How to Build a High-Performance Team with Scott Kress

Humans are social creatures. Our wellness as individuals depends on the extent we feel like we belong in community settings at work, when socializing, and at home. But how can today's leaders encourage strong ties among coworkers when so many are working virtually? Host Shaun Francis, the CEO of Medcan, explores the challenge of creating strong social bonds with climbing expedition leader Scott Kress of Summit Team Building, who has climbed the Seven Summits (the tallest mountains on each of the seven continents) and who provides team-building advice to corporations of all kinds. After this episode, you'll be better equipped to encourage social cohesion whether you're scaling Mt. Everest or hopping on your morning Zoom conference.   Episode 83 webpage.   LINKS Scott's series on the future of team-building is here: https://summitteambuilding.com/team-building-definition/ https://summitteambuilding.com/virtual-team-building-the-future-of-team-building-part-2/ https://summitteambuilding.com/in-person-team-building-the-future-of-team-building-part-3/ https://summitteambuilding.com/in-person-team-virtual-team-building-the-future-of-team-building-part-4/   You can find Scott on LinkedIn and his company, Summit Team Building, on Twitter. His blog features posts about his expeditions and team-building philosophy. You can also find clips of his talks here.    Learn more about Scott's adventures and team-building in his book, Learning in Thin Air.   Watch this quick video to learn more about Outward Bound & its mission   Check out this Forbes article on a recent research study on the proven benefits of team-building and strong leadership.    Want to read more about Scott's 2008 Everest expedition? Here's an article from the Burlington Times about his journey.   Read this CNBC article by David Novak to learn more about Tom Brady's leadership style.   INSIGHTS   1: The task of team-building has changed in the last 18 months. Coworkers are working virtually, which means they can be physically distant, and have often never met in person. Consequently it can be more difficult to create the strong emotional ties required to build high-performance teams. And that connection is important. Kress says connection among coworkers determines how productive they'll be together. "There's no need to be best friends with everyone at the office, but there is a need to have a relationship where you can know and understand each other." That said, virtual team building can be effective. "There are benefits to virtual," Kress says. "Certain types of content for training and team-building works really well, because you can have that, you know, short, 90 minute hit on a fairly regular basis…. But I believe that should be interspersed with some in-person training." [07:29]   2: A high-performance team is set apart because they can consistently achieve their goals in difficult circumstance. "We've all seen teams that have achieved their goal, but they almost killed each other in the process," says Scott. "Sometimes we get lucky.  Sometimes you persevere, you tough through it, and you get there. But generally… once you achieve your goal, the team falls apart." Strong leadership and resilient emotional connections can help a team to find its common goals, allow its members to connect with one another and in turn, strengthen its ability to reach its goals every time. "If you want to go fast, go alone," Kress says, quoting a proverb. "If you want to go far, go as a team."  [15:48]   3: "A leader has huge influence over the culture of their team," says Scott. Every subculture within a company is a reflection of that team's leadership. It's been proven that the members of a team take on the values, beliefs and priorities of their leader, and so it is essential that the leader takes responsibility for the way the team communicates and functions. "You want to have a very clear vision…You can't expect anybody to live up to expectations unless they know what those expectations are," he says. "So you need to have a clear understanding of what it is you want to create, and then how are you going to share that with your team." [20:38]   4: High-performing individuals don't necessarily make great leaders. "Often we get promoted into leadership roles because of individual performance," says Scott. However, not everyone is cut out to be a leader, even if they're great at what they do. "And if we are going to be put into a [leadership] role, then maybe we need to have some training and some coaching to help us really understand what is the difference between being a high performance individual and being a successful leader." [23:32]   5: So what does make a great leader? The title's got nothing to do with it, according to Scott. "Leadership is about an attitude. Leadership is about action….if you see yourself as a leader, you're going to do things differently than if you see yourself as a follower." While a follower listens to instructions and waits for direction, a leader is proactive. "They're looking for things that need to be done…they're looking for people that need support and help." Want to build a strong team? Build a team of leaders, Kress says. [25:55] 6: Kress has three tips for leaders looking to create high-performing teams in hybrid work environments. The first is the importance of vision—"your vision as far as what are your achievements... your goals, all of that stuff." In the remote work environment, Kress suggests considering, "what's the vision of who we're going to be as a team? And then how are you going to communicate that to the team?" Second, Kress underscores the importance of leaders doing more than walking the talk. "I need to take what I want the team to do, and, and take that a little bit further." Basically, Kress says, you have to run the talk. Finally, and particularly for teams working in hybrid work environments, leaders have to create real-world opportunities for social cohesion. "We're still seeing each other, we're talking back and forth on the computer, but it's not the same," Kress says. "And that's where the team-building comes into play. You want to have those formal sessions led by, you know, those external professionals who are going to guide you through some type of a team-building experience. But you also want to have the informal as well: have dinner together, spend time talking together… You have to really focus on it or you're going to lose that team connection pretty quickly." [29:01]