The emotional glue that binds the team’s culture is its sense of identity and purpose. Why do they exist as a team? How do they agree to behave?
Define team purpose
No one wants to be in a meeting with no idea why they are there. No clue what the team is working on. The team purpose expresses the reason a team exists and should connect to the overall purpose of the organisation. A team purpose gives team members clarity and focus for the work they do.
Ask the team to determine what their purpose is by posing the following questions:
- Is the ‘why’ relevant in a team context?
- Why is purpose important to our team?
- Does having a compelling purpose help engage people?
Depending on the group size and their openness to sharing, either go around the room or throw the question to those willing to volunteer.
The important thing is to generate discussion on why having a purpose is beneficial for your team. Document the key points on the whiteboard or post-it pages.
Have each team member have a go at drafting a purpose statement for the team. Now working in small groups or 2-3 (depending on the size of the group) have people discuss their draft purpose statements and combine to create one that resonates with the team.
Have one person from each of the groups come up and share their purpose statement with the group. Clearly write on a whiteboard or post-it pages. Once you have all the statements, ask everyone to consider which one (or a combination) resonates most strongly with them. Discuss until there is agreement.
If everyone is happy and no further wordsmithing is required, have one of the team members input the final purpose statement into the HQ platform.
Some examples of Team Purpose…
- Finance team
- To plan, analyse and execute the financial strategies so that XYZ Company can make good decisions to maintain a resilient business.
- Cultural Leadership team
- To address systemic issues that have been raised through cultural catch-ups and explore how these issues can be resolved.
- Leadership team
- To articulate the goals and direction of the business to build and maintain a sustainable and adaptable business and provide a learning environment where people can flourish.
Define team values
Every team member has their personal values and ideas on how a team should behave. Being explicit on the team’s values ensures everyone is on the same page.
If all team members agree on the non-negotiable truths for team behaviour, their team will communicate more effectively, improve collaboration and be in a better position to navigate through conflict.
A Software or Finance team may have a value around ‘Check, check and check again’ as accuracy is important to them, whereas a Marketing team may have a value around ‘Try everything’ as they might need to be more innovative and agile with their strategy.
Some example team values…
- Follow the process
- Be respectful
- Be optimistic and energetic
- Come prepared
- Be curious
- Nurture relationships
Good team stewardship