High Performance Teams

High Performance Team

To build a high performing team, a leader must understand the process of team building and of social organizations. A high performing team consists of a group of individuals who have specific roles in the organization, along with complementary skill sets that are aligned with a common purpose. These individuals produce high results through collaboration and innovation (Field, 2007).

In any organization a high performing team has the same qualities; tight knit, focused and goal orientated. The team will break down barriers while accomplishing tough tasks, and will always be held to a higher standard than their inferior performing counter parts.

This paper will analyze the social organization of building a high performing team utilizing the present/ future career path of the author. Pacific Architects and Engineers (PAE) will be examined as it has recently gone through an organizational change and continues to evolve. PAE is the author’s current employer and is an excellent base for analyzing past, and future steps in building a high performing team.

Team Goals

Before setting goals for a team; there must be a clear goal in place for the team members. This is the first priority for a leader. To accomplish this task a leader must take into account the individuals in the team; the informal structure and the environment in which the organization exists (Prodanciuc, 2012). By taking these elements into account, a leader can set achievable goals and verbalize them to the individuals in the team so that they know exactly what their goals are.

PAE security at this location is considered a “Tactical Team” because of the resources involved and the level of security. Because of this the majority of the employees are former military with backgrounds in military police, infantry and special operations. These individuals range from retired military to recently separated military members ranging in age from the mid 20’s to mid 50’s.

The site location is very remote with little in the way of everyday conveniences. The team members are with each other for days at a time much like a military field exercise. Along with the other military comparisons is the structure of the team. It is much like the military in terms of the informal structure which is also a military rank structure.

By utilizing a few elements, along with the above factors, a team will be able to reach its goals. The elements to reach the required goals need to be clear and understood by the team. The goal must be relevant and aligned with individual goals and interests. The goal must be seen as being worthwhile and achievable (Thiel, 2009). There must also be a sense of urgency, or a time line, so that the team members can see the finish line.

Leadership Skills

The leader must keep the team focused