Building high-performance ‘A-Team’ requires learning from the best

According to Gallup’s “State of the American Workplace” report on the modern workforce, just one-third of U.S. employees are actually engaged in their work and workplace. Only one in five say their performance is managed in a way that motivates them to do outstanding work.

Yet the search for talented workers capable of adapting and leading in a fast-paced global economy is never-ending — and more challenging than ever. According to Luella Chavez D’Angelo, vice chancellor for enterprise development at the University of Colorado South Denver, organizations that understand that talent management isn’t just about effective recruiting, but building and leading high-performance teams, are the ones that stand to thrive.

On June 26, D’Angelo will present a one-hour session at CU South Denver as part of its EduTalks series. A professional education lunch hour, the EduTalks presentation is titled, “Do You Have an A-Team? 13 Traits of High-Performance Teams.”

“Many companies hear the term ‘high-performance workplace’ and like the sound of it, but managers must be able to both recognize what it means for an organization to be one and take steps in the right direction to create one,” D’Angelo said. Before joining CU South Denver in early 2016, she was the chief communications officer for Western Union, where she led teams responsible for public relations, employee communications and corporate events.

D’Angelo held several other roles during her 16 years at Western Union, including senior vice president of social ventures. She was the inaugural director of the First Data Western Union Foundation and its president for 11 years.

In all of these roles and as chief marketing officer for the Denver Museum of Nature and Science and vice president of institutional development for the University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, D’Angelo led the development of aligned, high-performing teams and advanced enterprise-wide strategies for the organizations she served.

The Forbes Coaches Council says high-performing teams have 13 characteristics in common. Among them: They recognize the strengths of the individuals within them, foster an “open feedback” culture, and commit to learning from and improving upon everything they do. In sharing all 13 of these characteristics, D’Angelo says her goal at EduTalks is to encourage participants to develop an approach to building excellent employees and bringing them together as successful teams.

“It seems like an overwhelming task, but there are simple ways leaders can make changes in their workplaces,” she says. “Every organization has strengths and weaknesses. The goal is to help participants begin to identify adjustments that would cultivate the creation of high-performance teams and leaders and share more about how to maintain those teams.”

Do You Have an A-Team? 13 Traits of High-Performing Teams is open to people managers who are looking to build and sustain superior teams. The session will include a comprehensive discussion and interactive activities. Registration is $55 and includes a chef-prepared lunch. Space is limited.

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