1.5 A High-Performance Culture
The culture of a research team is defined by the character of its internal work climate and personality. This is shaped by its core values and entrenched behaviours, the normal way things are done, and its work practices and styles of doing things.
A high-performance culture is one in which the following are delivered:
- Research goals are achieved
- Developments occur which exceed the original expectations.
High-performing cultures will normally achieve this by:
- A strong focus on key outcomes
- Research team members being highly motivated and supportive
- Research team members feel respected and valued by the team leader
- Strong networking occurring with all members being encouraged to participate
- Having a tolerance of failure
- Being willing to take risks
- Fostering collaborative efforts that mix individualism and communalism
- Respecting confidences within the team.
To use a sporting analogy, the research leader will act as a captain-coach, which means:
- Assisting team members by working with them in the detail of their work while encouraging them to improve their performance
- Standing back and identifying how team members can improve.
The captain-coach research leader will:
- Involve others in decision-making, which is rational and group-based
- Provide clear instructions and a sharp focus on achieving results
- Provide constructive feedback
- Work to maintain harmonious relations within the team
- Provide particular help to less experienced team members
- Defuse crises
- Enhance productivity
- Cooperate with other research teams.
By contrast, research leaders with poor behaviours often:
- Dwell on crises
- Create instability
- Only focus on results rather than on how to achieve the results
- Provide unclear instructions
- Are indecisive, inconsistent, and authoritarian
- Take the credit for any successes and pass on blame for failure.
The performance of research team members will be enhanced by the research leader who displays conviction, integrity, and willingness to take a stand. The leader needs to articulate a vision that is appealing and inspiring. They will challenge team members with high standards, communicate optimism about future goal attainment, and provide meaningful instruction. They stimulate and encourage creativity in their followers while attending to team members' concerns and needs. Such behaviour leads to greater research team member job satisfaction and job performance.
Social events for team members – some including the partners who are being deprived of the team member's time and company – will facilitate relationships and reduce friction.
Tolerating people who don’t care about their jobs creates very negative attitudes and undermines team performance. Research leaders need to take appropriate action.
Behaviours of high-performing team members are those in which:
- Team members are focused on the task
- People discuss goals, methods, and activities socially
- Team members being willing to accept constructive criticism of their work
- Team members offer to assist other team members with their work
- The team recognises and compliments good performance
- Members accept responsibility for project outcomes.
Modules