How to Fix the Culture Problem

As great as it is to talk about your company’s culture and to hope to improve it, it can be tricky to actually put your money where your mouth is and really change it. It’s not that most don’t want to, but as I discussed in part one of this series, it’s easier said than done. However, it doesn’t have to leave you scratching your head wondering how you can make an impact in your company. As with any monumental task, you have to start somewhere and there’s no better place to start than with your people. From the most entry-level position all the way up to your CEO, the people who work in your company are the ones who make or break the organization. Start by focusing on team building and you’ll see far reaching effects throughout the company. One of the great things about team building activities is that they can often play double, or even triple duty, helping groups of employees bond while also achieving secondary goals, such as showing appreciation for employees or working through a project. Team building can happen anytime, anywhere with the right attitude and focus. Take a look at these five simple ideas team building to boost your organizational culture: [Related: Employers, learn the components that go into a great work environment and culture] Encourage creative and critical thinking Critical and creative thinking are absolutely vital to the success of any organization but when it hasn’t been encouraged fro some time, it takes some nudging to get the ball rolling. Choose a team building activity that’s challenging and requires collaboration from all team members. Activity: Give teams several different materials they can use to build a tower, such as a few gumdrops, dried spaghetti, pipe cleaners, blocks, marshmallows and whatever else you have lying around. Challenge teams to build the most creative, tallest or structurally sound castle they can. Connect various levels and types of employees The disconnect between different levels of employees and departments is known to cause great divides in organizations. Even when executives have great intentions, it can be hard because employees are often guarded when higher level managers and execs stop by, while managers and execs may have a hard time pulling themselves away from work and focusing on an activity. Activity: If possible, get away from the office for a few hours and take everyone to do an activity that they can do side by side but not necessarily as a team effort. This prevents managers from taking over or everyone looking to them to takeover and puts everyone on the same playing field for a few hours. Try a ropes course, social painting class, batting cages or putt-putt golf. Build trust One of the best things about team building activities is that they help build trust, which is great since many of the problems that arise in the workplace stem from a lack of trust, such as backstabbing, throwing others under the bus and only being concerned with individual successes. To build trust, engage employees in activities that emphasize relying on each other in a fun, stress-free way and achieving something as a result of trusting. Activity: A great activity for building trust is to set up an intricate obstacle course in a large room and ask employees to complete in in pairs, with one being blindfolded and one providing direction. You can also make this a competition to keep it fast paced and more rewarding when pairs complete it. Convey appreciation Make the most of your team building by also using it as a time of celebration or appreciation. Team building doesn’t just happen during ice-breaker activities and ropes courses, so any activity that brings people together will work. All you need is an occasion. Activity: Just as you bond with friends and family over non-typical team building activities like dinner, drinks, game nights and parties, co-workers can do the same. Celebrate successes, reward desirable behaviors and let employees know you appreciate them by facilitating these types of get-togethers and let employees know why you are doing them, whether it be employee appreciation day, an awards ceremony and reception or a reward for meeting a goal. Make sure you’re saying “thank you,” employee appreciation is a key retention tool. Resolve workplace conflicts It’s inevitable that people with different personalities and work styles may have conflict. It’s amazing how little it really takes to help people start breaking down walls and understanding each other. In fact, the first step is often just to give one another a chance. Use team building as a way for employees to see each other as more than just a co-worker and help understand their motivations. Activity: Help teams and individuals see why disagreements often occur and equip them with the knowledge of how to handle people based on their unique personality. Programs like True Colors help identify personalities and more importantly help workers see how those personalities interact. Remember that in order for people to let their guard down, it needs to be kept fun and light. Has your organization used team building to boost your organizational culture? Tell us what worked and what didn’t in the comments section below.