building a high performance team – the IPL way.

besides the entertainment factor, there are some good hr lessons to be learnt from the Indian premier league

the Indian premier league (ipl) is one of the largest sporting extravaganzas in the world. apart from being the most sought after championship globally, the ipl has some very important lessons for everyone. hr leaders especially can take a leaf out of the ipl book and learn a few important lessons on building a winning, high performance team capable of putting in consistent efforts and a superior performance. here are a few key lessons this year’s ipl has in store.

get the right people on board 

the first step in building a high performance team starts with getting the right people on board. the ‘right’ people are those who share the collective dream and vision of the organization and its management. these people come with a wide array of skill sets and good experience and are not afraid to voice their opinions or ask questions.

assess the team’s strengths and weaknesses

to create a winning and high performance team it is absolutely critical to evaluate where your team stands and be aware of each team member’s individual strengths and weaknesses. understand what the team will need in order to stay ahead in the game. ensure you keep everyone on track by persistently evaluating progress against a set of measures that you choose based on your experience and in line with market standards. a quick swot analysis of the team can help you play by the team’s strengths.

set clear goals and have a plan in place

in order to be on top of the game it is essential for a leader to set clear and well-defined goals for the team. additionally, having a well thought out plan can help achieve pre-determined targets and boost the team’s performance.

focus on the team as a unified whole

another important lesson to learn from the ipl is that good leaders always focus on building the team. each individual in a team is indispensable and cannot be replaced. relying on single star players or top performers alone to raise the performance of the whole team is not the right way and a winning team is formed when all team members are capable and contribute equally towards the ultimate goal.

encourage diversity in talent and experience

the format of the ipl series strongly promotes diversity with players from different countries coming together as a team. similarly, in the corporate world the purpose of any team is problem solving through the use of diverse ideas and solutions. a successful team calls for a heady mix of diverse personalities each with their own work experience, varied skill sets, domain knowledge, and management expertise. 

inspire team members to deliver their best

leaders must believe in their team members and motivate them to perform their best. it is this motivation and confidence that is essential to inspire a team and encourage them to move ahead to meet the organization’s core business objectives. talent that is encouraged and nurtured well can perform better and help the business reach greater heights.

look at mistakes as opportunities to grow and improve

success and failure are a part of life. and what’s more important is to learn from mistakes and not repeat them. to build a high performance team, managers should ensure their team members do not get de-motivated by failures and encourage them to keep the learning curve positive.

help the team prove itself and continuously improve on the job 

every match is important for a cricketer. it provides them a platform to showcase their skills and prove themselves to the world. similarly, for a business team every project or opportunity is a valuable platform to prove talent and expertise. continuous learning and improvement is absolutely essential to keep the team on track and in line with the organizational business vision. 

be open to positive and negative feedback

feedback and constructive criticism helps steer the team ahead. consistent and constructive communication enhances individual and team quality and productivity. an open-minded approach is what differentiates a winning team from the rest. a successful team always looks at collective mistakes as an opportunity to grow and improve.

work as an integrated performance unit

a strong team is inclined towards collaboration and is aware of interdependency. this in turn defuses the blame game and offers opportunities for learning. it is essential to have a sense of interdependency in responsibility and reward.

the key to creating a high performance team lies in practice and great perseverance. and to be on the winning dais requires constant harnessing of team power. thinking one step ahead can help manage individual member performance and lead the team to victory.