How to build high-performing teams?

Learn what it takes to build high-performing, collaborative teams in this article by Groupwork Centre facilitator Steve Ray.

Whether you’re an organisation of five or five hundred employees, your results, growth and success are determined by the quality of your team. But what separates a good team from a great team? Is it as simple as finding the right balance between getting the work done and maintaining energy, motivation and results? Or is it creating and sustaining a positive workplace culture where employees feel safe, heard and valued?

In this article, we’ll unpack the characteristics of high performing teams and share our insights and tips to help your organisation create and sustain great teams.

What is a high-performing team?

High performing teams are intentionally built, nurtured with the right structures, and supported to thrive in challenging and complex environments. They excel not just because of the skills their members possess but because they’re a cohesive unit that leverages collective intelligence and values a shared purpose. Traits including accountability, clear communication, conflict resolution, diversity and inclusion, strong leadership, continuous learning, and trust characterise these teams. Psychologist Bruce Tuckman describes the stages of building high-functioning teams as forming, storming, norming, and performing.

At Groupwork, we believe high-performing teams excel because they balance two key dimensions: task and maintenance. They focus on practical actions or tasks like project management, meeting deadlines, and implementing plans while maintaining balance by addressing the emotional and social dynamics and needs of people within the team which is fundamental to building trust and the capacity of the group to work through conflict productively.

Characteristics of high-performing teams

When you pull back the curtain and peek behind the scenes at a high-performing team, you’ll notice that they embody similar characteristics regardless of the team size, industry, or objective.

Clear vision and purpose

​​A team without a clear vision is like a ship without a compass - it will drift aimlessly. High-performing teams excel because they have a clearly defined mission and understand how their work aligns with the organisation's long-term plan. A strong sense of purpose drives motivation, focus, and alignment, even during challenging times.

Practical insight: Make purpose tangible by co-creating a team mission statement. For example, a marketing team working on a brand refresh could articulate their purpose as “creating a customer-first narrative that drives engagement and strengthens loyalty.”

Self awareness and emotional resilience

High-performing teams consist of skilled and emotionally intelligent individuals who can identify their own triggers, respond thoughtfully under pressure, and support others in navigating challenges. Individuals with high emotional resilience and self awareness can better adapt and recover from setbacks without derailing productivity or morale.

Practical insight: When your team faces a significant setback, do they have mindfulness techniques to reframe, refocus and realign their efforts? Have you prioritised workplace training in emotional resilience or self awareness?

High-level communication skills

Effective communication is the lifeblood of any high-performing team. These teams prioritise clarity, active listening, and mutual respect in their interactions. Misunderstandings are addressed early, feedback is constructive, and every team member feels heard.

Practical insight: Build feedback systems into workflows to encourage clear and actionable communication and manage workplace conflict before it escalates.

Collaborative Decision Making

A collaborative approach to decision making encourages diverse perspectives, creative solutions, and stronger ownership of outcomes. Collaborative decision-making doesn’t just lead to better results. It builds trust and fosters a sense of shared accountability.

Practical insight: Reflect on your team’s decision-making process. Are decisions made collaboratively? Can you organise a team workshop for input on your next major decision?

Highly diverse and inclusive

Diverse and inclusive teams naturally offer a range of perspectives, skills, and experiences. This fuels innovative thinking and ensures every voice is heard, respected, and valued.

Practical insight: Have you incorporated unconscious bias training into your hiring processes and ongoing team development to help you recruit and retain diverse talent?

Adapt to change

The most successful teams are agile, responding quickly to shifting priorities and unexpected challenges. Adaptable teams can pivot when necessary while maintaining focus on long-term goals.

Practical insight: Train teams in flexible frameworks, such as agile or scrum, to improve their capacity to adapt without losing momentum.

5 steps to create a high-functioning team

Now you know the characteristics of high-perfoming teams, what steps do you need to take to build and facilitate them? From implementing new systems to understanding your team members and of course, earning their trust, here are the five steps we recommend following.

Prioritise team culture

High performing team members feel safe and confident to voice ideas, admit mistakes, and challenge norms. Prioritising psychosocial safety means creating a culture where people feel respected, valued, and supported, even when taking risks. As David Burkus says, the culture of a team or the habits and norms among its members have a big impact on performance.

Practical tip: Start by creating a set of group agreements. The process is key. When people speak their needs to the group, trust and connection is established and people can start to step in more confidently knowing that others get where they are coming from. Together, what works for that specific group will emerge in the facilitated conversation. When new people come into the group, going back to the agreements is key so that the process of connection building can happen anew.

Shared purpose

When team members understand the “why” behind their work and see how it aligns with broader organisational goals, they are usually more engaged and focused. A clear strategic planning process needs to include role clarity to avoid responsibility confusion or conflict.

Practical tip: Keep your purpose front and centre (visually and verbally) so efforts remain user-centric and results align with expectations.

Build trust

Trust is earned through consistency, openness, and shared rhythms and rituals. Leaders can foster trust by modelling vulnerability, addressing issues transparently and fostering a “fail-safe” environment that mindfully repairs after a rupture.

Practical tip: Introduce regular one-on-one check-ins to strengthen relationships and provide a safe space for team members to voice concerns or share feedback.

Empower

Empowerment means giving team members autonomy. When individuals feel trusted, supported, and valued, they take greater ownership of their work and contribute more effectively to the team’s goals. It’s about leaning into uncertainty, letting go of control and giving people the permission to bring their best selves to work.

Practical tip: Give employees ownership over their own workflows and processes. It not only boosts efficiency but also enhances job satisfaction by fostering a sense of autonomy and trust.

Balance task and maintenance

High-performing groups attend to both the task and maintenance functions of their wellbeing. Task function refers to the more practical aspects of the group’s work, e.g. research, facilitation, consultation, and workflows. Maintenance refers to the more social and emotional aspects that keep a group together, e.g. encouraging participation, naming tension, listening, and creating a sense of safety.

Practical tip: Organise regular workplace training or peer learning circles that focus on areas like emotional intelligence, facilitation, and collaborative leadership.

How to lead high-performance teams?

According to the Future Of Work report there is a sizable gap between what employees want and what managers think they want. Managers and leaders of high performing teams reduce this gap with collaborative leadership. They truly believe in the wisdom of their group and see themselves as equal, with empowerment as their main objective.

How we can help you build a great team

Building high-performing teams is one of the most impactful investments you can make in 2025.

At Groupwork Centre we work with your team to co-design approaches that suit your unique circumstances. Whether this is facilitation or workplace training, we help your team to solidify common values and ways of working, build rapport, and continue to evolve together.

Whether you’re a new group or an existing team working through change or challenges, get in touch to learn how we can help transition your people from good to great.