Why high-performing teams win (& how to build one)

Welcome to the November edition of The Premier Post! 

We’ve officially entered the hiring home stretch. As year-end approaches, teams are pushing to hit goals, finalize headcount, and set a strong foundation for 2026. But in this final sprint, one factor is separating the teams who finish strong from those who fall behind: performance. Not busywork... true, sustainable, high-level performance.

This month, we’re diving into what high-performing teams do differently and why it matters more than ever. We’re also highlighting key updates affecting employers as we head into 2026, including California’s expanded pay equity requirements under SB 642, and sharing a quick reminder about holiday pay for contractors to help keep your end-of-year operations running smoothly.

From improving hiring strategies to navigating evolving industry challenges, we’re here to help you build a workforce equipped for the future.

Let’s make the most of the home stretch together.

Check out our recent blogs!

1. Megatrends In The Job Market: Remote Permanence & Fast-Expiring Skills
2. The Art Of Connection: 27 Years Of Building Teams That Thrive
3. Why Agility Is The Future Of Recruiting

What High-Performing Teams Do Differently

In an era defined by rapid change, economic uncertainty, and shifting workforce expectations, the gap between average teams and high-performing ones is widening.

According to McKinsey's latest research on team effectiveness, the behaviors that distinguish high-performing teams explain between 69% and 76% of the differences in key outcomes like efficiency, results, and stakeholder satisfaction. At a time when talent retention and adaptability are top priorities, understanding what truly drives high-performing teams isn’t optional; it’s essential.

Leaders today aren’t just competing for talent anymore. They’re competing for performance. And the teams that are thriving in 2025 share several characteristics that are far from accidental. 

What “High-Performing” Actually Looks Like Day to Day

High performance isn’t about long hours, perfect alignment, or charismatic leadership. It’s about building an environment where people can consistently operate at their best: individually and collectively.

In practical terms, high-performing teams do three things exceptionally well:

1. They communicate clearly.
2. They trust deeply.
3. They execute consistently.

This shows up in day-to-day behaviors that often seem simple:

• Giving direct, timely feedback rather than letting tension build.
• Collaborating across departments without turf wars.
• Moving from decision to action quickly, without endless meetings or approval loops.

High-performing teams aren’t perfect. They simply have systems and norms that help them recover quickly from challenges, maintain alignment, and keep momentum moving forward.

Where Most Teams Get Stuck

Many organizations aspire to high performance but unintentionally create conditions that make it difficult to achieve. Common blind spots include:

• Unclear roles and expectations: Teams lose efficiency when responsibilities are vague or overlapping. Research from Gallup shows that only 46% of employees strongly agree that they understand what’s expected of them at work. When roles aren't clear, employees report being 53% less efficient and 27% less effective than those with clarity.
• Communication that’s either too little or too much: Teams can drown in unnecessary meetings or suffer from silence that breeds assumptions. Both extremes erode alignment and confidence.
• Low psychological safety: When employees fear being judged, dismissed, or penalized for speaking up, innovation stalls.
• Leadership bottlenecks: When decisions rely too heavily on one leader or when leaders micromanage teams slow down and disengage.
• Lack of shared priorities: Teams often operate with competing goals, unclear KPIs, or conflicting definitions of success. Without alignment, productivity becomes accidental rather than intentional.

These challenges are fixable, but they require leaders to adopt a more intentional, system-driven approach to team performance.

How High-Performing Teams Set Themselves Apart

High-performing teams consistently adopt a set of practices that elevate collaboration, efficiency, and morale. Leaders looking to strengthen their teams should focus on:

• Creating clarity at every level: High-performing teams know what they’re working toward and why it matters. Weekly priorities, measurable goals, and transparent decision-making processes eliminate confusion and build confidence.
• Building a culture of thoughtful candor: Feedback is given respectfully and received openly. Instead of avoiding tough conversations, teams view them as opportunities to learn and improve.
• Empowering decision-making at the right level: Instead of pushing every choice upward, leaders delegate, coach, and trust their teams. This speeds up execution and builds capability.
• Designing effective collaboration norms: This includes fewer, but better meetings, clear communication guidelines, and technology that supports rather than overwhelms.
• Investing in strengths, not just fixing weaknesses: High-performing teams understand individual strengths and structure work so people operate in their zone of excellence more often.

These practices aren’t trends; they’re the building blocks of modern organizational health.

Where Leaders Can Start Today

Here are practical steps leaders can take today:

1. Map your team’s priorities for the next 30, 60, and 90 days: Ensure everyone knows what success looks like and how it will be measured.
2. Conduct a psychological safety pulse check: Ask your team, “Do you feel comfortable raising concerns and sharing ideas?” Act on the responses.
3. Audit your meetings and workflows: Reduce unnecessary steps, clarify decision-makers, and free your team from low-value work.
4. Have one meaningful strengths-focused conversation with each team member: Align their strengths with upcoming projects or responsibilities.
5. Model the behaviors you want to see: Transparency, accountability, and curiosity start at the leadership level.

These immediate actions create momentum and set the foundation for stronger performance.

Why This Matters More Than Ever

The difference between a busy team and a high-performing team is the systems and behaviors that guide them. Global employee engagement fell to 21% in 2024, with lost productivity costing the global economy $438 billion. In a landscape where agility and retention are increasingly tied to team health, the organizations investing in performance today will be the ones navigating tomorrow’s challenges with confidence.

High-performing teams aren’t found. They’re built. And the work starts now. Let’s connect. 

Mary's HR Spotlight: Expert Tips For Employers

California is raising the bar on pay equity. 

Beginning January 1, 2026, updates to the state’s Equal Pay Act (SB 642) will expand how “wages” are defined and strengthen employer obligations around pay transparency and equity.

The new law broadens the term wages to include bonuses, stock options, profit-sharing, and vacation pay, widening what must be considered in equal pay comparisons. Employers will also be required to provide a good-faith pay scale that reflects what they reasonably expect to pay upon hire, ending the practice of overly broad or misleading salary ranges.

The statute of limitations for pay claims will extend to six years, and the definition of “sex” will now explicitly include gender identity and expression, ensuring stronger protections for non-binary employees.

These changes aim to close California’s persistent wage gap, where women still earn about 79¢ for every dollar earned by men. For employers, this is the time to proactively review compensation structures, job postings, and pay practices to ensure compliance and equity before 2026.

For more detailed information, refer to The Mitzel Group.

- Mary Henderson, Director of People Operations

If you have Premier contractors on active assignments, holiday pay will automatically be added to their timecards for any holidays included in your Master Service Agreement (MSA).

If you’d like to extend additional paid holiday hours as a seasonal gesture or team gift, just let your Account Manager know. We’re happy to coordinate the details and make it seamless for you. It’s a simple way to recognize your contractors' hard work, boost goodwill, and strengthen engagement, especially during a time when feeling valued goes a long way.

Our Numbers Are In!

The Premier Team transformed 25 lives in October.

Do you have an immediate or future hiring need? Reach out to us today.