CAPACITY-BUILDING FOR HIGH-PERFORMING TEAMS

Capacity-Building for High-Performing Teams

THE CHALLENGE

Psychological safety helps teams perform better—research has confirmed this for decades. But safety is the floor, not the ceiling.

Most teams stay transactional: coordinating tasks, sharing information, meeting deadlines. Some become supportive: celebrating wins, offering encouragement during setbacks. But few teams reach the level where members actively build each other's capacity—developing courage, strengthening confidence, and reinforcing values alignment when pressure mounts.

These capacity-building teams don't just work well together. They make each other more capable over time.

THE INSIGHT

Certain capacities—courage, resilience, the ability to act on values under pressure—don't develop and strengthen in isolation. They emerge through specific kinds of relationships: connections where both people invest in each other's growth, strengthen each other's confidence, and help each other stay aligned with core values.

We call these Anchor Relationships—intentional connections that help people make choices aligned with their principles, especially during challenging times. Unlike casual friendships or professional networks, these relationships serve as both a moral compass and a source of strength.

When teams learn to build these capacity-building connections—what we call Anchor Relationships—psychological safety becomes the natural byproduct. Innovation increases because people trust their ideas will be received generously. Problem-solving improves because people share concerns early rather than hiding them. Risk management strengthens because people surface issues before they become crises.

PROGRAM OVERVIEW

This program builds high-performing teams by establishing Anchor Relationships among team members. Participants learn to recognize the difference between transactional, supportive, and capacity-building connections—and develop the skills to intentionally move relationships toward mutual growth.

Ideal for teams experiencing change: new team members, new leadership, new organizational priorities, or simply starting a new year with intention.

Developed from research at the University of Pennsylvania and grounded in Self-Determination Theory, the framework gives teams a shared language and practical tools for building the relationships that create psychological safety from the inside out.

THREE-PART FRAMEWORK

Part 1: Assess Your Team's Relationship Landscape

Teams map their current connections across three dimensions that distinguish Anchor Relationships from ordinary workplace bonds:

• Growth: Do we invest in each other's development—not just success, but the expansion of capability? Do disagreements become learning opportunities? Does anyone's success feel threatening to others?

• Efficacy: Does working together strengthen each person's belief in their own capabilities? Does support flow naturally in both directions? Do people feel more confident and capable through their team connections?

• Values: Do we help each other stay aligned with core principles under pressure? Can we discuss differences openly? Do we prioritize doing what's right over what's easy?

Most teams discover they have strong task coordination and reasonable support—but few relationships that build capacity across all three dimensions. This assessment reveals both the current state and where to invest.

Part 2: Build Capacity-Strengthening Connections

Teams learn to intentionally develop relationships that create psychological safety through mutual investment:

• Recognize capacity-building potential: Identify which existing relationships show signs of genuine mutual investment—not just friendliness or professional courtesy.

• Practice the three support roles: Learn when to act as Growth Catalyst (supporting development), Strengths Guardian (protecting confidence), or Trusted Voice (offering honest challenge).

• Establish mutual commitments: Create explicit agreements about how team members will invest in each other's growth, confidence, and values alignment.

The goal isn't surface-level team bonding. It's developing relationships where psychological safety is inevitable because genuine mutual investment is present.

Part 3: Navigate Challenges Together

Teams develop protocols for working through difficulty as a connected unit rather than isolated individuals:

• Activation signals: Learn to recognize when a teammate needs growth support vs. confidence support vs. values grounding.

• Request language: Practice asking for specific support ("I need you to challenge my thinking here" or "I need you to remind me what I'm capable of").

• Challenge protocols: Establish norms for how the team navigates setbacks, uncertainty, and pressure together.

This transforms how teams handle difficulty—from individual coping to collective capacity-building. Challenges become opportunities to deepen relationships and strengthen safety rather than threats that erode trust.