insights on high performance leadership how to get the best out of the talents in your team

Tall Tree Performance Leadership

Insights on High Performance Leadership

How to get the best out of the talents in your team


3 areas of focus for tonight…

• 6 key components of a high performance culture– Benchmarking our leadership style and approach against these

• Mindset & skills of a coaching approach to development

• Key characteristics of high performing teams– Taking a look at the impact of our style within teams– Benchmarking our own team against the characteristics of high performing

teams– Looking at what it would take to make team across the organisation into a

defining strength


Two key ingredients for creating high performance…

P T EPer f or mance Tal ent Env ir onment

x=



x=

“The aim of this establishment is to create an environment where great performances are inevitable”

Peter Keen, Director of Performance at UK Sport, 2002 - 2012

The Story of Team GB’s Transformation…

GOLD

MEDALS

1988 1992 1996 2000 2004 2008 2012

5

10

15

20

12th

34th!

4th

2016?

25

30 3rd

Atlanta

Athens

Sydney

Beijing

London



x=

"I believe the real difference between success and failure for an

organisation can be traced to how well it brings out the great energies

and talents of its people. The most important role for a leader is to

create an environment which challenges and allows people to fulfil

their potential in the pursuit of a worthwhile objective."

- Thomas Watson, CEO of IBM during its greatest period of growth


Think of an example of when your team or organisation has really raised their game and achieved something special:

– What was different in people’s behaviour?

– What contributed to this performance?(What was the catalyst for it)

Opening exercise – exploring the key building blocks of high performance…


Three leadership cultures, and their impact on performance

1. Laissez Faire A pleasant leadership style but one which lacks purpose, standards and accountability

– No clear leadership on vision, strategy or standards– Leaves people/structures largely to themselves– Avoids conflict or confrontation

2. AuthoritarianA stern I-know-best style where people are told what to do, little involvement…– Goals, standards and direction on ‘how to’ handed down from leadership– Little involvement of talent in how, leads to low motivation and a lack of initiative– Focus is on push, direct and manage; rather than engage and involve

3. Achievement LedEnsures clear direction, high standards, involves people and builds responsibility– Leadership engages everyone in a common aspiration– Creates a performance culture of ambitious goals, standards & feedback to drive

learning– Performance achieved through responsibility and continuous learning at all levels


Reflecting on our own style & how we need to develop it

Laissez Faire Authoritarian

Achievement Led


6 Building blocks of a high performance culture1.Clarity of focus - around both what we we’re trying to achieve, and how

– ‘1st switch people on’ - Engage people behind a clear purpose or set of ambitions– Then, focus that energy – define as clearly as possible what success depends on

2. High Standards– Demand excellence - set, and engage people behind the pursuit of high standards

3. Focus on unlocking talent - creating leadership at all levels– Involve people - seek out their input & listen– Give people clear areas of responsibility and autonomy, they can pour creativity into– Support people in unlocking their talents with high quality coaching

4. Recognition – build pride in good performance– Make people feel valued and important– Build a positive sense of momentum by recognising and celebrating areas of progress

5. Feedback and learning– Ensure a constant focus on performance and accountability through effective feedback– Instil a disciplined approach to reviews and feedback to drive rapid learning

6. Teamwork and collaboration– Commit to make teamwork a defining strength of the environment; both within each

work unit, and across the organisation or project


The leader as a coach

‘The greatest calling of leadership is to awaken greatness in others’- Bill Packard


Defining what we mean by a ‘Secure Base’A secure base is a person, or at its best a collective environment; from which

we draw inspiration, security and self confidence to push the boundaries and perform at our best

Secure base leadership is a term used to describe the qualities and skills common to leaders who are rated as exceptional in their ability to act as a catalyst to people performing at their best

Support

Challenge

Secure Base Leadership


‘Secure Base’ LeadershipCharacteristics and skills of leaders who are exceptional

at developing the potential of others1. Inspirational – in the example they set; & / or the goals they set

2. See potential in people, and give them the opportunity to develop that potential – Challenging them to realise their potential

3. Provide excellent support– Signal accessibility– Remain calm in difficult situations; provide a ‘safe harbour’– Default style of coaching; predisposition for asking questions– Give a lot of positive feedback and recognition– Knack for saying the right thing at the right time to reframe their perspective

4. Hold people to a high standard & will confront performance issues; - but focus on learning not blame


CCHHAALLLLEENNGGEE

S U P P O R TCoaching and mentoring support

Achievement led

Challenge and Support

Performance pressure they feelThe aim is to make this positive,

PULL not PUSH i.e their buy-in to the goal & standards challenges them


Coaching on a personal habit…• In an ideal world – what would you like to achieve?

