High Performance Teams

A cascade is a small waterfall. It’s often found in groups, one after another, in a river or stream, and this is why it’s an excellent analogy for how strategy must be cascaded through teams and across organizations to drive results and increase engagement.

Done effectively organizations can achieve greater measures of success for the business, employees, customers/clients and other key stakeholders.

Business literacy is a five-step process that connects individual effort to organizational strategy. It’s how businesses can achieve transformation and mobilize an overwhelming force (your full organization) against their strategy to win key business results.

At its core, business literacy is communication.

First, in educating members on key facts related to a strategy so they can discover new perspectives and collaboration (often through large visuals, like posters).

Second in the dialogue that happens when everyone sits down, informed, and on the same page to discuss how their department, team and individual efforts can work together in a single direction.

In every team, each role plays a vital part, and every member brings a unique contribution to the table. A clear understanding of these roles is the key to inspiring greater engagement, improved performance, and overall thriving in the workplace.

It helps everyone understand the importance and value others bring, facilitates collaboration toward organizational goals and ensures that contributions are recognized. This clarity helps build a culture of accountability and trust, making remote interactions smoother and more effective. It ultimately drives better performance and engagement.

How does your organization approach accountability? What systems are in place to support a positive accountability culture?

You may have an accountability mindset and are developing the skills to hold others accountable, but without the right organizational systems, you won’t be successful in creating a culture of accountability.

I conducted a survey in 2023, which revealed that although 93% of workers expect to be held accountable, 66% agreed that they find it difficult to hold others accountable. In a Benchmark survey, almost 1/4 of CEOs listed accountability as their biggest weakness.

So, if you are struggling to hold others accountable, you are not alone.  

Thankfully, accountability is a skill we can develop. It’s also a mindset and organizational system.

The four strategies I share in this post will be the beginning of thinking about accountability differently.
Instead of being a ‘bad word’, it will be something your teams will want to embrace.  A mindset where accountability, compassion and respect go hand in hand.

A hybrid team is a team of employees who work remotely and in person throughout the week, often leveraging technology to collaborate seamlessly across different locations. They can work in person four days a week or once a week. Regardless of their hybrid structure, they are considered a hybrid team if they are expected to work in person at some point during the week.

There are many challenges to leading a hybrid team, but one way to ensure a positive work experience for all and get the best performance from your team is to follow shared hybrid work guidelines.

The pandemic accelerated the evolution of work and brought great innovation in collaborative tools and systems, which demonstrated that remote work can be just as effective or even more effective than in-person work.

I have seen many teams lose key players or organizations failing to fill roles simply because employees are expected to work in the office when they could be working at home.

The hybrid working model is the new normal, and leaders must be aware of the challenges that come with it.

Leaders evolve. To exist in time is to evolve, but the more important question is; are you present and active in your evolution as a leader?

Active evolution is when internal influences lead change and personal development. The best leaders know this and are always evolving.