8 Ways To Change Your Team Culture For The Better
Posted on Tue, Jun 14, 2011 @ 04:34 AM
Managers often struggle to create high performing teams amidst legacy team behaviors, and challenging organizational structures and relationships. However, the rewards for consistently focusing on your team culture are tremendous as high performing teams take on a life of their own and consistently outperform goals set before them. In my professional career, whether managing a team directly or acting as a change agent across global organizations the aim has always been for the ‘click’ – when the team/organization pulls together and a sense of community purpose takes over. It is not easy to affect this change within a team, but it is something that can be accomplished through consistent focus on the following characteristics of high performing teams:
1. Draft your vision and team identity
….but do this with your team. Hold a workshop/offsite with your team to discuss the characteristics that the team feels are most important for success. Set clear parameters and have open/honest communication with the team about behaviors they would like to see and those they would like to avoid. Be sure to share the vision for what the team needs to accomplish, and provide the team with the opportunity to brainstorm and elaborate on that vision to create clear goals for both themselves and their team. Encourage the formation of team purpose, and define when the team will revisit the conversation to talk about what has/has not been working.
Hint: People are compelled to strive for success when they feel they have been part of a process, and made personal commitments. Strive for this.
2. Work with the team to break down monthly objectives – then get out of the way (but do your part)
People perform best when they have a clear understanding of objectives for both themselves and the team they belong to, how this ties to their company goals, as well as how they will be measured….i.e. when am I/we successful? Always remember that people can plan with certainty up to 2 months ahead, and with decreasing levels of confidence thereafter. One of my favorite ways to accomplish monthly objectives is a partial day offsite to discuss deadlines, and have the team work backwards month by month from the goal date to define high level objectives. This helps to reduce or eliminate the decreasing level of confidence issue, and clearly outlines dependencies between the team members. Barring any major shifts in resources/timeline the teams I have utilized this with have always achieved their goals early.
Refrain from breaking down the monthly objectives to the task level but understand that this may be a follow-up item for you as a manager. New employees, those who may not be ready to be managed through objectives, and/or have difficulty breaking down objectives to the task level may need additional help. With practice, they will begin to do this on their own. Be very careful that you are allowing your more senior team members the space to define task breakdown on their own. Remember, that you hired them for their expertise and show your trust by stepping back and avoiding micro-management. Every team member should have the authority to decide or act to ensure success of the goals.
Within the planning activities define what items you as the manager will be responsible for. Illustrate how you are part of the team, and working with them towards the goals. There is nothing worse than a manager who is out of touch with the activities of the team. You will lose respect…so get in there and roll up your sleeves!
Hint: If you are concerned about methodologies being utilized for projects you are too close to the task level with your objectives. Move up higher to broader objectives. Instead, manage methodology use in individual team member meetings and/or team training.
3. Behave with integrity, honesty, and lose your title at the door
Authentic, honest relationships with your direct reports is critical to a successful team. They must feel that there is no hidden agenda on your part, that you are truly working for and towards their success, and that you will be honest about challenges. Explain to your team that everyone loses their title at the door, and everyone has something to add to the team. Remember that even though you are the manager it doesn’t mean that you have all the answers…it means that you are great at facilitating your team in the definition of the answers. Let your subject matter experts have a voice, listen well, and encourage the team to work together towards a solution definition. There is no ‘I’ in ‘Team’.
Hint: You’ll know you are on the right track when people on your team feel free to challenge your assumptions. Don’t take offense or become guarded…it means they: 1. Trust the relationship enough to disagree, and 2. Feel passionate about ensuring success (both yours and theirs). I often thank team members for speaking up…I want them to understand that I appreciate their feedback and focus, as well as commitment towards the team.
4. Hire for culture fit first – build your community and encourage positive communication
It is incredibly important during the hiring process that you are addressing culture fit within a team. One person out of sync within the team and you will spend an inordinate amount of time managing friction. Involve your team in the hiring process, and listen carefully to their feedback. Be open and honest with potential candidates about the working style of the team and ask pointed questions to determine if the candidate can manage within the cultural environment. Do not make the mistake of trading off business expertise for cultural fit. Expertise can be taught, but cultural fit within the team is a much greater challenge for a manager as well as the team.
Foster multi-directional communication environments and inclusive behavior. Focus your team on solving problems together and utilizing one another’s skill-sets. If a team member tries to discuss problems about another team member with you - ask first if they have discussed the problem with the team member. Encourage the team to solve problems and only step in to facilitate resolution if the team cannot do so themselves. Avoid favoritism or group attacks on an individual – no odd person out behavior. Never discuss negative feedback about an employee with one of their team members.
Hint: Focus on positive communications, and group identity. You know you are on the right track when the team members defend one another, and go out of their way to help one another.
