#Teams365 #1297: Team Building Tip #147: Team Culture

The culture of a team or organization is much more than a few words. It's the way things are done. It encompasses behaviors, values, mission, practices, priorities and the motivational factors of a team.

In building strong teams it is important for teams to become aware of and focus on their team culture - the good and the bad. It's important also to note when team culture is distinct from, or aligned with an organizational culture.

For example, a team of project managers may value agility, speed and problem solving, whereas the organizational context may value quality, specificity and thoroughness. In this instance there can be conflicts between the team culture and organizational culture. The team culture may also have an influence on the organizational culture over time, shifting it to be more agile or responsive. We are seeing this today in many organizational contexts which are re-thinking how they operate and the roles their teams play.

A useful activity for a team is to consider what their team culture is. Consider your values, and what you prioritize. You may also want to ask yourselves the questions:
What are the 3 adjectives we would use to describe our culture?
What are the 3 adjectives other teams would use to describe our culture?
How do our other stakeholders describe our culture?

What do you notice about culture in your team? What's important to keep an eye on?

Check out these other Teams365 posts on team culture:
Teams365 #406: Team Culture - What's Yours? Read it here.

Team Leader Breakfast Series - Call on Team Culture. Listen in here.
Have a great Thursday,
Jennifer

Jennifer Britton
Potentials Realized | Coaching Team Leaders
Team and Leadership Development | Coaching | Retreats.
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Phone: (416)996-8326

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