Building a Strong Team Culture

BUILDING A STRONG TEAM CULTURELessons learned by a guy who made lots of mistakes along the way

©2012 Central Desktop

WHO AM I?

Mark Fordhamsinging cockroach, vp services @ centraldesktop


What I hope to…

• Do • Not Do

Mark


Some things I’ve learned….

Business is personal Work can be fun People want to

win


What I (try) to do (and no, I didn’t pull this out of some leadership book)

Alignment

Acknowledge-ment

AccountabilityAppreciation

Amusement

Strong Team

Culture

Ambition


Alignment

Goals:• Right players in the right roles• Team oriented to the way they’ll

work together both in word and deed

• Everyone pointed in the same direction and the right direction

Why:• Malignancy spreads• Misalignment breeds hostility

and personal agendas

How:• Feedback loop• Buy-in on the big stuff – frequent

check-ins• Leadership retreats to get

feedback on direction with rotating members

• Remove players that aren't aligned with the vision

• Propose specific new roles suited to strengths of individuals and making those roles central to the direction on the department


Appreciation

Goals:• A great place to work• Foster greater cross-team

collaboration

Why:• Valued team members value

their work and others• Higher retention• Measureable productivity

gains

How:• Shut up and listen• Be random

• Random notes• Be specific• Be consistent• Senior leadership email –

managing up• Viral value recognition – team-

wide contests• Starbuck’s anyone?• End of day bell ringing


Acknowledgement

Goals:• Transparency to the good, the bad, and

the controllable• A team open to change

Why:• Team members respect and trust who

they work for and where they’re headed• We’re all grown ups

How:• Publish weekly management meeting

notes• Open ear + open mind• Honest and respectful notifications

around personnel changes• Sharing financials• Admission of mistakes• Explain the “why’s”


Accountability

Goals:• Individual empowerment• Individual contribution to the

mission – everyone has a stake• A safe place to grow

Why:• Most people want to be measured

– “How am I doing? Am I making a difference?”

• Team members want a chance to shine

How:• 1:1 passion pow wow’s• Set the direction, define the

measurements for success and get out of the way

• Change it up – realign constantly• Career pathing• Every initiative should be

measured• Options

*Accountability can be shared.


Ambition

Goals:• A culture of learning• Winning

Why:• Maximized potential is never

realized playing it safe

• How:• Iterate• BHAG • TBO (team based objectives)


Amusement

Goals:• Team ‘thrival’ versus survival• Dare I say make work a place you

don’t loathe?

Why:• We all work way too much not to

protect the very thing that humans crave – laughter and good cheer

• We spend more time at work than we do with our significant others (friends, family)

How:• Wine Fridays (depending

on the day, sometimes its Wine Everydays!)

• Random guitar sessions• Ring the bell• Impromptu joke telling

sessions (some call it cringe sessions)

• Cockroach outfit-wearing sing a long


One more thing….

To do this right….• This has to be intentional.

• This has to be authentic.

• This has to be a priority.


ANY QUESTIONS?WE DON’T BITE!

626.372.4552 centraldesktop.com

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