5. All team/employee meetings are sacred – treat them as such
Team meetings are to be attended by all members on time without exception – only break this rule for extreme circumstances. Define a clear agenda for the team. If you are struggling with this, a good rule of thumb is to spend the first 15 minutes discussing any communication from senior management and/or partner organizations, 30 minutes for updates from each team member, and the final 15 minutes for open discussion. As a manager it is your responsibility to ensure that you are providing open, clear, and honest communication within your team as well as any information from higher in the organization. Follow-up on all questions your team has for you.
Set-up 1-2-1 meetings with each team member and treat the meetings as sacred. This communicates that you value the relationship with the employee, that you are committed towards supporting them, and that you value the work they are accomplishing. Encourage individuals to change from problem statements (i.e. complaints) to problem-solution statements. With problem-solution statements an employee has identified a problem but has also outlined 2-3 possible solutions to discuss with you.
Hint: Take the time to get to know the members of your team. Humor, and a positive outlook are infectious!
6. Communicate, communicate, communicate
One of the largest complaints for employees is lack of communication. The following are items you should address within a communication plan for your team:
- Company goals – all work is tied to company goals. Each team member should be able to articulate how their work is tied to a company/organization goal and that is defined by you, their manager.
- Team events – set a regular schedule for team events. These are team building events and can be as simple as dinners/lunches or more formal team building exercises. Establish a rythmn and maintain it.
- Avoid an imbalance in communication within your team as much as you possibly can. Information should be categorized in three ways: 1. Confidential (your manager has requested you keep the information to yourself (be sure you do!)), 2. For team consumption (this should represent the largest portion if not all of the information), and 3. Individual specific (should represent individual goals, feedback, and coaching). For any information you receive…ask yourself which category it fits in and act accordingly.
- Team meeting schedule and agenda. Individual 1-2-1 schedules and agenda. See #5 above…all meetings are sacred.
- External communication – partner organizations and management need regular communication from your team. Discuss what they need, when and how…then deliver on a consistent basis. Periodically, ask for feedback or when there is a significant change in stakeholders.
- Address learning/communication styles – people do not learn/communicate in the same style. Get to know your team and understand how information is most effectively communicated to them. Ask for feedback often.
Hint: You are on the right track when your team turns to you for information rather than gossip with people outside of the team.
7. Default to trust – be the advocate
Nothing derails a team more quickly than a manager who jumps to blame and creates an environment of fear within the team. As the team manager your responsibility is to act as an advocate for the team as a whole and for each individual as well. Refrain from providing negative feedback to your peers about your team members or team – inevitably they will hear of it. Accept that at some point a stakeholder or senior manager will be unhappy with either your team or an individual on your team. Default to advocate stance without placing blame and with a focus on resolving the issue and moving forward. Be wary of any individual who cannot provide you with metric based feedback. For example:
Appropriate feedback: “I agreed with [employee name] that they would provide xyz by Friday. It is now Tuesday, and I still do not have what I need. I have sent 3 emails with no response.”
Inappropriate feedback: “[employee name] is always late with their deliverables. I can never count on them to provide anything on time.” Note the use of the terms ‘always’ & ‘never’. These are emotion based terms as opposed to specifics.
Avoid agreeing with the individual regarding the feedback, but do agree to discuss the situation further with the team/team member and a time period you will follow-up within. Be careful to keep your tone, and body language neutral.
Hint: When discussing with your team/team member remember that people who provide negative feedback can have a wide range of motives for doing so. Carefully work to define the root cause of the situation, and be especially diligent if emotion based terms are used (always, never, etc) as this is a signal that a personal issue may be the problem.
8. Celebrate success
Celebrate, celebrate, and then celebrate again! Pay attention and do not ever miss a milestone that has been achieved, or goals that have been attained. Be sure to publicize a job well done….depending on your corporate culture you can send out an email announcing the achievement and/or ensure that the achievement and team/employee are mentioned in reports to senior management or at all hands events. Your recognition of hard work does wonders for morale, and communicates how important you feel the work is. While you are at it…don’t ever miss an opportunity to provide positive feedback for partner organizations as well. To be clear…I’m recommending that you stop to recognize the achievements of those around you…be authentic and honest in your communication of why.
Hint: Positive feedback will move your team quickly toward high performance. Psychologist Marcial Losada (founder of Meta Learning) found in studies that high performance teams have a ratio of 5.6 for positive/negative feedback. Teams with high positive feedback scores were characterized as having higher connectivity ability representing increased flexibility and creativity. In contrast high negative feedback teams had low connectivity ability with the resulting loss of flexibility and inability to escape limiting routines.
About the author: Celeste Paradise is an award-winning Silicon Valley Professional with 10+ years IT experience in media, advertising, operations management/optimization, social media & marketing. You can connect with her via: 
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