High Performance Teams

If I looked under the hood of a high performance automobile like an IRL or NASCAR vehicle, it would look like nothing more than a bunch of wires, tubes, pieces, and parts. In his book The Performance Factor, Pat MacMillan says thats how high performance teams look to most people. The book examines the six characteristics of high performance teams:

• Common Purpose--the power of the team flows out of each member's alignment to the purpose.
• Crystal Clear Roles--Roles are about how we design, divide, and deploy the work of the team.
• Accepted Leadership--Even great teams lose their way without clear, competent leadership.
• Effective Processes--This is the playbook that the team operates by.
• Solid Relationships--Teams don't have to be made up of best friends, but they must possess solid relationships.
• Excellent Communication--Without communication, there can be no cooperation.