High-performing teams are the powerhouse behind digital transformation. They don’t just meet targets—they set the pace for innovation, resilience, and growth. But without trust, alignment, and clear communication, even the most capable teams can falter, much like a relay race where runners hesitate to pass the baton.
In today’s fast-paced business environment, fostering high-performing teams isn’t easy. Insights from experienced DiUS consultants shed light on how organisations can unlock the potential of their teams and achieve sustainable success.
“Momentum is critical,” said Daniel Livolsi, Principal Consultant at DiUS. “Constant interruptions or shifting priorities significantly impact a team’s ability to achieve its goals.”
This article explores the essential traits of high-performing teams, the challenges they face, and actionable strategies for building and sustaining them.
The cost of low performance
Low-performing teams don’t just struggle to deliver—they create a ripple effect of delays, frustration, and missed opportunities.
“Low-performing teams struggle with silos and unresolved issues,” observed Matthew Kairys, Principal Consultant. Unrealistic expectations and constant interruptions amplify these problems, eroding morale and productivity.
“I joined a team where it was clear they were struggling,” recalled Daniel Livolsi. “Deadlines were often missed, there was resistance to adopting better practices like unit testing, and the team operated in silos with low trust and poor communication.”
The impact of such dysfunction can derail even the most ambitious digital transformation efforts.
What makes a team high-performing?
High-performing teams thrive on trust, empowerment, and shared purpose. They are 21% more productive, experience 59% lower turnover rates (Gallup), and improve project success rates by 50% (PMI).
They don’t merely hit targets—they exceed them through practices that drive sustainable transformation:
- Continuous improvement: Automated testing and frequent releases allow faster customer-facing updates. “One client delivered over 50 releases in just three months by adopting small, frequent updates,” shared Daniel Livolsi.
- Momentum over interruptions: By minimising meetings and avoiding shifting priorities, teams build sustainable productivity.
- Empowered autonomy: Teams that own their processes are more innovative. “We implemented Google’s 80/20 rule, giving developers the space to tackle persistent issues and innovate,” recalled Matthew Kairys.
- Trust and communication: Open feedback loops foster resilience and collaboration. “Retrospectives are invaluable for tackling problems head-on,” noted Lincoln Fitzsimmons, Senior Consultant.
Overcoming barriers to high performance
Even the most capable teams face challenges that can undermine their performance. Addressing these barriers is critical to fostering sustainable success.
Misaligned organisational culture
When team goals are misaligned with broader organisational priorities, performance suffers.”You can only do so much within a team if the broader culture doesn’t support their goals,” noted Daniel Livolsi, Principal Consultant.
Solution: Establishing alignment between team efforts and organisational objectives ensures that teams feel supported and valued. Leaders play a crucial role in connecting team activities to the broader mission.
Poor communication and trust
Trust and transparency are foundational for collaboration. Without them, teams operate in silos, deadlines are missed, and knowledge sharing breaks down. “When trust breaks down, you see silos forming and an unwillingness to share challenges openly,” said Erik Danielsen, Principal Consultant.
Solution: Retrospectives are an invaluable tool for rebuilding trust. “They help uncover recurring issues, like deployment pain points or bottlenecks in workflows, and create a shared plan to address them,” shared Lincoln Fitzsimmons, Senior Consultant.
Technical debt
Unresolved technical debt often drains resources and hinders innovation. “I’ve seen teams drained by constant maintenance,” said Erik Danielsen. “It affects morale and delays delivery.”
Solution: Allocating dedicated time for addressing technical debt, such as every second Friday or focused “fix-it sprints,” helps teams improve system stability and regain control over their workflows.
Interruptions and context switching
Frequent interruptions can derail productivity and momentum. “Momentum is critical. Interruptions or shifting priorities significantly impact a team’s ability to deliver,” emphasised Daniel Livolsi.
Solution: Structuring workdays to minimise context switching—such as grouping meetings into blocks or relying on asynchronous updates—helps teams maintain focus and flow.
The metrics that matter
Metrics provide the foundation for assessing and guiding high-performing teams. A balanced set of metrics captures both technical output and team well-being, ensuring alignment with organisational goals while avoiding unintended consequences.
Metrics for high-performing teams to consider:
- DORA metrics: Deployment frequency, lead time for changes, time to restore service, and change failure rate. These metrics are invaluable for tracking DevOps efficiency and delivery speed, though they should be used alongside other measures to reflect team cohesion and alignment.
- SPACE framework: Evaluates team performance across Satisfaction, Performance, Activity, Collaboration, and Efficiency, balancing technical productivity with developer well-being.
