This document outlines the characteristics of high performing teams according to Dr. Tim Baker. It discusses 8 key characteristics: sense of purpose, open communication, trust and mutual respect, shared leadership, effective working procedures, building on differences, flexibility and adaptability. For each characteristic, it provides explanations and tools for creating high performing teams, including setting clear expectations, regular conversations, dimensions of innovation, and strengths-based leadership. It concludes by discussing after action reviews and assigning homework for the reader to focus on one characteristic.

1. Dr Tim Baker
tim@winnersatwork.com.au
www.winnersatwork.com.au
Characteristics of High
Performing Teams

2. Unit 1—Characteristics of
High Performing Teams
Unit 2—The Four Stages of
Team Development
Unit 3—Tools for Leading
Teams
Unit 4—The Roles People Play
in Teams
Unit 5—Managing Team
Conflict and Negotiations
Unit 6—Developing Team
Culture

3. What are the eight
characteristics of
HPTs?
Tools for creating
HPTs.
Examples of HPTs

4. What are some examples of high performing teams on the world of sport?

6. Sense of Purpose
• Setting clear expectations

7. 1. What are my expectations as the leader?
2. Have I communicated these expectations to my team?
3. Do my team understand my expectations?
4. Do my team members accept my expectations?
5. Are my team members committed to meeting those expectations?
6. Do my team members know how they are performing against those expectations?
7. Am I supporting my team members to achieve those expectations?

8. Open
Communication
• Regular conversations

9. The five conversations framework
Baker, T. (2013). The End of the Performance Review: A New Approach to Appraising Employee Performance

10. Trust and
Mutual
Respect
• Characteristics of trust

12. Shared
Leadership
• Situational Leadership

14. Effective Working Procedures
• Dimensions of innovation &
continuous improvement

15. 8 Dimensions
of Innovation
& Continuous
Improvement
qualityImproving
timeReducing
costsReducing
outputIncreasing
safetyIncreasing
deadlinesMeeting
interpersonal cooperationEnhancing
systems and processesStreamlining

16. Building on
Differences
• Strengths-based leadership

18. Flexibility
and
Adaptability
• Decision-making

19. Three
choices …
Decisions that follow a process
Decisions that can either
follow a process or where
initiative can be displayed
Decisions where initiative is
expected

21. After Action Review (AAR)
 What did you do well?
 What was not done well?
 What will you do differently next time?
“The Army's After Action Review (AAR) is arguably one of the most successful
organizational learning methods yet devised. Yet, most every corporate
effort to graft this truly innovative practices into their culture has failed
because, again and again, people reduce the living practice of AAR's to a
sterile technique.” (Senge, 1999)
[i

22. Your homework
Take one characteristic from today that
sparked an interest & take some action.

23. Unit 1—Characteristics of
High Performing Teams
Unit 2—The Four Stages of
Team Development
Unit 3—Tools for Leading
Teams
Unit 4—The Roles People Play
in Teams
Unit 5—Managing Team
Conflict and Negotiations
Unit 6—Developing Team
Culture