Company culture is worth a lot more than we give it credit for. Strong team culture drives loyalty, motivation, respect, and, ultimately, work-life enjoyment. It’s true that productivity and collaboration fuel our bottom lines, but it’s really culture that’s the driving force behind a great company.
Don’t know where to begin? Thankfully, we have Kelly Resendez from Loanpal Sacramento to help guide us on this topic.
11 Leadership Tips for Great Team Culture by Kelly Resendez
(4 Min Video)
7 Leadership Takeaways:
1. Don’t criticize. Use respect and compassion in how you lead others.
Your words are powerful – choose them wisely. Positive and supportive communications lead to a more supportive and engaged culture overall. Constructive, respectful feedback is welcome, but if you openly criticize teammates, they will know it’s only a matter of time before it’s them who you’re criticizing.
2. Be genuine. Employees want to be seen and heard – lead with honesty and appreciation.
We are all human, so don’t be afraid to bring your full self to work and champion your team in being multifaceted. Encourage your book lovers to start a book club, or your foodies start a recipe chat channel. When teams feel comfortable to show up as themselves, they connect better at work, they find more meaning in their roles, and they stay in roles longer.
3. Be a good listener.
Don’t interrupt others. Convey open, visible body language (especially when remote) that you’re hearing their opinions and thoughts. If your team is sharing something important or sensitive, paraphrase what they said to show you truly understood them – or, even more importantly, they can clarify if you misunderstood. Leadership Tip: Get in the habit of asking “What else?” It shows that you want to know what your team has to say and you’re eager to listen to what they have to say.
4. Make others feel important, even in a fast-moving environment.
Taking the time to check in on a project or personal event that happened shows that they take up space in your mind – that they are important to you. One way to do this is to thank them on something specific, like a project they finished before the deadline, helping out a teammate, or that they proactively drove a project from start to finish.
5. Be memorable.
Share stories to motivate and inspire or do things out of normal day-to-day work functions. For instance, Star Staffing hosting a virtual Coffee Chat, where we all got coffee or tea and went around answering questions like “What’s your favorite book?” or “What got you into your career?”. Activities like this are memorable and the answers will not only surprise you but they’ll also bring the team together.
6. Show their impact.
Notify the team of how much they mean to the company and how their role makes a difference. Consider adding a system of gratitude or Kudos (HeyTaco! is a fun tool for this!) or letting a teammate run a meeting to showcase a project they completed.
7. Be vulnerable.
Do not shy away from saying you’re sorry and always own your own mistakes. It takes strength to truly own and learn from a misstep, and if you expect this from your team, then you must lead by example.
Key Takeaways:
- Taking an extra 5 minutes out of your day to get to know someone goes a long way.
- Say a person’s name often. It’s the most important sound to them and makes them feel special.
- Create a culture where team members feel like they’re winning because when they win, you win.
- Your vulnerability creates opportunities for connections with your team.
- In the face of the public, own your team’s mistakes as your own. Team members will know that they’re in a safe place and that you’re there to support them.
Culture is the foundation of company structure and strength. An awesome, well-respected leader drives positivity, open communication, and doesn’t let their fellow team members down.
Leaders, tread carefully! Lead with passion and integrity because you never know what kind of impact you could have on your colleagues and the future of the business.
Star Staffing’s mission is to exceed the expectations of our clients and employees by building relationships based on integrity, a commitment to safety and operational excellence. If you’re hiring or looking for jobs in Santa Rosa or other areas of Northern California, Star Staffing is your staffing partner. Reach out to our experienced, tenured team to discuss finding the right candidate or company for you! For more details, contact us at 707-575-5005.