. It gives the team the surety that their voice will be heard by someone. When the team feels that there is someone to care for them, they also care for the leader. Care keeps the team intact. They walk with each other in difficult times yet inspire each other to achieve bigger goals.

Unity is strength, but when there is teamwork and collaboration, then wonderful things can be achieved.

These 7Cs are not the new ones, and we understand the importance of each C for creating a high-performing team. Taking this learning to the workplace can create a positive working environment with mutual respect, trust, care, and performance.

Didier Deschamps – the head coach of France, also knows that winning and losing are parts of the game, but if the foundation of his team is built on these core values, then no one can stop them from performing to their best capabilities because teamwork is the engine of a high-performance work culture.

Let’s lift each other

Bhavesh

Courtesy:

1)????You win in the locker room first – Jon Gordon & Mike Smith

2)????Picture by – Aryan Bhatt