Strategies and Practices for Building High-Performance Teams #256006

Upon successful completion of this course, participants will be able to:

• Diagnose the current stage of their team’s development and identify key barriers to high performance.

• Apply foundational models of team effectiveness (e.g., Lencioni’s Five Dysfunctions, Tuckman’s Model, GRPI) to real-world scenarios.

• Establish psychological safety and foster an environment of trust where team members can take risks without fear.

• Facilitate productive conflict to harness diverse perspectives and drive innovation.

• Implement strategies to enhance team communication, collaboration, and commitment to shared goals.

• Design and lead processes for effective team decision-making and problem-solving.

• Create a actionable plan to develop and sustain a high-performance culture within their own team.

This course is essential for any professional responsible for leading or facilitating team outcomes:

• Team Leaders, Managers, and Supervisors

• Project and Program Managers

• Agile Coaches and Scrum Masters

• HR Business Partners and Organizational Development Practitioners

• Senior Executives leading leadership teams

• Any professional who participates in or leads cross-functional, hybrid, or remote teams

• Pre-assessment
• Live group instruction
• Use of real-world examples, case studies and exercises
• Interactive participation and discussion
• Power point presentation, LCD and flip chart
• Group activities and tests
• Each participant receives a binder containing a copy of the presentation
• slides and handouts
• Post-assessment

Day 1: The Foundation of High-Performance Teams

• Morning Session: What Makes a Team “High-Performing”?

  • Defining High Performance: Beyond Output to include Well-being, Resilience, and Adaptability.

  • The Business Case: The Tangible ROI of High-Performing Teams.

  • Introduction to Key Diagnostic Models: Tuckman’s Stages of Group Development (Forming, Storming, Norming, Performing) and the GRPI (Goals, Roles, Processes, Interpersonal) Model.

• Afternoon Session: The Bedrock of Trust

  • Lencioni’s Five Dysfunctions of a Team: Starting with the Absence of Trust.

  • Practical Exercises to Build Vulnerability-Based Trust.

  • The Role of the Leader in Modeling Trust and Authenticity.

  • Workshop: Personal Histories Exercise and Trust Fallouts.

Day 2: Mastering Conflict and Achieving Commitment

• Morning Session: Harnessing the Power of Productive Conflict

  • Differentiating between Destructive and Ideological Conflict.

  • Creating a “Safe Space” for Debate and Diverse Opinions.

  • Tools for Facilitating Healthy Conflict: Debate Frameworks, Devil’s Advocate.

• Afternoon Session: From Debate to Commitment

  • Overcoming the Desire for Consensus and the Dangers of Artificial Harmony.

  • Techniques for Achieving Clear Buy-In and Closure (e.g., Disagree and Commit, Clarifying Questions).

  • Activity: A simulated team debate on a business case to practice facilitating productive conflict and achieving commitment.

Day 3: Fostering Accountability and Driving Results

• Morning Session: The Discipline of Peer-to-Peer Accountability

  • Moving from Leader-Led to Peer-Led Accountability.

  • Strategies for Providing and Receiving Effective Feedback within the Team.

  • Creating a Culture where Holding Others Accountable is an Act of Respect.

• Afternoon Session: Relentless Focus on Collective Results

  • Keeping the Team Focused on Shared Goals, Not Individual Ego or Status.

  • Defining and Measuring Team Success.

  • Workshop: Develop a Team Accountability Charter and a Results Scorecard.

Day 4: Advanced Tools for Team Synergy

• Morning Session: Communication & Collaboration Techniques

  • Mastering Team Communication in Hybrid and Remote Settings.

  • Effective Meeting Strategies: Ensuring Every Meeting is a Value-Add.

  • Collaborative Problem-Solving Frameworks (e.g., Design Thinking for Teams).

• Afternoon Session: Decision-Making & Empowerment

  • Different Decision-Making Models (Consensus, Consultative, Command).

  • Understanding Bias in Team Decisions.

  • Empowering the Team to Act Autonomously within Clear Boundaries.

  • Simulation: A complex problem-solving scenario requiring the team to use new collaboration and decision-making tools.

Day 5: Integration, Sustainability, and Action Planning

• Morning Session: Navigating Team Challenges

  • Strategies for Resolving Persistent Team Dysfunction.

  • Managing Different Personalities and Generations in the Team (e.g., MBTI or DiSC insights).

  • Re-energizing a Stagnant or Burned-Out Team.

• Afternoon Session: Capstone and Personal Leadership Plan

  • Capstone Activity: Teams are given a comprehensive case study and must present their strategy for building and leading a high-performance team to overcome the challenges presented.

  • Personal Action Planning: Each participant creates a detailed 90-day plan to apply the course principles with their own team.

  • Course Recap and Commitment Ceremony.