Creating a Collaborative Culture: How Leaders Can Build a Stronger, More Connected Team
In my consulting work, I’ve seen firsthand how people are becoming increasingly intolerant of companies without a collaborative culture.
The problem is, an organisation’s culture is often invisible but deeply impactful. Plus, if the leaders driving a strategy aren’t passionate about the change they seek, no plan will succeed.
So, let’s take a closer look at corporate culture and explore how we as leaders can shape it to create stronger, more connected teams.
Recognising corporate culture through personal experience
I first noticed corporate culture when I moved to my second employer. I didn't know that work environments could be so different! I had been with my first employer — a multinational manufacturing company — for 10 years, and until I moved to a new company, I had no understanding of "Company Culture" at all. All I knew was what I had experienced.
We were a "no-frills" company, and part of the culture was to make sure you held on to the best office furniture you could accumulate as people moved on. If someone got a promotion, moved to a different department, or handed in their notice, then the rest of the team would be on the lookout for a furniture upgrade — perhaps a more comfortable chair or a newer filing cabinet.
When I moved to the next company, I found such a different culture. Everyone had the same modern, curved desk with matching under-desk drawers on rollers and roll-front filing cabinets. Every piece of office furniture was more modern than at the previous firm, and all the drawers and filing cabinets worked! There were no upgrades wanted or needed. However, the location of your desk in the office was something that could be upgraded.
Between my first and second jobs, I experienced what Prof David Caldwell famously said:
"Culture is all that invisible stuff that glues organizations together."
A new perspective on culture
When I moved to my next employer, I discovered a totally new culture. At both of the previous — multinational — firms, any interpersonal correspondence was sent to a role: the head of this, the manager of that, or the clerk in charge of something else. Sometimes, we would include the name of the recipient if we knew who it was. At the new firm, nothing was sent to a role; everything was sent to a person. I'd send a memo to Steve because he ran the Drawing Office or to Andy because he managed procurement.
Later, I worked with an international organization with colleagues in over 40 countries, and we only ever met online, except for rare in-person meetings. Now, we had a company culture to understand, as well as the national culture each team member brought with them.
The thing is, rather like fish don’t see water, it can be very difficult to see and identify the cultural environment we are in. Yet we can all feel it — especially if someone new joins the team and doesn’t "get" the culture.
It's as if we work, rest, and play in "cultural echo chambers." In each environment — whether at work, home, or in a club or group — we tend to agree with a particular set of values, standards, and views as expected and accepted by the others in the group. Or, we learn which subset of views are accepted by other members and focus on that. This is the very stuff that keeps a group or team functioning consistently.
Culture under pressure: the true test
A team's or group’s culture shares many hallmarks with a person’s character, and both represent our destiny:
“For individuals, character is destiny. For organizations, culture is destiny.” “What’s the best way to build a brand for the long term? In a word: culture.” ~ Tony Hsieh (Zappos)
What's the best way to see a person's true character? Take a look at how they work, act, and respond under pressure. It’s the same for a company. One of the best ways to see company culture is to watch how it performs under pressure. The COVID pandemic gave us no better opportunity to see both character and culture under intense pressure.
We see examples of corporate culture all around us. I have several blogs waiting to share stories and examples of remarkable culture seen in companies like Continental Airlines, Ford Motor Company, and Disney. I will contrast this with recent examples of outrageous culture, such as Boeing’s role in the 737 Max crashes in 2018 and 2019 (as documented in the film "Downfall: The Case Against Boeing") and the appalling example of culture shown by P&O with their mass staff sacking in 2022. Earlier this year, P&O made its staff redundant with immediate effect in a two-minute, thirty-second pre-recorded Zoom event. This action was not in line with their declared culture, as published on their website.
In 2022, P&O made its staff redundant with immediate effect in a two-minute, thirty-second pre-recorded Zoom event — not exactly reflective of a good company culture. The effects are still being felt, as documented by YouGov:
"Perceptions of P&O Ferries are improving but remain some way off where they were before the scandal.” YouGov.
P&O’s culture was exposed for what it is, rather than what it claimed to be. The old adage rings true: "Actions speak louder than words; don't listen to what people say, watch what they do."
What this means for you: how to change
I used to say that it’s remarkably easy to give up smoking — I know because I’ve done it loads of times. When I finally stopped for good, there was a key difference. I started to think of myself as a non-smoker, not a smoker trying to stop.
Similarly, I've struggled with my weight for most of my adult life, and the times when I’ve managed to shed pounds, I’ve been most successful when I thought of myself as someone who is fit and healthy and acted accordingly.
The difference in both cases was that I asked myself, "What would a non-smoker do?" or "What would a fit, healthy person do?" and then did that. I pre-decided my response to situations based on my desired conduct, and I was intentional. I reinforced this by monitoring my alignment and effectiveness in relation to my goals.
It works the same way when developing any aspect of personal character or corporate culture. To improve culture, you need to notice it, spot it in action, or measure it — then strengthen it and observe the results.
“People don’t do what you expect; they do what you inspect.” ~ Louis V. Gerstner, Jr.
Becoming collaborative: applying the value to our character and culture
Some years ago, I identified three particular values I hold dear, and I wanted to strengthen them in my character. I remember them using the acronym PIE:
Passion: I have a clear purpose, coupled with an eager desire to make a sustainable, measurable, worthwhile difference.
Integrity: Genuine integrity leads to influence that makes a difference.
Empathy: I recognize, seek to understand, and value different perspectives.
These values are important to me, to my family, and to my business. They are crucial on my journey through life. While I still work on them and fail from time to time, they remain at the top of my aspirations. I measure progress by reviewing my failures — both omissions and commissions — and by pursuing ongoing education and growth.
In the same way, any strategy for change within a company needs to be driven by leaders passionate to make it happen. So if we want a more collaborative culture in our organisations, we need to implement the value personally and corporately, putting into place measures to keep us on track.
It doesn't happen overnight, but as we focus on being collaborative, supporting our teams, and acting in line with the values we promote, we create a culture that strengthens our organisation and its people.
Next steps
To help your team become more collaborative, consider using Patrick Lencioni’s Working Genius framework. It’s among the best models I’ve used for helping team members understand and appreciate each other.
If you’d like some individual coaching or company consultation in change management, I’d love to help.
