Building a Strong Team Culture

Listening, Language, and Accountability

Creating a thriving workplace and fostering a positive team culture are crucial elements for organizational success. To achieve this, it’s important to recognize the significance of effective communication, active listening, and the idea of shared accountability.

Listening and Making Experiences Visible

One key factor that can impact team dynamics and productivity is the ability to listen actively and understand the experiences of team members. By holding dialogue about what is happening, individuals can articulate their observations, concerns, and aspirations. This process of making experiences more tangible enables a deeper understanding of the existing team culture and climate.

ACTION

Create spaces where team members can freely express their thoughts, concerns, and ideas. Retrospectives are a vital tool in this regard. Not only do they carve out deliberate space for team reflection, but (when done well) they also foster a culture that values diverse perspectives and encourages constructive feedback.

Confronting the Gap and Shaping Change

Once the current state of the culture is clearly understood, the focus can shift to identifying the desired climate and culture. Questions arise: How do we want it to be? What should the culture feel like? What are the necessary steps to bridge the gap between the present and the desired future? This stage requires open discussions, where team members actively participate in envisioning the team's ideal culture.

ACTION

Convene working sessions backed by easy-to-use group visualization tools like Mural or Miro. Use structures like Lean Coffee to help surface the most valuable conversations and perspectives.

The Role of Agreements and Principles

Creating lasting change within a team requires more than just good intentions. To translate aspirations into action, agreements and principles come into play. These are not just abstract concepts put on paper; they serve as guidelines for behavior and decision-making. Each team member becomes accountable for upholding these agreements and principles, allowing for a shared understanding of the expected standards and behaviors.

ACTION

Establish clear agreements and principles: Collaboratively define the values, behaviors, and standards that align with the desired culture. Put these agreements in writing. Take a look at working agreements on the internet for inspiration and then think about how your could team could organize theirs into a lightweight but meaningful agreement.

Continuous Conversation and Accountability

Cultivating a strong workplace culture is an ongoing process and a significant shift in mindset occurs when individuals realize they are not just consumers but producers of the team's working climate. By embracing the idea of co-responsibility, team members empower themselves to take action and drive change. As such, team members should regularly engage in conversations to assess whether they are actively living up to their shared commitments. This self-reflection and dialogue enable individuals to address any deviations from the desired culture promptly.

ACTION

Set up a regular review schedule for the working agreement - we recommend quarterly. Use these opportunities to identify areas for improvement, celebrate successes, and recalibrate strategies if necessary.

Empowering Change and Collaboration

Remember, building a strong workplace and team culture is an ongoing journey that requires consistent effort and dedication. By prioritizing effective communication, active listening, and shared accountability, we can create an environment where everyone can thrive and contribute their best work.