High performing teams can feel like magic. The right chemistry is key to creating that magic but what other components make up high performing teams? In my opinion, the answer is trust, expertise, and leadership. The team needs to trust each other, people need to be experts in their roles, and leaders need to help inspire action and foster innovation. When this happens, high performing teams can hit goals and innovate but how do you know you are onto something if the time horizon of the goal is further out? I have some thoughts and tips on what to look for.  I will share one today and one tomorrow in a brief two part series both of which are about meetings.  

Under the hood of trust, expertise, and great leadership, are tactical habits knowledge workers or leaders do to foster high performing characteristics of trust and expertise. 

Meetings get a bad rap. I am not a fan of meetings myself but I’ve learned it is really just the bad meetings I don’t like. A good meeting with a lively discussion is fun and effective. 

One thing I’ve noticed about a good meeting in a high performing team is this: there is fluidity of transitions between topics. It keeps the energy up and allows participants to understand the connections in the team’s strategic approach. I am not saying silence is bad. Slowing down in a meeting can also be effective for letting information sync in too but if you’re just letting silence happen for the sake of transitioning, I don’t see that as very purposeful. 

If you are a leader, I recommend working on meeting flow and topic transitions. Lead the participants through different connecting topics. The way to do this is preparation and flexibility. Prepare the topics and information but be flexible on where you start and go based on the discussion and feedback. It is a true blend of preparation and flexibility. Think of the flexibility like you are sailing in an ocean moving with the current of the wind where the current is the feedback you are getting from others in real time. 

Bonus: if you aren’t the meeting leader, you can still practice this. It will help you build leadership skills and trust with the meeting leader.

I was part of an internal leadership round table where part of the prep was this video and the discussion was around psychological safety. I first learned about this topic about 8 years ago at Wayfair where someone at the company took initiative to shepherd the philosophy throughout the department. 

I remember being really excited and interested in the idea of it. Which I believe in part because I related to both sides. The feelings when physiological safety is or isn’t present. I’ve felt both in my career. I was also part of both strong and weak sports growing up. I am always thinking of how to foster strong teams. 

The round table was awesome because I got a ton of tactical ideas that other leaders do to help foster psychological safety. One thing that stuck out to me is you need to try many things to help foster this and get feedback on what you try. Once you hit a healthy working state physiological safety balanced with accountability, it will feel like magic because it builds the trust needed for strong, fluid working relationships. Feedback will flow back and forth smoothly.

I have a deadline this week. I am trying to approach it with a different perspective this time around. Deadlines are generally a good thing. The deadline is helpful to force the creation of what needs to get done. The process from start to finish can be a lot of fun filled with growth and learning. 

Yesterday, I was outlining the deliverable and getting comfortable with the structure. It is a mix of writing and data pulling. Today, I plan to do a little of both to chisel away at this deadline. Each day, I’ll list out a few things to tackle in order to get closer to completion, do those things, and then do it over again the next day. A little chiseling each day and the final product is created.