What’s the secret sauce for building a high-performing team?
Is it about hiring the right people?
Creating a killer culture?
Setting ambitious goals?
The answer is YES – to all of the above. But there’s more to it than that.
As a leader, your actions and behaviors have a direct impact on your team’s motivation, engagement, and, ultimately, their results. While there’s no magic formula, there are some proven strategies that can help you elevate your team’s performance and create a workplace where everyone thrives.
#1 Create a Positive Work Culture: Create a culture of trust, respect, and open communication. Encourage collaboration, celebrate successes, and provide constructive feedback to build a motivated and engaged team.
Our client partner, Kashina Cusson, wrote an excellent article last week revealing a surprising connection between sales training and company culture – a must-read for anyone looking to build a more positive, collaborative workplace.
Remember, we’re all different with different perspectives, and the better job you do at trying to see through someone else’s lens, the better your relationship will become! And kindness and empathy are truly infectious and will spread throughout your entire team and organization.
Kashina Cusson
#2 Offer Help, Not Just Direction: You must go beyond simple delegation.
- Shadow a team member on a call
- Actively participate in the sales process
- Schedule regular check-ins to offer guidance, share experience, and problem-solve
- Remove simple roadblocks like approval delays
- Allow team members within their area of expertise to have decision-making authority
#3 Express Gratitude: At Carew, I often hear our team telling each other, “I appreciate you.” These three simple words go a long way—they communicate a sense of respect and appreciation, build trust, and most importantly, this type of recognition fuels motivation.
#4 Manage Your Inbox: Your approach to email sets a precedent for your team. Maintain an organized inbox, respond promptly, and prioritize effectively. When your team sees you managing communication efficiently, they’re more likely to follow suit.
#5 Walk it Out: Today, people sit for 9.3 hours a day and sleep for 7.7 hours, that’s an easy way to burnout. A simple and effective solution is to set up one-on-one walking meetings.
Walking reduces stress, improves concentration, increases brain connectivity, and boosts your problem-solving skills.
Get inspired to get moving with this 3-minute TED Talk:
#6 Invest in Professional Development: Offer training, mentorship, and coaching opportunities to drive individual and team performance. Carew’s comprehensive training and reinforcement programs elevate skills, improve communication, establish a common process, and transform teams. Investing in your team not only improves performance but also fosters loyalty and retention.
#7 Prioritize Work-Life Balance: Not only for yourself but for your team. A Gallup study found that employees who feel their work-life balance is excellent are 21% more likely to be engaged at work.
- Clearly define your work hours and avoid sending emails or messages outside of those times
- Encourage breaks and vacations
- Allow for flexible hours and remote work
- Monitor workloads and set clear expectations about what is expected
