Where does Team Culture come from?
The culture of a small company starts from the top, with the values of the leadership team permeating down through the organisation.
Team members are far more likely to produce at their best if they feel connected, respected and valued by their peers and managers.
The following points are ways you can enhance your team to become more cohesive and motivated:
1) Restate your mission and vision with help from the team
Define those core values and gain agreement about what these are, maintaining them through action and revision. Make it clear that these statements are living documents and may change over time.
2) Communicate up and down
The most common staff complaint that I hear is that communication is not good enough. I usually translate that to mean “I am not being heard or listened to.” Staff need to feel that they matter and have value. Forums that enable them to have their say are crucial to building a positive culture. Having the ability to have one’s say and be shown that staff are being heard through active communication, one one-on-ones and group discussion builds trust and the optimism to contribute.
3) Two heads are better than one
Encouraging staff to share and work together builds team spirit and confidence and extends the capability of both the individual and the team. An increase in confidence grows the desire to contribute resulting in leadership becoming more expertise-led rather than position-focused. Flatter structures streamline and improve overall productivity.
4) Recognise and invest in staff strengths by training
Improved communication increased knowledge about the staff member as an individual. Strengths and weaknesses are able to be addressed to shore up areas that need further work or to further extend natural abilities. Knowing that the company is investing in them helps enhance job satisfaction and loyalty.
5) Reinforce culture by celebration of behaviour
Recognition of achievement and celebration boost morale and motivate continued efforts. Celebrating in public so that others can join in has a positive flow on effect, inspiring others to strive for the same recognition for themselves and the team.
6) Balance whole of life
Care of staff to ensure that appropriate downtime and change is scheduled into a period demonstrates that the company is more than just a place of work. This protects against staff burnout and prevents staff getting stale and unproductive.
7) Show the way
Lead as you would be led. Demonstrating the values you want your staff to emulate must come from the top. The values of respect, integrity, collaboration, and some fun are more likely to be followed if they are demonstrated by you first.
Conclusion
Culture starts from the top. Demonstrate the values that are important to you as an individual and as a company with communication with what those vales are. Leading the way with collaboration and inviting staff contribution to the betterment of them as individuals in their careers and their teams will build stronger company cultures.