Devote the year ahead to a mini cultural transformation. Introduce a values-based exercise designed to capture the small team’s unique identity. Get everyone onboard with the words and actions most likely to bring the values to life. Respectfully and professionally hold each other accountable for any violations of the agreed-upon behavior checklist. Celebrate examples of alignment whenever they occur.
Here are a few key points to remember:
Participation: Engagement is easier when you’ve had a voice in the process. Invite everyone to contribute ideas and perspectives when defining the team’s identity.
Identity: Be extremely selective with the words used to describe the team’s reputation. When you choose a descriptor (e.g. collaboration, commitment to excellence, stewardship), everyone must be prepared to live up to the demands of the value position.
Values: Select action-oriented language. This becomes a prediction of future behavior. The team’s values can be leveraged as a decision checklist as well as a menu for celebrating integrity.
Accountability: If your team chooses “collaboration,” partnerships must follow. If your team chooses “commitment to excellence,” future actions should support improved outcomes, innovations, and openness to new ideas. If your team chooses “stewardship,” everyone must own responsibility for anything they add or subtract from the team’s resources.
Celebration: Never let a day go by without finding a way to acknowledge words and actions that support the team’s identity and reputation. Even a random exchange by the water cooler matters. More formally, design the staff meeting agenda to include an opportunity for teammates to share stories of value alignment.
One finger does not lift a thousand people. There’s no need to try and fix the broken culture of an entire organization. Instead, do what’s within your reach. Drive the internal culture of the smaller team with those like-minded few who want to stay excited about coming to work.