• Where are you now in relation to this idea world?

• What are the consequences of this habit?– How does it impact on you? On others?

• What difference would it make to change this habit?

• What stops you changing this habit?

• In what circumstances do you already act the way you would like to? What are the lessons from this?

• What action could you take as a 1st step?

• How could you motivate yourself to make this change?


The GROW Model…

• GOAL - Getting the person clear on their outcome– & checking their motivation & energy for it

• REALITY - Insight & learning around the issue– Understanding the problem, root causes etc.– Building self awareness of how they are impacting on the situation (the

results of their current actions/approach) & how they could have a greater impact

• OPTIONS– Helping them to discover the full range of options; & assess them

• WILL DO - Moving them to action!– Getting them clear on what they are going to do, by when etc.

GoalGoal

RealityReality

GoalGoal

RealityReality

OptionsOptions

Wrap Wrap UpUp

OptionsOptions

Wrap Wrap UpUp

OptionsOptions

Wrap Wrap UpUp


A sample of team coaching questions…Outcome/goals

– Getting input on what our focus should be– ‘What would success look like in 12 months?’– What should we challenge ourselves to try and achieve?

Issues– What’s holding us back?– What issues do we need to address?

Strategy– What does our success depend on?– What do we need to prioritise our focus on?– Specific ‘How To’ questions – e.g. how are we going to get them to take

more responsibility for costs?’

Action– How do we move this forward? What is the first step?

Review– What’s worked/hasn’t worked? What are the lessons?


Coaching around insights & action from tonight1. What are the key insights from the session to date, around

your leadership style and the environment you’re creating?

2. What 2 components of the framework do you want to focus on as a first step?

3. What would 5 out of 5 (or excellent) look like?

4. What are some examples of when you’ve been at your best in creating this component?

5. What has stopped you doing more of this?

6. What first step actions are you going to take over the next 4 weeks?

7. How will you know you’re making progress?


Building high performing teams

And making teamwork across the organisation a defining strength…


Key ingredients of a high performing team- All great achievements are built on the efforts of a team

• Right people - the starting point of great teams is great individuals – Diversity usually adds strength (but can bring conflict as well)

• A clear, compelling common purpose, which unites people

- A reason for being as a team & the motivation for the effort it requires

• Agreement on, & collective accountability for, a few key priorities

• An effective way of working together (cohesion), built on mutual respect, which makes the most of each individual’s strengths– A shared determination to become a high performing team, to work at it– Mutual respect for each others strengths, & roles which exploit them– Constructive conflict, combined with the ability to disagree & commit– Effective meetings to focus your work & time together

• A constant focus on results and learning – teamwork takes practice– Supported by frequent reviews & willingness to challenge each other


3 types of a thinking environment within teams

PolitePeople not saying what they’re thinking

Fixed positionExpressing views, but not listening,

exploring or learning from different views

Open DialogueConstructive conflict – people saying what they’re

thinking, expressing different views, but with an intent to explore & learn from each other – everyone feels heard


5 areas of action for making teamwork a defining strength• Commit to make teamwork a defining strength

– Building strong teamwork requires a significant investment of leadership effort

• Unite and align people behind a common goal(s)– Ensure everyone buys into and sees where they fit into the bigger picture

• Create an effective thinking environment which ensures you get the best from everyone’s input– Replacing ‘polite’ withholding of views or ‘fixed position’ with open dialogue– Effective meetings which make good use of your time together

• Challenge individuals to behave collaboratively, make it unconditional– Recognise and praise good collaborative behaviour, and challenge behaviour

which is counter to the culture you want

• Review progress – don’t let up!– Learning from and building momentum behind good examples – Challenging people to think about where teamwork could add more value


Thank you - Any questions?

[email protected]

insights on high performance leadership how to get the best out of the talents in your team

Documents

high performance leadership

high performance culture

team slide

pursuit of high standards

learning performance

clear leadership

director of performance

responsibility leadership