Deadly Combinations for creating high performance teams

Competitive advantage through People

Guest post by Dermot Maguire VHIcompetitive advantage through people

Did you know that research from the US reveals that high performance teams share common characteristics?  It's not that they do one thing well , they do a number of key things well which are mutually reinforcing.

According to the research by Pfeffer, J. 1995 there are eleven people management practices that are important to enable a high performance team. The first is recruitment, selection and induction, followed by training and development, teamworking, employee involvement in key business projects, good communication and  career opportunities.

The working environment must be right also and job security must be in  place. High levels of employee engagement are required also with robust performance systems in place. The final two people management practices of importance are work life balance and Job challenge and autonomy.

Some of the key American corporations now follow this research in designing the people management practices in their organisations. Similarly, the Irish and British have started to do the same. So for example, if you start to improve your recruitment, selection and induction process your new employee will value their organisation more and understand the Company's values and culture.

The main idea is that if for example, you value quality more than any other competency in your employment, then you should design all of  your people management processes around this area. Hire and select for quality, induction features quality, training and development and performance management systems reinforce quality and communications, recognition and rewards are also aligned. Now you're getting places, you have the beginnings of deadly combinations with superior people management practices that creates high performance teams.

Pfeffer, J.1995. - ˜Producing sustainable competitive advantage through the effective management of people.' Academy of Management Executive, 1995. Vol. 9. No.1