Building High-Performing Teams

Go to Course: https://www.coursera.org/learn/high-performing-teams

Introduction

### Course Review: Building High-Performing Teams on Coursera In today's ever-evolving workplace, the importance of effective teams cannot be overstated. Many organizations strive for synergy among team members but often fall short due to miscommunication, lack of clarity, and the inability to adapt to changing environments. The Coursera course **"Building High-Performing Teams"** offers a comprehensive framework for overcoming these challenges and realizing a team's full potential. #### Overview This course addresses the core issues that hinder team performance, drawing from extensive research and consulting experience in team culture. From misalignment of goals to misunderstandings of roles, the course equips participants with strategies and tools to foster positive change within their teams. By honing in on the importance of self-awareness, course participants are guided to understand how current team dynamics affect productivity and how they can implement effective solutions. #### Course Structure The syllabus is organized into four main modules: 1. **Setting Team Foundations**: - This module introduces the crucial concept of "team chartering," which lays the groundwork for team dynamics. You will learn how to set clear goals, define roles, and establish group norms essential for fostering a collaborative environment. This foundational step is pivotal for setting teams on a path to success. 2. **Diagnosing Team Problems**: - Here, the course delves into the common pitfalls that teams face, such as miscommunication, groupthink, and conflict. By learning to identify symptoms of dysfunction, participants will be better equipped to address issues before they escalate. The module emphasizes practical methods for recognizing and openly discussing team problems. 3. **Coaching Emotionally Intelligent Teams**: - Building on the diagnosis of team issues, this module transitions into actionable strategies. Participants will be taught how to implement behavioral changes and foster emotional intelligence within their teams. The goal is to bridge the gap between what teams aspire to be and their actual performance. 4. **Managing Common Team Types**: - The final module addresses the unique challenges faced by different team structures, including virtual teams and startups. With insights from experts like entrepreneur Anthony Maher, the course provides tailored solutions for some of the most common team types, helping you navigate the intricacies of diverse team dynamics. #### What Makes This Course Stand Out One of the course's strengths is its practical approach—it's not just about theory but about applying learned concepts to real-world situations. The combination of theoretical knowledge and actionable insights equips participants with the necessary skills to not only identify issues but also implement effective solutions in their teams. The inclusion of expert perspectives, such as that of Anthony Maher, adds a valuable dimension. Hearing from someone who has firsthand experience managing teams in high-pressure environments enhances the learning experience and provides relatable content. #### Recommendation If you're looking to enhance your skills in team management, "Building High-Performing Teams" is an invaluable resource. Whether you are a team leader, a project manager, or an aspiring collaborator, this course will significantly sharpen your ability to foster cohesiveness in your team. The tools and methodologies presented will not only empower you to diagnose and solve team dysfunctions but also help your team thrive in an increasingly complex work environment. In conclusion, I highly recommend enrolling in "Building High-Performing Teams" on Coursera. Equip yourself with the capabilities to transform your team's dynamics and lead them toward superior performance and success. Don’t miss the opportunity to unlock the full potential of your team!

Syllabus

Course Overview

Welcome to Building High-Performing Teams! Teams are essential to the modern organization, but most never reach their potential. Co-workers miscommunicate and groups struggle to adapt to changes in the market or their organizations. When teams lack self-awareness about these challenges, performance suffers. Based on years of team culture research and consulting experience, this course will help you understand the problems that hurt productivity and give you tools for creating positive change. This course will help you create the ground rules and structure to set your team up for success. You will gain the skills to diagnose issues such as conflicts, groupthink, and lack of commitment in your team before they get out of control. The course offers frameworks to adjust team behaviors and get the best performance out of your people. You will also understand frequent stumbling blocks for common team types, such as startups and virtual teams, and learn solutions tailored to each one.

In this first module, we will talk about how to get your team started off on the right foot with a process called team chartering. This is where you lay out the rules that your group will follow to give them the best chance for success. In particular, we will talk about how to create the right goals, team roles, and group norms to get the most out of each person.

In this module, we’ll look at why good teams go bad. We’ll focus on those process losses I mentioned, and dig into the different problems that can derail your group from its goals. Since it can be hard to really pinpoint team problems and even harder to talk about them, we’ll look at some methods that will help you do both.

In this module, we move from discussion to action. After getting a sense of what is going wrong with your group, we will give you tools for making effective behavioral changes so that you can close the gap between how your team says it wants to work together and what you actually do.

In this last module, we will look at common types of teams like global teams and committees. We will discuss the challenges that each one is most likely to face and give you some tips for how to combat and overcome those challenges. We will also hear practical insights on managing startup teams from Anthony Maher, an entrepreneur, former professional soccer player, and a co-founder of Benjamin’s desk, which is the largest co-working community in Philadelphia.