How Can I Build A More Collaborative Work Culture?

Jul 28, 2022

Hello👋

Last month’s letter was epic. It turns out people want healthy companies and bosses, as they should.

This month, we are all about taking a step (in some cases, giant leaps) towards eliminating toxic workplaces by actively prioritising a collaborative work culture.

Sidebar: Share this with your Team Lead. Trust me, it will help you. Just remember that the responsibility for great workplace culture doesn't lie with your manager alone. YOU can also influence culture.

Do you like working alone or in teams? I suspect that with either option, you will be happy having adequate support (people, resources, and manager wise) to get your work done. In a collaborative work culture, teams:

Trust each other with the team and individual goals
Are open to helping one another on team-based and individual projects
Are accountable to each other
Embrace differences within them
Reward and recognise teamwork
Have structures for feedback
Leverage collaborative digital tools e.g. Slack, G-Suite, Trello

Does this sound like where you are or where you want to be?

Back to your Team Leads and how they influence a collaborative work culture. Here are some questions they can honestly ask themselves.

As a Team Lead/Manager:

Do my team members understand the team’s goals?
Do I trust my team members to contribute positively to the team’s goals by performing their tasks well? i.e i am not micromanaging them.
Do I provide opportunities for my members to work in teams? Deliberately provide projects that require teamwork or input/support from other team members?
Do I provide my team with the necessary tools (technology included) needed to perform their tasks?
Have I created a work environment that encourages collaboration within my team?
Do I encourage cross sharing of employee knowledge?
Am I accountable to my team members?
Do I assess the effectiveness of my team’s collaboration method?
Do I share credit to my team members fairly?

You are not off the hook yet. It’s your turn now.

As an employee/team member, ask yourself the following:

Do I work with my colleagues to get tasks done?
Do I share knowledge and practices with my colleagues?
Am I able to communicate my ideas and goals to the rest of the team?
Am I accountable to my colleagues?

When the workplace prioritises collaboration, it shows. It shows in the flow of ideas and creativity, the knowledge exchange between colleagues, and how quickly problems are solved.

Wouldn’t you want to create a place like this? If we are intentional, this is a dream we can make come true.

To read our previous letter on how to identify whether you are in a toxic workplace, click here. Next month, we will help you move towards a more transparent work culture.

We can’t end without sharing our job openings in July. Apply here: http://bit.ly/TPPJobRoles.

Until August, happy cultur-ing.

Hikmah

with

Your Workplace Culture Guide.