There’s been a lot of talk lately about high performance teams. If you’re here reading this chances are you are like me, interested in learning and improving your skills, knowledge, and performance. To do that you need to have an open mind to explore new ideas and be open to changing the way we do things.
High performance teams are comprised of any group of people trying to achieve a goal, here’s a few examples;
• A General Contracting project team, Superintendent(s), carpenters, Laborers, project managers, and project engineers.
• A plumbing contractor with a team of Foremen all working on different projects.
• Electrical Subcontractor working on a project with a team of Electricians, apprentices, and laborers.
• A residential HVAC service contractor with a team of Technicians.
The concept is simple, a team of individuals working together to achieve a common goal. The team is put together;
• as a master mind group generally to think through the plan, coordinate interconnected task, to measure progress, and adjust the plan as needed.
• To brain storm solutions to problems.
• To hold each other accountable.
• for personal development
One other element to this team that I think is the most powerful is this, the team genuinely looks out for the interest of the other team members by building trust in each other. How do we do this?
• High performance teams meet weekly to review the scope and schedule and to identify goals for the upcoming week. (coordinated with the project schedule) Identifies daily activities for the next week required to achieve weekly goals.
• Sets stretch goals, longer terms goals. This could be schedule milestones for the next 4 to 6 weeks, completing more billable service calls over the next month, or hitting your schedule marks while reducing labor cost are just a few examples.
• Review the prior weeks goals, what goals did we achieve? Where did we fall short and why? How do we fit the completion of missed goals in this weeks schedule without negatively impacting the scheduled goals for this week?
• What does each individual need, resources, materials, etc. to hit his/her marks for the week?
• What issues or problems are team members having? How can we find solutions? Is there another team member that can help? 
High Performance Teams are built on trust
These meetings are where trust is built. This is where team members should be able to share exactly where they are, what they need, and problems they are having in an environment where everyone is looking out for each other. There’s is no ego or competition, the project or goals are the priority. When one succeeds everyone succeeds.
I know no-one wants more unproductive boring meetings on their schedule but I’m telling you, if you put your team together and implement the High-Performance Team concept your project will be more productive, efficient, and successful.
It takes a real leader to build a High-Performance team, are you that leader?
