Why Form High-Performing Teams?

Most organizations rely on teams to achieve organizational goals. And high-performing teams create great value for the organization – and they’re thrilling to participate in! Yet not all teams are created equal.

High-performing teams share five core characteristics…

  1. Team members are committed to shared goals.
  2. The team has a clearly-understood strategy to reach those goals.
  3. Team members’ roles are clear, complementary, and align with the strategy.
  4. Systems and processes enable every team member to fulfill his or her role.
  5. The norms of interpersonal behavior support trust and collaboration.

When Do You Need Team Building?

Team-building is indicated when…

  • A team has just been assembled and wants help coalescing into a true team.
  • A team is functioning reasonably well, but can achieve higher levels of effectiveness.
  • New members, especially a new leader, are being integrated into a team.
  • The team is struggling with significant performance or interpersonal issues.

What Makes Team Building Effective?

Effective team building guides the team in defining a strong operational foundation, and then supports each member through the process of coalescing into a unified, collaborative whole.

This process develops through three major stages…

  • Clarifying the current reality of the team relative to the five core conditions described above.
  • Articulating a shared vision for what the team will accomplish – and how.
  • Identifying and addressing key issues so the team can move into the desired high-performance future.

Through team building, a team learns about and applies effective team behaviors. This includes those aimed at simply getting the task done, as well as those that build trusting relationships among the team’s members.

An effective team-building facilitator can greatly add to the team’s effectiveness and accelerate the pace of the team-building process.

What Makes a Team-Building Facilitator Effective?

There are four key attributes of an effective team-building facilitator.

  • Solid understanding of how teams to come together and what prevents them from being effective.
  • Sensitivity to interpersonal dynamics, including deep listening skills that go beyond hearing the words to understanding what’s unspoken or not clearly articulated.
  • Ability to create a sense of trust and safety within which the team can communicate openly, fully explore issues and concerns, and generate creative possibilities for the future.
  • Support for the follow-through that’s crucial for the team to transitioning from team building to team performance.

My team-building facilitation experience has spanned all levels of organizations, from senior leadership to line workers engaged in mission-critical programs.

Team-Building Clients Include…

  • Mount Sinai Medical Center
  • New York University Medical Center
  • U.S Departments of Health & Human Services, Agriculture, Commerce, and Energy
  • Centers for Disease Control
  • Institute of International Finance
  • Northrop Grumman
  • Booz Allen Hamilton
  • United Nations Food & Agriculture Organization
  • Central Intelligence Agency
  • National Reconnaissance Office
  • Howard County Association for Retarded Citizens
Daniel doesn’t get upset or flurried by group dynamics – he just gets on with the facilitation. He knows the energy level is going to go up and down, he knows there will be times when people will be tense or bored and times when they’ll be energized and enthusiastic. And he has a good sense of how that’s going, and how to deal with it. So I can get on with thinking about what we’re getting out of the meeting, rather than worrying about what’s going on within it.
Dr. Anni McLeod, Animal Production and Health Division, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
Daniel Stone personifies excellence; no matter what the initiative, small- or large-scale change, enhancing teamwork, strategic planning, facilitation, and/or coaching, you are guaranteed outstanding results.
Cindy Morgan, Vice President, Penn Medicine
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