How to maximise team performance to boost your project outcomes

The success or failure of a project relies on more than just a well-defined strategy. It’s also largely dependent on the performance of the teams. Team performance is a foundation of project success, influencing quality, timelines, and productivity.

A smooth project flow results from good communication and mutual respect within a team. In contrast, conflicts and a lack of collaboration often lead to delays and poor outcome quality.

A high-performing team can significantly boost motivation, productivity, and project outcomes. In a team where everyone feels respected, people are open to sharing their views. This offers a more diverse perspective, leading to innovative solutions. But how can you unlock your team’s full potential? There are certain ways to do so.

Why team performance affects project outcomes

Team performance refers to the ability of a group to work together effectively toward achieving shared goals. It’s an important element influencing project outcomes because it ensures the efficiency of task completion. It fosters collaboration, motivation, and commitment, directly influencing employees’ performance.

A good collaboration allows team members to work towards a common goal and share ideas. It drives team success more than skill and effort. More than half of executives (53%) believed collaboration positively impacts their organisation. Team members can overcome challenges and find better solutions when they work together. A positive team dynamic lays the foundation for achieving optimal project results.

Common symptoms of poor team performance

Poor team performance doesn’t happen suddenly—several issues influence it. Existing problems, such as miscommunication and low engagement, hinder performance. At the same time, weak team performance reinforces those problems, making them even more critical. Addressing those issues as soon as possible can prevent further problems with project results.

Breakdowns in communication

Miscommunication increases confusion and inefficiency. When team members fail to understand expectations or their tasks, the quality of work suffers. Miscommunication also affects the project’s timeline. Teams clarify the issues rather than putting that time into their tasks.

Low employee engagement

When employees feel undervalued, their engagement drops. Team members lose interest in their work, reducing productivity and quality. They would do the bare minimum to get the job done without putting effort into it.

Conflicts within a team

Constant disagreements create a toxic environment where employees feel demotivated. The inability of the team members to hear each other leads to delays in decision-making.

Missed deadlines

Inefficient workflows and unclear responsibilities can often lead to missed deadlines. Poorly coordinated teams can’t maintain project timelines, which delays the overall process.

High staff turnover

Employees tend to leave due to dissatisfaction. This disrupts the workflow, increases recruitment costs, and places extra pressure on the remaining team.

Profitability at risk

Weak team performance doesn’t just delay projects or decrease quality—it can also affect a company’s profitability. A study done by Google found that about 56% of surveyed executives ranked team collaboration as the biggest impact on their organisation’s profitability. The same study showed that 73% of respondents agree that their organisation would be more successful if employees worked more collaboratively.

How to achieve optimal team performance

Various factors influence a team’s performance, such as communication, lack of/too much managerial involvement, and organisational culture. Let’s explore how to achieve optimal team performance in more detail.

Create a positive team culture

Building a positive team culture is essential for the team to thrive. It’s one of the most important factors influencing employee productivity. A toxic environment and conflicts demotivate employees from putting effort into their work. In contrast, good communication helps foster understanding and promote a collaborative atmosphere.

“Improving team performance isn’t just about faster results; it’s about creating a work environment where people feel valued and supported. When the crew knows they’re part of something bigger and has the tools to do their job well, the quality and efficiency follow naturally. I’ve seen it time and again—a strong team makes all the difference.” - Chris Stevenson, 730 South Exteriors

Show respect and trust

Respect for the employees should be shown not only by the team members but also by supervisors. It’s important to show that you trust and give them autonomy in their tasks. Sometimes, employees get demotivated because of too much managerial involvement. They feel they are not trusted to do the job themselves.

“Teams perform best when members feel safe to share ideas, ask questions, or admit mistakes. It’s about building trust, not fear.” - Wayne Brown, CEO, C4C

Motivate team members

Many studies show that extrinsic motivation, such as monetary rewards and bonuses, isn’t enough for employees to perform at their best. Nowadays, employees seek intrinsic motivation—feeling validated and respected and understanding that their work matters and serves a purpose.

To ensure the team’s high performance, managers should show the employees appreciation and acknowledgement and encourage sharing their views on the problem. This way, team members would contribute to their maximum, which leads to better results.

Compose teams thoughtfully

The composition of a team plays a critical role in determining the effectiveness of the workflow. A well-composed team ensures a variety of perspectives and skills that contribute to better solutions to problems.

Clearly define roles and assign tasks to each member of a team. This way, there should be no confusion, and the work process would go faster. This also prevents overlapping or gaps in work and ensures everyone contributes to the results. Structured workflow results in efficient task completion and averts delays.

Keep diversity in mind

Research shows that diverse teams outperform homogeneous ones. A team should include members with complementary skills and experiences. Diversity fosters creativity and innovation by bringing unique perspectives to group discussions. Different backgrounds and experiences lead to a broader range of ideas and various angles to address problems.

Diverse teams are better equipped to handle challenges because, together, they pool a larger scope of knowledge. The improvement of the decision-making process and the ability to find more solutions leads to higher-quality results.

Show strong leadership

Although collaboration is about decentralising, it has to start at the top. Often, a team doesn’t perform efficiently enough due to problems with leadership. Strong leadership empowers its teams by inspiring and motivating them. Leaders are responsible for creating a positive team culture that promotes collaboration.

Give specific feedback during work to help team members grow. This will also help if certain mistakes need to be addressed as soon as possible to avoid delays in the future.

Offer guidance and support throughout the whole process.

Monitor the team’s work, but remember—too much managerial involvement is as bad as a total lack of it.

“In my experience, teams excel when they know their work has value. Feedback—whether positive, neutral, or negative—serves as a validation that their efforts matter.Feedback leads to improvements, which inspire pride and drive, ultimately fostering innovation and better results.

I made it a habit to share real-time user insights with developers, highlighting how their work addressed pain points or created delight. This simple act of transparency led to measurable improvements in team engagement and project outcomes.” - Rainier Mallol

Bring people together with growth opportunities

Offering development opportunities helps employees build their skills and boosts their morale. It also shows that the company values employees’ long-term potential. This contributes to better results for a particular project and the company’s future. Employees are more likely to stay committed to a company that invests in their growth, reducing turnover costs.

Team-building exercises are another great way to strengthen relationships, improve communication, and create a sense of belonging to a team. Workshops and collaborative games help to break down barriers and boost morale, leading to stronger collaboration and better performance.

Building success with strong teams

Maximising team performance is essential for achieving outstanding project outcomes. Organisations can unlock their full potential by fostering a positive culture and building diverse and organised teams with empowering leadership. Investing in your team doesn’t just lead to project success—it creates a foundation for long-term organisational growth.

About the authors

Darja is a Behavioural Scientist and Customer Success Manager. She holds a Master’s in Social Sciences from the University of Helsinki, specialising in business anthropology and organisational psychology. She is also working on service and product development.

Natalia focuses on creating content that promotes improving work collaboration in organisations. With an interest in human resources and performance optimisation, she enjoys exploring practical approaches to empower teams.