Building Team Culture – Why It Is Worth It
by Vincent Low
Organisational or team culture will always remain a hot topic for discussion, but it is an integral part of any corporate success. Peter Drucker, the business management guru, has been credited with the statement “Culture eats Strategy for breakfast”. This quote claims that no matter what remarkable strategy is formulated, without a solid organisational culture behind, it will be doomed for failure.
So, is it really that important to have a strong culture in place for a business to be successful? And if it is, is it really worth the while? What are the benefits of having a team culture that appeals to the heartstrings of all the team members, considering that it’s arguably the toughest component to address?
I have the joy (and sorrows, of course) of building and working with teams throughout my work life, and have appreciated the huge positive impact of a good team culture towards enhancing team spirit and business results. Listed below are some benefits of establishing a corporate culture that doesn’t compromise relationships for results, allowing everyone on the team to work together to achieve the same goals.
Clarity and Purpose
Having a set of core beliefs and values that everyone in the team aligns with can be a powerful tool for business success. It allows the leaders to lead with consistency and purpose. Furthermore, when the team is in doubt over a conflict or introduction of a new strategy, the core values/beliefs can provide guidance or act as a source of direction.
Building Team Spirit
A big part of any team culture is about addressing the Heart (not just the Head). How the members treat and respect each other, how they help each other, how successes are celebrated together, how failures are turned into lessons learnt, how the leaders walk the same talk – these milestones will only gel and bond a team of like-minded members closer.
Low attrition and high levels of employee engagement and satisfaction scores can also certainly be achieved when everyone in the team feels appreciated and is happy in their working environment.
Separating the “Believers” and the “Non-believers”
We often hear of people leaving an organisation because they cannot seem to fit in with the corporate culture. While it is ideal to have an all-inclusive and friendly culture, it is inevitable that someone in the team will feel left out.
This may present an opportunity to separate those who are dedicated to cooperating as a team and those who are not, allowing the team to regroup with members who are aligned to the same values and beliefs upheld by the rest of the team, so as to achieve success together.
Building team culture is a journey with no end in sight, always needing moderation and tweaks along the way. But the rewards can be immense and satisfying to any leader’s professional and personal growth. Keep the faith!
In the next two articles of this three-part series, I will focus on Success Factors in Building Team Culture and My 3 Core Values & Beliefs.
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