Strategic Project Management Made Simple, 2nd Edition

11Building Your High-Performing Team

No one can whistle a symphony. It takes a whole orchestra to play it.

—H.E. Luccok

Even the best project plans are of marginal value without a team that everyone wants to be on—where each member feels valued and safe, has a strong sense of belonging, and is acknowledged as being a strong contributor. That's the formula for outstanding performance, and the focus of this chapter.

Commit yourself to building a team with high mutual regard, a team where everyone can find a sense of meaning in their work. Illustrate to each team member how their work matters, coach, and when appropriate, be a mentor.

This chapter's case study shows the power of using simple and meaningful rituals to transform team performance.

Components of a Stellar Team

Google studied 180+ active Google teams to see what made for the most effective teams. They expected to find the best mix of people with the right skill sets and traits would create a stellar team. To their surprise, who was on the team mattered less than how the team members interacted.

The following three dynamics set their successful teams apart from the others.

1. Team Members Have Psychological Safety

Psychological safety tops the list for building a high-performance team and underpins all the other factors. When team members feel safe with you and with one another, they can say what they really think. Without this safety net, they may avoid resolving issues with other team members, remain quiet ...