Company performance ethic is the start for a successful team

I am currently reading "The Wisdom of Teams -- Creating the High-Performance Organization" by Jon R. Katzenbach and Douglas K. Smith with McKinsey & Company, Inc. I am struck by the simplicity of the essential element of a successful team, that the authors state is the most critical foundation of a team -- clarity and consistency of the organizational performance standards, or "performance ethic," that provides direction and meaning to a team's efforts.

Team consultants tend to focus on the personalities, behaviors and actions of the team members to consult in working together to improve organizational productivity. This good foundational read reminds us to start at the beginning when forming a team. The organization or company sets the standard, by our leaders' actions and communication, as well as, its culture. Team members, whether they realize it or not, will perform in a team to their organization's expectation and current culture.

The full cycle of this concept is an organizational lesson that teams need to communicate and understand their performance ethic to begin to define their team goals. A successful team can enhance and raise their company's performance ethic level, and if company leaders incorporate team improvements into company culture, higher organizational performance can be achieved.