The TLC approach to High Performance Teams (HPT) offers team leaders the opportunity to measure their teams against a high performance team model based on the work of Patrick Lencioni. Kicking off with the TeamQ™ online questionnaire, the team leader’s view can be separated from those of the team members and there can be additional categories in the form of customers and other stakeholders to show what shadow the team casts.
The modern workplace is a complex myriad of relationships and technology – it is simply impossible for any individual to do what is required to meet the increasing expectations of our customers. Continued success is dependent on highly functioning teams of people. When team members work really well together it results in big productivity improvements and high staff engagement and morale. However, teamwork success is not guaranteed:
“In spite of the proliferation of teams, real teamwork remains elusive in most organisations.” Patrick Lencioni, author of The Five Dysfunctions of A Team
Research at Harvard University found that team work clusters at either end of the success continuum – many teams function beautifully; many others fail miserably – few are in the middle.
Where is your team on the success continuum?
How can it move up?
You can use the TeamQ™ High Performance Team questionnaire to start the journey.
The TeamQ™ report measures 5 behaviours that are critical to a high performance team. The 5 behaviours are hierarchical – the next level up cannot be achieved unless the one below has been successfully established.
What’s in the TLC HPT development programme?
“A team is more than a collection of people. It is a process of give and take.” Barbara Glacel & Emile Robert Jr
Once the questionnaire results are in, we offer you the TLC HPT programme to make the most of your strengths and build a team development action plan to minimise or completely eradicate areas where the team is dysfunctional. Having all team members sign up to the plan is crucial to the future success of the team.
Who’s it for?
Anyone who wants to develop their team to get better results.
What do we mean by ‘team’?
A team can be anything between 3 to 12 people, who work together on a regular basis, and who are sufficiently ‘together’ to be able to make decisions and act without needing instruction from one designated leader.
What does a High Performance Team look like?
A successful team puts the team’s purpose and goals above individual/functional goals. The individual members are able, without relying on the leader, to give each other feedback to maintain their team working and performance. They are able to draw on and use the talents of each person. Team members spend time together working on a shared team output: the team succeeds if all members succeed. The whole becomes greater than the sum of the parts through the connections between all the individuals.
adapted from: Overcoming The Five Dysfunctions of a Team ~ Patrick Lencioni
You could be coming from one of many directions to benefit from the TLC HPT programme:
- You will probably have completed a TeamQ™ survey, to explore how people experience what it’s like to be part of the team, or what it’s like to interact with the team
- It’s possible you’ve had some specific feedback from within the team, or across the organisation
- Or, you’re seeing the world change around you, as a part of a long term, stable team
- You may have gone through some organisational change and are now forming a new team
- You could be part of the new ‘teaming’ community: where you belong to multiple teams, depending on the piece of work. Each time you are needing to form relationships quickly, to get the work done
- Or it could be something entirely different – where you’ve recognised the need to focus on your team.
However you got to where you are now, there are some tools to help you:
- The TLC HPT development programme outlines what a good team looks like. This should give you some ideas of what to aspire to.
- We also highlight the key stages of group development, to help you understand more about what’s happening for your own team. The rest of the guide is created to support the mindset and behaviours described in this model:
The 5 Functions Of High Performing Teams.
The TLC HPT Programme:
- explores questions you may have been asked, on specific issues that teams face. We offer guidance on which activities it would be helpful to look at.
- sets up a team development session. Either using some specific feedback, such as TeamQ™, or to start exploring what’s happening in the team. There are also tips on how to facilitate these discussions regularly, to challenge the team in the most constructive way.
- goes into detail on each of the 5 functions. For each, you’ll get guidance on potential activities to do with the team. These activities focus on exploring what’s working well and what could be done differently.
- gives you some ideas on what to do with your new insight, giving you a framework to move your plans into action
- points you in the direction of some of the material that has inspired us & that informs the content of the HPT programme, as well as guidance on how to interpret the TeamQ™ report.