13 tips on how to improve team performance in 2025

Is your team doing their best or just trying to keep up?

A team is like a relay race. Everyone has to move in sync. If one person slows down or drops the baton, the whole team feels it.

The same thing happens at work.

And the answer isn’t to work harder. It’s to work smarter together.

But here’s something worth thinking about:

• Why do some teams hit their goals while others fall behind, even with the same resources?
• What causes high-performing team members to feel overwhelmed or burned out?
• Why do projects drag on, even when everyone is busy?
• What breaks down when people stop working toward a common goal?

These minor issues add up. And before you know it, performance drops.

So, how do you actually improve team performance without burnout, missed deadlines, or wasted time?

Whether you manage a remote team, lead a hybrid group, or run an in-person office, these 13 tips will help you build a stronger, more productive team that works well together.

As Harvard Business School puts it:
“The ability to bring out the best in yourself and others is essential to being a leader who cultivates high-performing teams.”

Let’s look at how you can do exactly that.

Table of Contents

1. Set clear goals that align with your team’s purpose

To improve team performance, start with clear, actionable goals. When your team members know exactly what they’re working toward, they can stay focused, make smarter decisions, and feel more connected to their work.

A great way to structure your goal-setting is to use the S.M.A.R.T. framework—Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound goals.

Specific

Define a clear, common goal the entire team can rally around. Avoid vague objectives like “do better” and focus instead on something like “increase client response time by 20%.”

Measurable

Break down your goal into quantifiable deliverables. When progress can be tracked, it’s easier to spot wins, identify roadblocks, and stay on course.

Achievable

Set realistic goals that are within your team’s control. Stretch goals are motivating, but only when they feel doable.

Relevant

Ensure the goal aligns with the team’s purpose and the company’s larger mission. The team is more engaged when they see how their work supports the bigger picture.

Time-bound

Assign clear timelines to every part of the goal. Without deadlines, even the best intentions can drift.

Then, explain how each person’s role supports the overall mission. When team members understand how their tasks contribute to the outcome, they build ownership, improve team alignment, and boost motivation.

Clear, S.M.A.R.T. goals also reduce confusion during team meetings, speed up decision-making, and prevent wasted time. This structure helps create a more effective team and a healthier, more collaborative work environment.

As a team leader, setting the right goals isn’t just helpful, it’s one of the most powerful ways to boost team collaboration and drive consistent results.

2. Communicate openly and often

Strong communication is the foundation of a high-performing team. When team members stay connected, solving problems, avoiding delays, and working toward shared goals is easier.

Start by making communication part of your daily workflow, not just something that happens during team meetings. Use tools like Slack to keep conversations moving in real-time, especially for remote teams.

Ask open-ended questions during regular check-ins and one-on-one meetings. This gives team members space to share updates, raise concerns, or offer new ideas.

Most importantly, create a safe environment where people feel comfortable speaking up. When your team trusts that their input matters, collaboration becomes more natural.

Open communication helps uncover roadblocks early, encourages teamwork, and improves team effectiveness. As a team leader, the more you listen, the more your team will speak up and that’s when the best work happens.

3. Schedule regular check-ins and one-on-one meetings

Consistent check-ins create space for honest conversations. They allow team members to speak up, share progress, and stay aligned with team goals.

Start with weekly team meetings to keep everyone updated on priorities, deliverables, and timelines. These meetings help reduce confusion, monitor attendance, and improve team collaboration.

In addition to group updates, make time for one-on-one conversations. These personal check-ins allow you to dig deeper, understand challenges, and recognize individual contributions.

Use these moments to track the team’s progress, celebrate wins, and offer constructive feedback. Even a short check-in can prevent roadblocks from turning into bigger problems.

As Forbes puts it, “Employees need to have a clear view of how their professional goals support organizational goals.” These regular conversations help reinforce that connection and boost employee engagement.

When team leaders take the time to check in, they show their team members that their work matters, which greatly impacts team performance.

4. Use templates and automation to streamline workflows

Repetitive tasks and messy workflows slow down productive teams. If your team spends too much time on the same steps over and over, it’s time to simplify the process.

Create templates for common tasks like meeting agendas, project reports, onboarding checklists, and status updates. When the structure is already in place, your team can get started faster and with less confusion.

Next, automate the small stuff. Use project management tools to schedule reminders, assign tasks, and track timelines. This will help prevent delays and keep your team focused on more meaningful work.

Also, keep everything easy to find. Use shared folders, boards, or templates so nothing gets lost and everyone stays on the same page.

Streamlining your workflows saves time, supports team productivity, reduces stress, and gives your team members more space for the hard work that drives results.

