“Teamwork makes the DreamWorks”. As the well-known saying suggests, effective teamwork achieves far more than any individual can. Creating a pleasant team atmosphere is essential for developing a high-performing team. So how do you build a positive team culture? Here are 7 ways to build a culture all of your employees will love.
Whether interns or newcomers, every team member should feel valued, respected, and heard. Respect is an important component of a positive culture, and in order to gain respect, one must first show respect to others.
Allow every employee to feel free to express their thoughts. Mutual respect is a critical core value for thriving organizations.
If there’s no trust, there’s no team. It’s just a group of people working together, often with disappointing results. When trust is established, each member of the team becomes stronger because he or she is part of an effective, cohesive group. There is no doubt that trust is the cornerstone of a positive team culture.
Developing trust will take time, but this is a great place to start with your team. Trust will grow over time, and you will have a positive work culture.
We all crave human interaction because we’re wired to be social. To foster meaningful relationships among employees, it is critical to provide opportunities for them to get to know one another both at work and outside of work.
Plan activities that will bring everyone together, such as “Game Night,” “Employee Talent Show,” “Themed Parties,” and so on. It gives team members something enjoyable to look forward to during the workday.
Emails, instant messaging, and phone calls are increasingly tying employees into work matters both during and after business hours. However, this does not necessarily imply that employees are more connected to one another.
To ensure that people understand what you’re saying, make sure to communicate clearly and to check in with them afterward. In the workplace, miscommunication can quickly turn into a toxic force, causing rifts that could have been avoided. Therefore, make sure to always check in with people to see if you were clear in your communication and that they understood.
Praise provides the kind of positive experience or “uplift” that can increase employee morale, motivation, and engagement. It is critical to make team praise a daily habit. Coaches and leaders should appropriately offer praise and kudos when goals and improvements are met. Recognizing quality work and workgroup achievements boosts profits by 29%.
Leaders should set a good example and give regular praise. Teams are more likely to replicate this behavior, fostering a cooperative and appreciative culture.
Work can be stressful at times, but that doesn’t mean that leaders or team members should for ego kindness and human decency. Being kind proves to the team that humanity is important as well.
Instill a spirit of kindness and consideration even when the situation is less than ideal. Kindness shows respect for others and has a positive impact throughout the organization.
What does success mean to your company? What does it look like in the professional (and personal) lives of your team members? Every individual’s definition of success is unique. It is critical to frequently discuss the term “success” and evaluate what it means to your team members.
This is both motivating and rewarding, especially when team members see how they can work together to achieve their goals by outlining the successful steps they must take to get there. Everyone should be able to see themselves in the future as better, smarter, stronger, more valued, and more confident.