Did you miss me? I've been off the radar for a couple of months, giving you all a well-deserved break from my ponderings. I bet it was peaceful, wasn't it?

But just like that annoying alarm clock on the first day of term, I'm back! And speaking of back to school, for those of you with little ones, I'm sure you're breathing a sigh of relief now that the house is quiet again and order is restored.

Now that we're all back and "refreshed", let's turn our attention to something a bit more grown-up than packed lunches and PE kits. How about we focus on our own performance? No, not your performance in getting the kids to school on time (although that's commendable), but your team's performance at work.

Grab your metaphorical new term pencil case, and we can get into some serious business talk. Don't worry, I promise it'll be more engaging than your average school assembly!

The Three Questions Every High-Performing Team Must Answer

High-performing teams are the backbone of successful organisations. But they don't just happen by chance. They're built on clear focus, effective time management, and continuous information flow. As a certified Systemic Team Coach, I have learned that these teams also understand their place within the larger organisational ecosystem. This holistic view, advocated by Professor Peter Hawkins, helps successful teams to thrive with the complexities of modern organisations.

Through this systemic lens, I’d like to share three critical questions that every high-performing team must continually address to maintain their edge:

1. Are we working on the right things?

This question goes to the heart of team effectiveness. Teams are busy, and demands can be high. It’s easy to get caught up in a flurry of activity without considering whether we are making real progress on what truly matters. The Atlassian State of Teams 2024 report reveals that teams that prioritise high-impact work over short-term performative goals are 4.6 times more effective, productive, and adaptable. 4.6 times more effective and productive!!!! Not just a smidge, but almost 5 times better 🤯

But what does "working on the right things" look like in practice? It means regularly assessing whether your work aligns with mission-critical goals. It involves the courage to say "no" to tasks that don't contribute significantly to your core objectives. High-performing teams don't just work hard; they work smart, focusing their energy on initiatives that move the needle. Of course, to be able to say “no”, you do have to know your core objectives and, in my experience from the national Help To Grow: Management programme, that’s not always the case with fast growing, super busy businesses.

For example, a mission-critical task might be developing a new product feature that addresses a major customer pain point, while a non-essential task could be redesigning internal documents that are rarely used.

Conduct a quick alignment check. Ask yourself, "How does this task contribute to our primary business objectives?" If you can't draw a clear line, it might not be mission-critical. At the base level, this might be asking yourself the question, “will this task help us make more money?” or a similar question that makes sense to your organisation.

As a Systemic Team Coach, I guide teams in developing this discernment. I can help them create systems for regularly evaluating their priorities and aligning their efforts with overarching organisational goals and stakeholder needs.

2. Do we have time to make real progress?

Time is a finite resource, and how teams manage it can make or break their performance. Research shows that teams that plan and track work consistently across all members are 1.6 times more likely to be genuinely productive. So nearly twice as productive. Phew!

This question challenges teams to move beyond "productivity theatre" - appearing busy without making actual progress. It prompts them to examine their time allocation critically, not just within the team, but in relation to other teams and stakeholders. Are they spending too much time in unnecessary meetings? Are they constantly interrupted by notifications, unable to focus on deep work? Are they allocating enough time to collaborate with other teams and engage with key stakeholders?

The concept of "deep work," coined by Cal Newport, is important here. It refers to the ability to focus without distraction on a cognitively demanding task. Teams that create space for deep work often see significant improvements in output quality and quantity.

I help teams implement effective time management strategies that consider the entire organisational system. This might involve establishing "no meeting" days for focused work, using time-blocking techniques, or implementing better communication practices across teams and departments. And of course there’s a “managing up” dimension here – not all leaders will get, or appreciate, the value and purpose in what’s trying to be implemented so that will need to be managed if teams are to be successful.

3. Is knowledge easy to find and understand?

Knowledge and information are everywhere but teams need to be able to quickly and easily access and understand the information that is relevant to them. In a systemic approach, this knowledge sharing extends beyond the team to the entire organisation. Teams that make information readily available are significantly more effective and productive than those that do not. When information is easily accessible, teams are 4.9 times more effective and 4.4 times more productive and adaptable. There’s those words again: productive and adaptable.

This question pushes teams to break down information silos and create systems for knowledge sharing not just for their team, but the entire organisation. It's not just about having information; it's about making it easily discoverable and understandable for all stakeholders. This is often referred to as "knowledge democratisation" - ensuring that valuable information isn't locked away in individuals' heads or buried in hard-to-find documents. Running counter to this is Bertram and Raven’s ‘sources of power’ where some individuals use information as power. So this too will need navigating carefully as people who think they’re losing power can fight like a cornered cat!

I guide teams in creating knowledge management systems that work for their specific needs and contribute to the broader organisational knowledge base. This might involve implementing collaborative documentation tools, creating clear guidelines for information storage and retrieval, or building a culture of open communication and knowledge sharing across departments.

And there’s another angle here from the systemic team coaching model and that’s team learning. As well as sharing knowledge effectively, the team need to assess and build how good they are at learning from the knowledge that’s shared. Where can they improve? Where are they strong already? What processes, systems and behaviours do they have in place to facilitate learning. Because knowledge without action is useless.

Implementing These Questions in Your Team

These three questions aren't just theoretical concepts—they're practical tools that can transform team performance within the larger organisational context. By continuously addressing these questions, teams can cut through the noise of busy work and focus on what will drive results for themselves and their stakeholders.

To help you make these questions a regular part of your team's practice, I've created a free Team Effectiveness Check-In Guide. This resource is designed to help leaders like you guide your team through these key questions, with probing sub-questions and action steps to drive meaningful change. You can download this guide for free on this page.

Use this check-in tool monthly to assess your performance in each area. Evaluate how effectively you are using your collective time and collaborating with other teams. Assess how easy it is for team members and stakeholders to find and use necessary information. Focus on iterative improvement, aiming for continuous progress that benefits the entire organisation.

Focus on iterative improvement, aiming for continuous progress that benefits the entire organisation.

High Performing Teams

High-performing teams don't happen by accident. They regularly stop and assess what they are doing and how they are doing it. By cutting through the noise of busy work, they can focus on what drives results for their team, their stakeholders and the entire organisation.

As a certified Systemic Team Coach, I specialise in guiding teams through this transformation process. Whether your team is struggling with disjointed goals, excessive meetings, or information silos, I can help you implement practical solutions that lead to tangible improvements in effectiveness and productivity, all while enhancing your team’s role within the larger organisational ecosystem. And don’t worry if you can’t quite put your finger on what’s not working with the team. If you’ve just got a feeling in your waters that, “things could be better”, we’ll work through the diagnostics together and figure out what needs some work.

Are you ready to transform your team from good to great? Start by downloading the free Team Effectiveness Check-In Guide. Then, contact me to learn how we can work together to unlock your team's full potential and drive your business forward.

Ready to Transform Your Team?

Download the free Team Effectiveness Check-In Guide and book a free 30-minute consultation to discuss how these systemic strategies can be tailored to your team's unique needs and organisational context. Contact me today to learn more about my Systemic Team Coaching services and start your journey towards peak team performance and organisational impact.