Team Culture: Key to Success Unveiled

Introduction

“Great things in business are never done by one person. They're done by a team of people.” 

Steve Jobs once stressed the power of having a great team in an organization. But here's the thing - it's not just about having a team; it's about creating a culture where every team member can truly shine.

In this blog, we're going to dig into what really makes a team culture tick, how to spot the difference between a toxic one and a healthy one and share some down-to-earth tips for building a strong team culture in the post-COVID world.

Jump to: Healthy signs · Warning signs · Practical tips.

What is Culture?

According to Merriam-Webster, culture in an institution or organization is about the attitudes, values, goals, and practices that everyone shares. While we mainly associate culture with a country or a society, companies also need an established culture to connect people and establish shared goals and practices. This is called the team culture.

Then, What is A Team Culture?

Team culture is like the vibe of a group. It's about the values, attitudes, beliefs, and actions that shape how a team works together. If the team's vibe seems weak or toxic, examine morale, turnover and performance rather than assuming culture is the cause. For example, look at how decisions are recorded and concerns are answered.

Read more about team culture

Why is Team Culture Important?

There are four practical reasons to pay attention to team culture:

1. Pay attention to employee morale and job satisfaction when reviewing working habits.
2. Make room for innovation and agility through discussion of new ideas and ways to adapt.
3. Invite differing perspectives, including cognitive diversity, when considering ideas.
4. Review customer ratings, productivity, and profitability as outcomes to assess, not assumed benefits of culture.

How to Identify a Strong Team Culture? 

You can imagine having a solid team culture as the solid concrete pillars that support the roof. The roof in this simile is the company, while the concrete pillars establish a strong team culture. Five pillars support our roof:

1. Clear Communication: The first pillar that supports success in a healthy team culture is clear communication. When team members communicate openly, honestly, and transparently, they can freely share their thoughts, ideas, and concerns.
2. Collaboration: Collaboration is another pillar in a healthy team. Collaboration consists of working together as a team and it establishes cohesive team values.
3. Innovation: As the third pillar, innovation means making room to explore and improve ideas. When a company allows others to speak freely, then team members can share their ideas and opinions without fear of judgment. Welcome respectful questions and disagreement; name who owns each decision and how the team will follow through.
4. Employee Engagement: The fourth pillar is employee engagement. Ask how employees feel about their organization and team, including their engagement and motivation. Most engagement-performance studies show correlation, not causation, according to CIPD. This does not prove that a particular culture practice improves performance.
5. Shared Values: The last pillar is the shared values. Overall, shared values reflect the team's mission and guide their behavior and decision-making. Use these values to steady our roof by agreeing how to handle everyday decisions and disagreements.

How to Identify a Toxic Team Culture?

It's crucial to notice when things get toxic. Picture the toxic culture like little cracks in a team's pillars. Look for recurring working problems, not a single disagreement, before judging what needs repair. Let's check out a few examples:

1. Poor Communication: The first crack is poor communication. Look for recurring patterns of using unclear language, not actively listening to others, or leaving concerns unanswered. Agree on a repair and check the follow-through.
2. Lack of Collaboration: The second crack is the lack of collaboration. Lack of collaboration consists of rejection of new ideas and working against other team members. In an environment where there’s lack of collaboration, team members may feel unsupported and undervalued. 
3. High Stress Levels: The third crack is high stress levels among employees. This is often caused by unrealistic expectations set by management. High stress levels can cause a wide range of physical and mental health issues, including anxiety, depression, and burnout.
4. Lack of Accountability: The fourth crack is the lack of accountability. Lack of accountability can result in team members blaming others for their own mistakes and overlooking their own shortcomings.
5. Low Morale: The fifth and last crack in a toxic workplace environment is low morale. Low morale can harm team members’ motivation, productivity, and mental health.

Working Arrangements to Discuss After COVID-19

Teams have different working arrangements. Use these four areas to discuss what fits your team in the post-COVID world:

• Remote work: Discuss which tasks fit remote work, what needs on-site time, and how to balance work and life within agreed arrangements.
• Employee wellbeing: Ask what support staff need and what is available, such as free counseling services or wellness programs. Explain how to access it and where to raise unmet needs.
• Technology: Consider digital tools like Zoom, Google Meet, or Calendly for remote working. Agree which channels to use for updates and decisions, and when a response is expected.
• Diversity and inclusion: For team discussions and hiring, invite input in different formats and check whose perspective is missing. Ask what would help people feel valued and supported.

Tips to Build a Team Culture in a Post-COVID World

So far, we've covered why team culture matters and how to spot healthy habits and warning signs. Now, let's dive into four down-to-earth tips to make those foundations stronger in the post-pandemic world.

1. Team Building Activities: 

Coffee chats are awesome for getting to know your colleagues in a relaxed way. Keep them optional. Check out our blog post "Connections Over Coffee: Understanding the Power of a Coffee Chat" for more on making the most of these chats.

Another cool way to build a strong team culture is through group activities. These could be anything from hanging out at social events to going on retreats. Keep social activities optional, not a test of commitment; offer a work-focused discussion or written update for colleagues who prefer another way to contribute. For some fun ideas, check out our blog post "Work Hard, Play Harder: Group Activities for Adults & Professionals."

2. Cheers for the Wins:

Next up is giving a shout-out and celebrating victories, big or small. Recognizing and appreciating accomplishments means naming the contribution and asking how each colleague prefers to be thanked. For more tips on showing your team some love, check out our blog post,  "The Complete Guide to Employee Appreciation."

3. Clear Goals, Happy Team:

For a winning team, set clear and specific goals. It's vital to spell out the team's purpose, objectives, and key performance indicators to ensure everyone's on the same page.

Illustrative working agreement: Goal: make project handoffs clear. Habit: record each handoff, next action and owner in the team's shared notes. The project lead checks the notes each week. Review the agreement together after two weeks. Raise unclear handoffs in a team check-in or a private message to the lead; the lead records the agreed fix or explains why no change is made by the next check-in.

4. Flexibility and Work-from-Anywhere Vibes:

Work is changing, and that's okay. Let's find ways to make work fit into our lives – discuss flexible hours, working locations, or part-time or full-time home working, subject to role requirements, employer terms and applicable rules. Agree what's workable rather than assuming every option is open to everyone.

Conclusion:

Building a team culture in a company may seem like an easy task, but it requires more than just occasional meetings and checking in on your colleagues. Establishing a strong team culture involves various fundamental pillars to guide how people work together, especially in this post-COVID world.

This blog covered the essentials of team culture and provided guidelines for building a strong one in our ever-evolving world. While there's no one-size-fits-all solution, companies need to be creative and have a clear vision to establish and maintain a healthy team culture. Start with one agreement from the tips above, decide who will follow up, and review it with the team to see what needs adjusting.