As David Burkus, author of Best Team Ever, told us in interview, a high performing team culture has 3 elements.

It has:

· A common understanding where there are developed norms of behaviour, and each team member understands what the others bring to the table

· Psychological safety – where team members feel safe to express themselves and take risks, and they can be vulnerable and authentic with each other

· Prosocial purpose – where team members know the meaning and impact of their work

Ahead of Australia’s Workplace Culture Conference CultureCon™ Sydney 2024 on October 22, let’s look at why culture has such an outsized impact on the performance of a team.

The Culture-Performance Connection

High-performing teams grow in fertile soil; that is in a strong, positive cultures. Research shows such workplaces see significantly higher levels of employee engagement, productivity, and innovation.

When team members feel belonging and inclusion, a sense of psychological safety, and confidence that their goals are aligned with their organisation's values and purpose, they're more likely to:

• Take calculated risks
• Support their colleagues
• Feel more creative and innovative
• Remain resilient in the face of challenges

1. Psychological Safety

As we heard earlier, teams that perform at their peak share one crucial characteristic: psychological safety. This is where members feel safe to voice their opinions, make mistakes, and challenge the status quo without fear of ridicule or retribution.

2. Clear Purpose and Values

High-performing teams operate with a shared understanding of their mission and the values that guide their decisions. This alignment creates a natural framework for collaboration and decision-making.

3. Trust and Accountability

When team members trust each other and hold themselves accountable, magic happens. This combination creates an environment where people can focus on their work rather than office politics or covering their backs.

Want to build high-performing teams through culture? Here are concrete actions your organisation can take:

1. Start with Leadership
   • Invest in cultural leadership; that is, development that emphasises cultural competency. Take a look at Growth Faculty’s 3-week live virtual Emerging Leaders Program or 3-week live virtual Senior Leadership Program
   • Ensure leaders model the desired behaviours and values
   • Consider sending the leadership team to Australia’s Workplace Culture Conference CultureCon™ Sydney 2024 on October 22
2. Design Intentional Experiences
   • Create structured onboarding processes that emphasise culture – “the way we do things around here”, “what’s acceptable”, “what’s not acceptable”
   • Implement regular team-building activities that reinforce core values
   • Establish mentorship programs that help transmit cultural knowledge
3. Measure and Adapt
   • Regularly assess team performance and cultural indicators
   • Conduct periodic workplace culture surveys and act on the findings
   • Create feedback loops that allow for continuous improvement
4. Improve Communication
   • Encourage feedback and implement transparent communication channels
   • Schedule regular team retrospectives (without any shaming or blaming)
   • Create spaces for both formal and informal interactions to develop team trust, friendship, bonding, and collaboration

Building a culture that supports high-performing teams is a journey, not a destination. It requires consistent effort, attention, and refinement. However, the rewards—increased innovation, better business outcomes, and more engaged employees—make it worth the investment.

Take Your Team to the Next Level

Ready to transform your organisation's culture and build higher-performing teams? Join us at CultureCon™ Sydney 2024 on October 22nd. With 26 exceptional speakers this premier event brings together culture champions, team leaders, and organisational experts to share insights, strategies, and practical tools for building exceptional team cultures.

Don't miss this opportunity to:

• Learn from global culture experts
• Network with like-minded professionals
• Gain practical tools for cultural transformation
• Share experiences with peers facing similar challenges

Growth Faculty members benefit from a world-class immersive live virtual learning program of events - all included in their annual subscription. It’s an engaging and entertaining way to develop leaders.

Growth Faculty recently launched a good value Enterprise plan for larger companies to develop leadership skills across their whole organisation.

New events are being added regularly to this highly curated program. Keep an eye on the website Growthfaculty.com for fresh additions to the line-up.

There are separate multi-week live virtual programs for emerging leaders and for senior leaders offering a condensed leadership course in a time-effective way.

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