How To Build A Team Culture

What type of company would you want to work for? Flexible schedules, extra holidays, and free perks might be your first thoughts, but a team culture goes deeper than this.

Most workers want more than these surface-level perks. Collaboration, innovation, and trust are the core values of great team culture and are influential in some of the best companies in the world.

But worry not. Building team culture does not have to be an impossible task. You, too, can build the winning team culture of your dreams in your organization.

Keep reading to find out what strong team culture is, why it is important, and what a positive team culture looks like. And, of course, how to build a team culture and foster an excellent company culture. Read on!

What Is Team Culture?

Team culture is a shared approach to company work based on a set of common ideas, beliefs, values, and attitudes.

In a strong team culture, there is a strong sense of togetherness throughout the entire team, from the team leaders to each team member.

A great team culture epitomises what is important to an organization and permeates every section of the business.

Team culture is critical for the success of organizations. A great team culture motivates team members by fostering collaboration, constructive feedback, and a sense of psychological safety.

But a bad workplace culture leads to division, discord within the team dynamics, arguments in the team meetings, and high turnover rates among a litany of other problems.

Why Team Culture Is Essential In Organizations

Team culture and shared values define how an organization approaches business.

Not only does it impact relationships inside the business but also outside through hiring the right employees and creating business partnerships that are good for the company.

A strong culture leads to a strong team. And when each team member feels part of an ambitious, safe, goal-setting team they are in the best position to grow the business moving forward.

Here are just a few of the benefits of a great culture among team members.

Engaged employees: Employees work harder and more efficiently when they are invested in the company.
Lower turnover rates: Engaged employees are less likely to want to work elsewhere. This reduces recruiting and hiring costs.
Increased collaboration: A great team culture encourages employees to work together to find solutions and solve problems.
Improved productivity: Employees in a team that cares about the company and its purpose are more productive. This productivity means that you can hire less and develop the company in other areas.

High-performing team culture is critical to the success of any business in the modern world with so many opportunities and so much talent out there.

Steps To Building A Team Culture

Building a team culture will not happen overnight. The bigger vision of the team has to be reinforced often and in a variety of ways to keep it fresh and engaging.

Team leaders must find ways to generate a sense of purpose to track progress and for the continued growth of the team and the company.

Building a team culture is an important job – perhaps the most important job – and a difficult one. Fortunately, you can follow these steps to success!

1. Brainstorm Team Values

Building a team culture is a two-way street. Get your team members together and think about the type of company they want to work for and what values they wish to embody.

Make your expectations clear for where you see the direction of the company going. And make sure different departments are involved so that the team culture is consistent throughout the whole organization.

You could apply the team values through cultural team-building exercises to put them into practice.

For example, a recycling project team-building activity or a school teaching project will allow you and your team to demonstrate the values of respect and giving back – if these are elements of the team culture you decide to pursue.

2. Define What It Means To Be A Team Member

Once you and your team know exactly the type of team culture you are working towards, examine what it means to be a team member in such a company.

Take each value and define how it can be applied in the workplace. For each value, you could do a different team-building activity. For example, if you wanted to exemplify the spirit of togetherness in a company through tough times, you could do the Survivor Island team-building activity.

What better way to show what it means to be a team member through the challenges of the business world than by working in teams to survive on an island?

Or if you wanted to instil the values of curiosity and problem-solving, why not encourage your teams to do an Escape Room challenge. This is sure to put those values to the test!

Be as specific as possible with your values and use the team-building activities wisely to hammer them home.

3. Set Regular Team Meetings

It is not just about deciding on values and then working to instil them. Building a team culture is a continuous process, one that you must develop along with the business.

Regular meetings build rapport and ensure that everyone knows what to focus on to achieve success. The focus on regular meetings also allows the team a chance to give feedback on any questions or concerns.

The meetings do not have to be dull, tedious affairs. And with the rise of remote teams, you can meet your team members at a time that is good for them.

What’s more, you could incorporate some brilliant virtual team-building activities as well to ensure everyone is in the right mental space.

For example, a quick and easy game to get a meeting going might be an Educational Puzzles team-building exercise.

Also, be sure to host individual meetings with team members to ensure that everyone is allowed to share feedback without any anxiety or embarrassment.

4. Build Relationships With Your Team

Your team must see leaders as an integral part of the team too. While it is obvious that there should be certain professional boundaries, do not be afraid to connect with your team – you don’t have to become best friends!

Create an environment of celebration and reward. For example, you could celebrate team successes and individual achievements or you could treat your team to lunch every so often and get to know them all.

This family identity will go a long way in the development of successful team culture. And it will be crucial for the growth of your business.

Team-building activities are the perfect way to build relationships. And what’s more, they provide such a range of options for you to choose from, letting you set the tone.

You could take your team to Bangkok for an Amazing Race through the city or play virtual team-building games with them, such as an online game show or some educational puzzles.

Think about asking your team what activities they would enjoy outside of work hours and tailor the experience to suit what they want.

Understanding your team members on a personal level will help you understand their strengths, weaknesses, passions, fears, and so on, and it will help you understand how to work with them more effectively.