Creating high-performance teams is crucial for any organisation’s success. The Hintel Roundtable presentation by David Young (acclaimed Sports Psychologist who has worked with England Cricket and an iconic Premier League club) uncovered how to enhance relationships and harness strength for maximum output.
David is a spotlight accredited practitioner by Mindflick; Hintel and the entire deverellsmith group benefited from Mindflick by having the leadership team’s profiles individually mapped.
This article provides valuable insights into team dynamics, emphasising a strengths-based approach exploring how to build high-performance teams using key takeaways from the presentation.
1. Understanding Groups vs. Teams
Insight: Groups and teams function differently; understanding this distinction is critical.
Application:
- Groups: Typically share information, provide updates, work independently, and engage in transactional interactions.
- Teams: Aim for sustained high performance, offer support and challenge, provide feedback, and come together under pressure.
Encourage team members to support and challenge each other, fostering a collaborative environment where feedback is regularly exchanged.
2. Perception
Insight: Our perception shapes our interactions, and acknowledging different viewpoints is essential for team growth.
Application:
- Humility: Recognise that others may view the world differently. This openness can lead to better understanding and collaboration.
- Curiosity: Encourage team members to explore different viewpoints and learn from each other.
- Tolerance: Value and amplify differences to build agile and adaptable teams.
Fostering an environment where diverse perspectives are appreciated helps in building a more innovative and resilient team.
3. Leveraging Super-Strengths
Insight: Every team member has unique strengths that, when harnessed correctly, can enhance team performance.
Application:
- Identify Strengths: Have team members identify and share their personal strengths, using prompts like “When have you felt most successful?” and “What energizes you?”
- Sweet Spot: Understand that each strength has a ‘sweet spot’ where it is most effective. Overplaying strengths can turn them into weaknesses.
- Leeway: Allow team members the freedom to express their strengths while also providing leeway for growth and adjustment.
Encourage self-awareness and mutual respect for each other’s strengths and weaknesses, creating a balanced and effective team.
4. Balancing Challenge and Support
Insight: High-performance teams require a balance of challenge and support.
Application:
- Performance Zone: Aim for high support and high challenge to foster awareness, confidence, and fast learning.
- Avoid Extremes: Be mindful of the “Relentless Zone” (high challenge, low support) which leads to burnout, and the “Comfort Zone” (high support, low challenge) which leads to stagnation.
Create an environment where team members feel supported yet challenged, promoting continuous improvement and high performance.
In 2016, Young completed a study that uncovered the positive environment the ‘high support, high challenge’ environment creates titled Transformational Leadership in Cricket.
5. Principles of Strengths
Insight: There are key principles to managing strengths effectively within a team.
Application:
- Sweet Spot: Recognise and operate within the sweet spot of each strength.
- Context Matters: Be cautious about overplaying strengths or using them in the wrong context, as this can turn them into weaknesses.
- Leeway for Expression: Provide the necessary leeway for strengths to be expressed fully.
- Counterbalance: Ensure that strengths are counter-weighted to maintain balance.
- Value Underused Strengths: Pay attention to undervalued strengths and ensure they are not underutilized.
Implementing these principles helps in maximizing the potential of each team member, leading to a more cohesive and high-performing team.
By integrating these insights from the Hintel Roundtable presentation, organisations can create teams that are not only high-performing but also adaptive, resilient, and innovative. These teams are better equipped to navigate challenges, leverage diverse strengths, and drive sustained success.
