What makes high-performance teams excel? A case study demonstrates the importance of community and commitment in managing the human dynamics and technical imperatives of a high-performance R&D team in a highly competitive industry

Abstract

Managers who lead high-performance teams in highly competitive industries must balance complex interpersonal relationships with corporate deadlines and quality standards. Pressure on the team to perform and the leader to deliver can frequently produce detrimental outcomes. Insightful management of a diverse team of high-performing inter-organizational R&D professionals requires operational latitude for effective convergence of multiple complex relationships. IBM has cultivated and refined techniques that facilitate the commitment and community necessary for optimum team performance and successful product delivery. © 2009 Industrial Research Institute, Inc.