High-performing Teams Happen Through Intentional Investment – Not Accident
What makes the difference between a solid, capable work group and an exceptional, high-performing team?
In the team coaching BECAUZ does with our clients, we consistently experience—or work to develop—some key qualities of high-performing teams. Here are three attributes we view as essential in elevating a competent work group to a consistent rock star team.
• Accountability: Holding each other to a set of agreements and “our word”, with skill and respect, enables the team to collaborate effectively and enjoyably. Team members do their utmost to meet commitments and they’re able to have honest, productive conversations when commitments are at risk. In a top-performing team, accountability means: “I know I can count on you and you can count on me. Together, we’ll get results.”
• Trust: Though sometimes viewed as a soft skill or a “nice to have,” trust is an accelerator of team performance. In a high-trust work environment, team members are able to get better, faster results. Trust enables work to move through the system more quickly. Trust may seem intangible and elusive, but with deliberate work, teams can increase the level of trust among members to improve performance.
• Conflict management skills: High-performing teams aren’t teams without conflict. They’re teams that have developed the skills and the team norms to handle conflict well. They’re able to avoid the tempting fight-or-flight response, and instead manage the conflict and move on. Managing conflict effectively strengthens team member relationships and performance. 
Not surprisingly, these ingredients are inter-related. Team members who are accountable must trust one another. That trust is established, in part, by the ability to have honest conversations about expectations and commitments. Those conversations may spur conflict which high-performing teams know how to manage.
It’s a rare team that would have all three ingredients maximized naturally, despite the individual strengths of the team members or their leader. Most teams will need to work together consciously to develop the ability to generate trust, accountability and conflict management benefits. 
Team coaching is one powerful way to develop these skills. In our team coaching sessions, we provide practical, real-world opportunities to grow and apply these and other team skills. We work with teams to develop insights, capabilities and attitudes that enable the team to “click”—to be a consistent, recognized, high-performing team.