In recent conversations with my friend Ram Jayam about building a winning culture, certain things became clearer. A winning culture is what teams have where everyone does their bit and stands up for the team, people need not be told that they have to go beyond their job when the team needs them - they automatically do, people know that when the team wins they win, people enjoy working together, winning together and sharing each others success, there's open communication and a strong sense of camaraderie or kinship. There is abundant trust in the leader and in each other and they leave no stone unturned to see that as a team they deliver and grow into better people.
Now there is a playbook for this.
1) The leader - we need someone who is very clear about the goal, who can inspire the team and egg them on to see the vision or share the vision, who has a clear set of values that he or she enforces on the team for the team's good, someone who instils a sense of pride in the team, someone who cares for the team as his own and develops them. This is a clear case of tough love. We will be patient, give feedback and hold the person to the task because it is good for the individual and what is good for the individual is good for the team. The leader is also tough when the individual does not deliver, giving him ample warning, clear measures and then, after all warnings have expired, removes the person without any further damage to the team. Such leaders try to salvage the asset before throwing them out.
2) The Vision /Common Purpose - A clear vision or common purpose is necessary to bind the team together. To begin with everyone in the senior leadership should know exactly what they are shooting at. Many times vision statements also give an insight into the final outcome we want to see in the world which guides team behaviors (like sports teams can say their vision is to entertain their fans - which translates into playing well and winning because you cannot entertain fans when you keep losing). Or they can simply say - we want to win. The winning culture begins when we define what a win means to us. Everyone in the top management and hen flowing down to the last person in the chain should be clear about the company vision.
3) The Values - A clear set of values - written is good - but practiced even better. Written and practiced and then, captured as stories as and when the values are practiced in the right spirit firms up acceptable behaviors that we need to form that winning culture. A culture of discipline, of knowing roles, of knowing processes, of doing everything to move the bus forward, first excelling at their job, helping others, going beyond the line of duty when needed are all part of values. To practice these values in such a way that the team forms a mutual trust, comes together like a fist when everyone can speak their mind, can contribute without causing negativity in the team, is the perfect exhibition of values we see.
Clearly values cannot be talked about. They have to be shown by the top bosses. Coming on time if you want others to come on time, taking ownership if you want others to take ownership, being trusting if you want others to be trusting, showing a learning mindset and encouraging it if you want others to show a learning mindset, these have to be imbibed in each and every member of the top management. For example, if punctuality is a value, and one person in the top is constantly late and gets away with it without reason, the rest of the team will not practice that value. The same treatment must be given to the top manager as it would others - only then will it be practiced by others. It is very important that the top management show the behaviors consistently.
4) Role and Goal clarity - Role and goal clarity of each team member must be explicit - if nothing else a commitment that they will give their best. This can be judged by clear measures, by process and intent, as the leader deems fit.
5) Feedback - Feedback positive and negative must be given immediately (keeping in mind the entire journey of course) the good that the person has done and how it affected the team (if positive), and the shortfall in the person's delivery or action and how it has setback the team(if negative). While giving negative feedback it must be borne in mind that the person's entire journey is kept in mind - that he or she has shown up, has worked, but some part of his behavior was found wanting. Only that must be pointed out and assurance given that the rest is fine. A new expectation will always spur them to prove their mettle and to know that all is not lost.
6) Psychological safety - A winning culture requires that everyone contributes their best in terms of actions, ideas, insights. Most times we see only a few coming up with all the ideas. When a culture is built where everyone comes with an idea to the table, when everyone feels safe enough to contribute and not feel their ideas may be ridiculed or not taken seriously, will get a table full of ideas. A team of 10 will get 10 ideas - and if encouraged 20 and 30. Even if a few of them are good, you are in a good place. This aspect of psychological safety must be built in to get the teams to operate at their 100%.
To bring in psychological safety, once again leaders must model these behaviors. Allowing everyone to speak and listening deeply to each one. Asking questions to probe gently, and noting down the ideas for consideration. One way of getting everyone to contribute is to have everyone speak for an equal amount of time and 2) listening deeply or ostentatious listening as they call it.
7) Celebrate Small Process Wins - Teams with a winning culture celebrate small wins so they know they are on the right track process wise. Instead of waiting for the big win, celebrate small wins as often as you can, including process wins. In fact if process is right, results will come. This improves the energy in the team and there is a feeling of winning as opposed to no wins. Once again it is the leader's job to make them aware that they are on track, that they are doing a good job and that they need to feel good.
These are some ideas about building a winning culture. More on this as me and Ram engage in more discussions.
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