- Velocity and burndown charts: Tracks work completed within a sprint (velocity) and visually represents remaining work over time (burndown charts). High-performing teams use these metrics cautiously, ensuring they account for both visible and invisible efforts.
- Team health scores: Surveys assessing morale, engagement, and stress levels. These scores help leaders identify potential issues early, offering a balance to technical metrics.
- Cycle time and flow efficiency: Measures the time taken to complete tasks (cycle time) and the ratio of active work time to waiting time (flow efficiency). These metrics highlight bottlenecks and improve delivery processes.
- Production incidents and defect rates: Tracks system reliability and responsiveness. Teams that resolve issues quickly demonstrate both strong coordination and technical skill.
- Retrospective follow-through: High-performing teams don’t just identify areas for improvement—they act on them. Tracking follow-through ensures continuous improvement and builds trust in the process.
“Metrics should reflect both visible and invisible contributions,” emphasised Erik Danielsen, Principal Consultant. “Over-relying on velocity or lines of code doesn’t capture activities like resolving incidents or mentoring others.”
The act of measurement itself shapes behavior. Metrics must be chosen carefully to avoid unintended consequences. “Poorly chosen metrics can drive unhealthy practices,” added Danielsen. “Metrics must encourage collaboration, not competition.”
By thoughtfully selecting and balancing metrics, organisations can foster a culture of trust, accountability, and continuous improvement, ensuring high-performing teams remain both productive and resilient.
Balancing individual and team performance
The rise of generative AI tools and other productivity enhancers has reignited debates over individual versus team performance. While these tools can significantly amplify individual output, focusing too much on individual metrics risks distorting team dynamics and undermining collaboration.
“Teams are like football squads—you need a mix of skills to succeed. Over-emphasising individual metrics can distort the bigger picture,” explained Daniel Livolsi, Principal Consultant.
High-performing teams prioritise collective problem-solving. Measuring success at the team level fosters collaboration, encourages knowledge sharing, and creates an environment of trust. “Metrics must encourage collaboration, not competition,” added Erik Danielsen, Principal Consultant.
That said, individual accountability remains essential. Poor individual performance can erode trust and place undue pressure on high performers. Striking the right balance between individual and team metrics ensures fairness while maintaining a collaborative environment.
For instance, pairing quantitative metrics like deployment frequency with qualitative insights such as team satisfaction offers a holistic view of performance. This approach helps organisations recognise individual contributions while emphasising shared success.
Strategies for building high-performing teams
Building high-performing teams requires more than metrics—it’s about creating the right environment.
1. Encourage autonomy
Empowering teams fosters ownership. “At one client, empowering developers to lead solution design sessions transformed engagement,” said Daniel Livolsi. “Teams took ownership of decisions and aligned efforts toward shared goals.”
2. Use retrospectives effectively
Feedback loops build trust and enable teams to identify bottlenecks. “Retrospectives help uncover areas where the team is stuck, from deployment processes to communication gaps,” shared Lincoln Fitzsimmons.
One team adopted the Spotify health-check model, which encouraged open discussions and empowered teams to address systemic issues.
3. Dedicate time for improvement
Allocating time for technical debt prevents inefficiencies from compounding. “Momentum is critical,” noted Daniel Livolsi.
Another organisation scheduled focused “fix-it sprints” each quarter to address systemic issues, improving code quality and reducing frustration points.
4. Centralise support with enablement teams
Developer Enablement Teams address shared challenges, reducing bottlenecks. This strategy has proven effective in complex environments where teams struggle with siloed work or resource constraints.
5. Build momentum by reducing interruptions
Creating uninterrupted time for focused work boosts morale and productivity. “Developers need blocks of time to solve complex problems,” said Daniel Livolsi.
Grouping meetings at the start or end of the day helped one team reduce context switching, maintaining flow states and productivity.
6. Foster collaboration over competition
A culture of collaboration strengthens trust and enhances problem-solving. “High-performing teams understand that success is shared,” noted Matthew Kairys.
“In one organisation, pairing was discouraged because their tools didn’t support multiple contributors to the same task. That policy inadvertently undermined collaboration,” Kairys added.
Sustaining high-performing teams
High-performing teams are the foundation of successful digital transformation. By addressing barriers, balancing metrics, and fostering a culture of trust and innovation, leaders can create resilient teams that drive long-term success.
“Leaders must be visible sponsors for their teams, ensuring alignment and fostering collaboration,” summarised Mike Hughes, Principal Consultant.
Investing in high-performing teams isn’t just about immediate results—it’s about building a sustainable foundation for future growth.