A High Performance Team Culture cultivates a positive work environment by fostering clarity, earning trust, sharing of information, stewardship, energizing and inspiring the members to deliver operational excellence and grow the Practice's bottom line. Research shows that employees working in engaging, empowering work climates outperform peers in a less robust environment by as much as 30%.

How should a Practice define the dimensions of a High Performance Team Culture in order to optimize the opportunities for all employees to excel?

• Alignment to the same goals/purpose

• Team interests are put above individual self-interest in actions and decisions

• Collegial, partnering and collaborative work approach

• Value individual differences and talent diversity

• Identify barriers and share responsibility for removing barriers

• Empower your employees as team members to make decisions but they own the accountability to make the results happen as a team

Your Practice will want to nurture employee engagement, build on that loyalty and commitment to promote the Practice throughout an employee's tenure.   If employees are to contribute to the Practice, then they must have a solid understanding of the Practice's mission and values and how these align with the employees' positions. Individual goals, "What is expected of me?", is key in determining  how performance will be managed, measured and reviewed including core competences that are the Practice's values woven into the culture which exemplify how everyone should be 'showing-up' and professional behaving. Employees want to know and be recognized for the value proposition that they bring to the Practice's organization.

What is the work culture and what standards of etiquette govern employees' everyday behavior? Discussing these, and many other written and unwritten rules, is a great way to avoid any misunderstandings and help employees become productive team members. This involves consistently role modeling the 4 C's:

• Communication

• Commitment

• Collaboration

• Care

But take care and don't let the time and effort that you have spent building your high performance team culture get destroyed - avoid the 5 D's:

• Disappoint

• Deceive

• Disengage

• Disrespect

• Demand

So remember, Together Employees Achieve More - TEAM. Make yours a High Performance TEAM Culture.