5. Make time for team-building, especially with remote teams

Strong relationships build stronger teams. When team members feel connected, they communicate better, collaborate, and support each other through challenges.

In remote and hybrid teams, those connections don’t happen on their own. That’s why team-building needs to be part of your regular workflow.

Start small. Host virtual coffee chats or include quick icebreakers at the start of team meetings. These moments help team members feel more comfortable speaking up and getting to know each other.

You can also plan simple team-building activities focusing on shared interests or lighthearted fun. These activities don’t need to take much time; what matters is consistency.

Make space to celebrate milestones, even the small ones. A quick shout-out for a job well done boosts morale and strengthens teamwork.

When you prioritize team-building, you create a healthier work environment where collaboration feels more natural and high-performing teams can thrive.

6. Create a company culture of constructive feedback

Constructive feedback helps teams grow. It’s not just about fixing problems. It’s about building confidence, improving teamwork, and supporting continuous improvement.

Start by offering feedback in real-time during regular check-ins. Don’t wait for annual reviews. Quick conversations during team meetings or one-on-ones make feedback feel normal and helpful.

Give shout-outs when team members do great work. Recognizing effort boosts morale, encourages hard work, and reinforces a positive work environment.

Also, open the door to peer feedback. When feedback flows in both directions, it builds trust and strengthens team collaboration.

This kind of feedback culture reduces perfectionism and helps team members feel safe trying, learning, and improving. When your team sees feedback as support, not criticism, they grow faster and perform better together.

7. Track performance with the right metrics

Tracking the right metrics helps you understand how your team is really doing. It gives you the employee insights you need to support team productivity and guide meaningful conversations.

Start by focusing on data that reflects actual progress, such as completed tasks, timelines met, and overall team goals. These numbers show how work is progressing, not just how much time is being spent.

Use this data to support regular check-ins and one-on-ones. Instead of micromanaging, use the numbers to ask better questions, remove roadblocks, and highlight wins.

It’s also important to be transparent. Let your team members know what’s being tracked and why. This builds trust and keeps the focus on collaboration, not control.

When you track performance with the right approach, you improve team effectiveness, support smarter decision-making, and help your team stay aligned on what really matters.

8. Prioritize well-being to prevent burnout

A healthy team is a productive team. When team members feel supported, they bring more focus, energy, and creativity to their work.

To prevent burnout, start by encouraging boundaries around work hours. Make it clear that your team doesn’t need to be online all the time to be valuable.

Respect personal time, even for remote teams where work and home often blend. Remind your team to take breaks, step away from screens, and disconnect when the day ends.

Create space for conversations about mental health and well-being. Treating rest as part of the work process builds a more sustainable and supportive work environment.

As Forbes contributor Leigh Yanocha said,
“We take downtime seriously because we know it is a crucial part of a high-performing team.”

Supporting your team’s well-being helps reduce burnout, improves retention, and leads to stronger performance in the long run.

9. Build a flexible, supportive work environment

When your team feels trusted, they perform better. A flexible work environment allows team members to do their best work without feeling micromanaged.

Start by setting clear expectations around goals, deliverables, and timelines. Then, step back and allow team members to choose how and when they work as long as they meet the outcomes.

One approach some teams explore is a Results-Only Work Environment (ROWE). In this setup, team members are measured entirely by their results, not their work hours or where they work.

ROWE offers key benefits:

• It supports autonomy and accountability.
• It gives people the freedom to work when they feel most productive.
• It reduces stress caused by strict schedules or constant supervision.

But it also comes with challenges:

• It requires strong goal-setting and clear communication from the team leader.
• It may not fit roles that depend on real-time collaboration or fixed shifts.
• Without regular check-ins, some team members may feel isolated or disconnected.

Whether you go fully ROWE or not, applying its principles can help. Focus on results, not hours. Support your team’s unique work styles while maintaining a clear structure.

When paired with support, flexibility leads to more engaged team members, better problem-solving, and stronger team performance.

10. Involve your team in decision-making

When team members feel heard, they’re more engaged in the work. Involving your team in decisions shows that their ideas matter and that they’re trusted to help shape the team’s success.

Start by asking for input during the planning stage, not just after making decisions. Invite your team members to share feedback on upcoming projects, timelines, and team goals.

Include them in conversations about goal-setting, workflows, and priorities. You may uncover better ways to handle tasks or new ideas for improving team efficiency.

Encourage your team to suggest ways to remove roadblocks or streamline work. These insights often lead to smarter processes and better results.

Shared decision-making builds trust, increases ownership, and improves teamwork. When people help shape the direction, they’re more motivated to deliver strong results and stay aligned with the team’s progress.

