How to Build a Dynamic Team Culture

The culture that you want will not come organically.

Given that you clicked on this article, I’m sure you already know that. As a leader, it’s great to be in a culture that you and your team want to work in, encourages collaboration and produces results. But not all of us are that lucky. Sometimes we have to build a culture from scratch, or worse, change an existing toxic culture to a healthy one.

Leaders can either make or break their team. And it is your job to put in the work to create a winning culture. So how can you develop the behaviors of trust, motivation, and team unity?

We’ve all heard of values and every business tip encourages us to create them for our teams and organizations. But we usually end up with a list of generic platitudes that mean nothing, thrown into a document somewhere, and never seen again.

Instead, I encourage you to think deeper. The values on your list should be dire: If my team does not have these traits, my business will fail.

Example 1: My team needs to innovate in order to keep up with the growing competition. The only way we can innovate is if people can bounce ideas off each other, propose new ideas without feeling judged, and respect each other enough to dig into other’s proposed ideas. We cannot compete with one another, but must act as one team.

Example 2: I have a small-time business look to gain its footing in the community. In order to build a bigger business, my team needs to be scrappy and flexible. We all need to be comfortable wearing multiple hats, but know how to not step on each other’s toes.

If your team does not exhibit these qualities, you will not succeed. Put the qualities on a list and let your team know how important they are. Stick them on a wall where everyone can see. Bring them up in every team meeting.

Now that you have identified and stated the culture that you need in order to succeed, it is up to you to be its perfect embodiment. If you don’t display the culture, then no one else will.

I’ve met a lot of bosses who feel that they’re above the rules. They preach that the team should be scrappy, but they’re in the office, leaned back with their feet up. They preach openness, but keep all of their secrets inside the leadership meeting.

If you believe these values are critical for your team’s success, then it is just as important for you to follow them as the team.

Once you are embodying the culture, you can direct your focus to the team. Your job is to be the team’s “personal cheerleader” and create an atmosphere where members feel comfortable with you and their fellow members.

Whatever the style of coaching you use, there is one common element that all excellent coaches share: a desire to see their teams succeed. They do not view coaching as a means to an end, but to build stronger bonds among the team members. They want to instill a sense of camaraderie and show the team members how much they appreciate them. And they want to establish trust.

It is important to note that much of this work will need to be personal.

Once there, the leader can encourage their team to embody the values as well. Each individual on the team should understand these goals and contribute to it. When this occurs, a dynamic team culture is born.

To the best of their ability, a leader should encourage their team to reach this cultural standard, but sometimes a member is just not a good fit. And that’s okay! Not everyone wants to be in every type or stage of a company.

When you have a strong culture, which is what you want, employees follow the attraction-retention-attrition model.

This cycle ultimately adds to your culture

It takes effort and patience to build a dynamic team culture. In the beginning, team members will have little familiarity, low confidence, and little practice in the ways of your culture. Leaders must be flexible and willing to change their approach to fit the needs of all members. In the meantime, keep your eyes on the result, a successful and healthy organization.

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