How To Build A Team Culture

Culture is a huge factor in the success or failure of a team. There are cultures so focused on performance and talent that they leave everyone drained. And then there are cultures where individual members, no matter how talented, put the needs of the team over their needs and, as a result, everyone wins.

But there’s a lot we misunderstand about culture. When you hear many people describe their culture, they point to easily observable elements like symbols, slogans, dress code, foosball tables, or free food. But going all the way back to Edgar Schein’s initial research on culture, we find that those observable elements don’t matter as much as we think. It’s what’s below the surface that matters.

Culture on a team isn’t anything you can see or hear; it’s what those observable things point to that matters.

The foundational elements of culture are values and beliefs, and observable elements like rituals, rallying cries, and symbols flow from there. In this episode, we’ll outline how to build a team culture starting below the surface with what matters and build upon that foundation.

0:00 Introduction
2:16 Values
3:45 Beliefs
5:05 Rituals
6:29 Rallying Cries
7:46 Symbols
9:25 Conclusion

It starts with values and beliefs. And leaders of teams with a strong and positive culture put in the work to clarify values and beliefs. The know that putting values first makes culture building happen faster and makes it more likely they’ll build a culture that helps everyone do their best work ever.

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One of the world’s leading business thinkers, David Burkus’ forward-thinking ideas and bestselling books are helping leaders and teams do their best work ever.

He is the best-selling author of four books about business and leadership. His books have won multiple awards and have been translated into dozens of languages. His insights on leadership and teamwork have been featured in the Wall Street Journal, Harvard Business Review, USAToday, Fast Company, the Financial Times, Bloomberg BusinessWeek, CNN, the BBC, NPR, and CBS This Morning. Since 2017, Burkus has been ranked as one of the world’s top business thought leaders by Thinkers50. As a sought-after international speaker, his TED Talk has been viewed over 2 million times. He’s worked with leaders from organizations across all industries including Google, Stryker, Fidelity, Viacom, and even the US Naval Academy.

A former business school professor, Burkus holds a master’s degree in organizational psychology from the University of Oklahoma, and a doctorate in strategic leadership from Regent University.

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