11. Celebrate progress, not just outcomes

Celebration shouldn’t wait until the final deadline. Recognizing progress along the way keeps your team motivated and connected to a common goal.

Start by acknowledging hard work during regular check-ins. A quick mention in a team meeting can go a long way in showing appreciation.

Celebrate key milestones—even the small ones. Whether it’s completing a tough phase of a project or hitting a weekly target, these wins matter.

Publicly recognize both team success and individual contributions. A shout out for a job well done helps boost morale, improve employee engagement, and encourage continuous effort.

As Forbes shared, “Recognizing accomplishments boosts morale and motivation.”

When your team feels seen and appreciated, they’re more likely to stay energized, committed, and aligned with your team’s goals.

The right tools, like intuitive time-tracking apps, help your team stay focused, aligned, and productive. But when tools are confusing or poorly matched to your team’s workflow, they slow everything down.

Start with project management tools that keep tasks, timelines, and deliverables visible to everyone. 

Make it easy to access templates, checklists, and important data in one place. This helps your team move quickly without wasting time looking for information or duplicating work.

It’s also helpful to use tools that give insights into how time is spent across tasks and projects. When you can see where time goes, it’s easier to spot roadblocks, improve workflows, and reduce burnout without micromanaging.

Offer brief, focused training so your team feels confident using new tools. The goal is to support them, not add more to their plate.

When your tools are chosen with your team in mind, they support better teamwork, reduce friction, and help everyone stay on track with less stress.

13. Use data to guide, not to control your team

Data works best to support your team, not watch over them. When used with care, it can help you make better decisions, remove roadblocks, and improve team performance without adding pressure.

Use workforce analytics to spot trends, delays, or task bottlenecks. This gives you a clearer picture of where the team is moving forward and where they might be stuck.

Let the data, including insights from screen monitoring, guide your check-ins. Use it to ask better questions, recognize progress, and offer help where needed. But don’t let it replace honest conversations.

Keep the focus on progress, not perfectionism. Numbers can show you what’s working, but your team’s input adds the whole picture.

With the right approach, data can become a tool for team collaboration, smarter problem-solving, and continuous improvement without micromanaging.

How Time Doctor helps teams improve performance

Improving team performance isn’t about doing more; it’s about doing what works. The right tools give you clarity, structure, and insight without getting in the way of actual work.

That’s where workforce analytics tools come in. They help team leaders and managers:

• Set clear goals and track deliverables across individuals and teams so everyone stays aligned with the bigger picture
• See how time is spent on tasks and projects without micromanaging, helping you connect daily work to team goals
• Get real-time visibility into workloads, timelines, and progress, making team meetings and check-ins more useful
• Spot delays, distractions, and roadblocks early, so you can take action before they become bigger issues
• Support a results-only work environment by focusing on outcomes rather than hours worked
• Balance productivity with well-being by identifying signs of burnout or overwork across the team
• Encourage accountability by showing how individual work connects to team performance without pressure or surveillance
  
• Provide data-driven insights that support fair, honest feedback and ongoing performance management
• Create transparency across remote teams while still respecting autonomy and trust
• Streamline workflows with activity tracking, project tags, and custom dashboards
• Improve collaboration by making it easier to see where support is needed and when to adjust priorities

Whether your team works in person, remotely, or across time zones, the right data gives you the confidence to lead with clarity and the freedom for your team to focus on what matters most.

With fewer distractions and more insight through smart employee monitoring, you create the conditions for high-performing teams to thrive.

Final thoughts

Improving team performance doesn’t require a complete reset. It starts with clarity, clear goals, open communication, and the right tools that support how your team actually works.

Small shifts, like regular check-ins, meaningful feedback, and greater visibility into daily work, often make the biggest difference. These aren’t just productivity hacks; they are habits that create space for better teamwork, fewer roadblocks, and more consistent results.

But here’s the real question:

Do you have the insight you need to lead with clarity, or are you still guessing what’s working and what’s not?

Your team already has the talent, the drive, and the potential to grow. What they need is a work environment that supports them, keeps them aligned, and helps them focus on what matters most.

Because when teams feel supported—not micromanaged—they show up, stay engaged, and perform at their best.

Start improving team performance with clarity, not guesswork.

Get a demo of Time Doctor—built to help teams stay focused, aligned, and productive without micromanaging.

Liam Martin is a serial entrepreneur, co-founder of Time Doctor, Staff.com, and the Running Remote Conference, and author of the Wall Street Journal bestseller, “Running Remote.” He advocates for remote work and helps businesses optimize their remote teams.