As the saying goes, teamwork makes the dream work. For an organisation to succeed in its endeavours, all its members must work well together. It requires a work environment founded on trust, kindness, respect, and open communication and achieved with a positive team culture. Indeed, a healthy culture is a key to improving team productivity and morale and increasing employee retention.
Team culture, defined as shared values, beliefs, attitudes, and behaviours of individuals, within a team, directly influences the way they treat each other and work together. The type of team culture can impact team performance and the performance of your organisation.
A Good Culture Starts with Good Leaders
It takes time to establish a positive culture—it is not something done in a few days or weeks because individual attitudes, behaviours, and values are not changed overnight. Hence, it is essential to have strong leaders who can set an example for the rest of the team by practising what they want to normalise.
For example, fostering a culture of transparency is difficult if leaders in top management positions are not honest with their employees.
Leaders play a crucial role in establishing a great team culture, and why many of the best companies invest in leadership coaching. A good coach can help leaders implement cultural change by honing skills they need to cultivate an empowering and motivating work environment. Some of the most crucial lessons in leadership coaching include learning how to listen, communicate, build trust, and practice empathy.
Keeping this in mind, you may wonder what the specific benefits of developing a good team culture are. To learn more, below are four reasons why your organisation and your teams need a positive work culture:
It Can Bolster Your Company Identity and Image
Team culture is not a trend that will eventually fade away. Many successful companies focus on improving their culture because it represents who they are, what they value, and how they treat their employees and customers.
When forming an impression of a company, more customers and job candidates use the team culture as a point of reference. Therefore, you want to create a culture that stands out if you wish to stay relevant in an increasingly competitive corporate world. A positive culture shows that you care about your employees and, in turn, shows that your company is generous and thoughtful. It not only strengthens your brand image but also attracts prospective customers.
A good culture also reaffirms commitment to company values. For example, if a company values integrity, it should adopt practices that align with it. On the other hand, a negative culture would adopt practices that directly conflict with company values—making said values look more like lip service than the truth.
It Can Attract and Retain Top Talent
Every organisation wants to attract top talent and, more importantly, retain them. To do this, you must create an appealing team culture that fosters a sense of belonging among employees.
Surveys show that many younger generations, particularly millennials, want to work at companies with a great culture. Company culture determines whether younger job seekers will apply to it. Remember, if your company is unattractive to new talent, its growth could stagnate.
Additionally, a positive team culture helps employees feel like valued members of the organisation rather than cogs in a machine. As a result, they are more likely to feel cared for and supported, thus increasing their job satisfaction. It will result in lower turnover rates for your company, which keeps your processes running smoothly.
It Can Turn Employees into Advocates
The best team cultures turn employees into advocates of their company—both within and outside of work because a positive culture recognises and celebrates the contributions of every team member. Companies can do this in various ways, for instance, through salary bonuses, benefits, and employee awards. It gives employees a sense of pride and fulfilment, encouraging them to promote your company and what it stands for.
It Can Greatly Increase Employee Performance
Finally, great team culture can increase employee performance significantly. This boost in productivity and efficiency is a culmination of all the positive effects a strong culture has on employees. When the well-being of every team member is key to a company, team members are more motivated to perform well because they know their company cares for them.
Many top performers attest that the quality of their company’s culture and people is what empowers them to continue their work. A healthier work environment also builds trust and camaraderie, improving the chemistry between team members and their performance.
Leading your company to success means developing a culture that provides every team member with the support they need to go above and beyond. A strong team culture will benefit your employees and your whole company. The sooner you start improving your team culture, the sooner you experience better performance and productivity.
If you want to know more, call us on 1300 551 274 or send an email at team@teamfocusplus.com. We look forward to hearing from you.