Creating a positive team culture is like making a cake. Each ingredient serves a purpose. Each ingredient has a role and function to play in a team. Without an ingredient, the cake changes. If an ingredient is off, the entire cake can be distasteful or the other ingredients have to mask the bad taste of the one. When all the ingredients are fresh, the cake tastes good, feeds many and is cause for celebration.
Knowing your role in the team comes from the hiring process, the job description, how you are measured, your supervisor, and primarily how you choose to contribute to a positive team culture. Consider a sales person who contributes to the team yet does not contribute sales. This is similar to a cake without flour. The ingredient withholds its role and provides no added benefit to the team.
Team Roles and Positive Contributions
What and how do you contribute to the cake? What roles do others on your team contribute? We have three leaders right now who all want a team culture that produces results. Yet the team culture does not deliver the results. In each case, the staff remains unaware of what each other contribute. The team members fail to appreciate the importance of each person and remain unaware if each person is contributing. These situations are a recipe for disaster.
Propelling Teams through Team Building
A few years ago, Learn2 had the privilege of being at a staff retreat for the Canadian Olympic Team where Crispin Duenas, one of Canada’s hopeful medalists that participated in the London 2012 Olympics, was speaking. Crispin explained how he is only one part, or an ingredient in the Archery team, even if he is the most predominant performer. After Crispin and his coach Joan Macdonald’s wise-words, each department within the Canadian Olympic Committee explained how they were ingredients and contributed to the Archery Team. Often moments like these help us understand our contribution and the contributions of others.
Identify Ingredients of a Positive Team Culture
Have each of your teams identify what and how they contribute to the result. For advanced groups, ask the team to consider what and how they contribute to allow the other ingredients to be successful.
