5 top tips to turning high performing individuals into a high performing team. Tavistock Consulting

1. Turning high performing individuals
into a high performing team

2. Not only ‘what’, but ‘how’
The concept of high performing
teams was first described by
Tavistock pioneers in the 1950s,
who understood that before a
group of individuals could truly
become a high performing team,
they needed to understand not
only what they did, but how
they worked together.

3. A better understanding of group dynamics
can help release energy and the potential for
high performance.
The following five principles are a guide to
creating high performing teams using a
systems psychodynamic approach.

4. • Profiling tools are useful in helping us
understand the roles we may play within
groups. However, they can reinforce a
focus on the individual when in fact it’s
the group dynamics that need attention.
• Individuals can often be labelled with
informal roles, which are really
expressing something on behalf of the
whole team.
• Our early experience often makes us
choose these roles, but group dynamics
will also put us in them.
1. Being labelled
Examples of labels:
• ‘the difficult one’
• ‘the naive one’
• ‘the vulnerable one’
• ‘the ruthless one’
... etc.
• Our Advice: Notice what the whole
team might be wanting to express that
has been located in one person.

5. 2. Inclusion and exclusion
• We have probably all had experience of
being either ‘in or out’ of groups.
• Those who feel ‘in’ find themselves part
of the clique - special and privileged.
Those who feel ‘out’ may feel rejected,
unwelcomed and without an identity.
• Again, our early experiences, combined
with other people’s sense of whether
we’re ‘in or out’ can often lead to very
complex dynamics.• Our Advice: Talk about it in your team.
Who might feel ‘in or out’ and are
people allowed to be different or does
everyone have to conform?

6. • Competition exists at some level in all
human groups and is often a great fuel
for growth and creativity.
• Problems emerge when competition is
denied and goes underground (secret
conversations, sarcastic comments) or
open warfare breaks out.
• If talked about it can stay healthy –
open, non-judgmental and just normal.
3. Healthy competition
Examples of labels:
• ‘the difficult one’
• ‘the naive one’
• ‘the vulnerable one’
• ‘the ruthless one’
... etc.
• Our Advice: Check in with the team.
Is competition being acknowledged
and is it being used for the good of
the group, as well as individuals?

7. 4. Spotting group defences
• Groups naturally find ways to deal with
complex dynamics in order to keep
going and often this means
unconsciously developing defences.
• The problem is that this can result in
groups not focusing on the task.
• Examples of defences:
– over-dependency on a leader
– scapegoating
– fixating on an external enemy
– never moving from talking to action
– spending time on unrealistic plans
– regressing into immature behaviour
– denial…and there are many more.
• Our Advice: Learn to understand the
defences your team might have against
some of the more difficult dynamics -
then you can pick up on them and
refocus back on the task.

8. 5. Meet regularly
• Easier said than done - so many things
can get in the way – deadlines, clients,
other meetings, personal demands.
• However, spending time together is a
‘must do’ for any high performing team.
• These sessions won’t work if people
don’t feel safe – at many levels. Try to:
– meet in the same place at the same time
– close the door to avoid being disturbed
– agree ground rules
– encourage people to share their fears about
what might happen if they speak to something
difficult
• Our Advice: If meetings start getting
cancelled, people turn up late or don’t
attend - use this as data for how the
team might be working and what feels
difficult to talk about.

9. Tavistock Consulting is running
two 3-day programmes.
Click below for details and to book:
Leading Change 29th June - 1st July 2016
http://www.tavistockconsulting.co.uk/training-and-events/leading-change/
De-coding group dynamics 12th – 14th October 2016
http://www.tavistockconsulting.co.uk/training-and-events/de-coding-group-dynamics/