"The development of a respectful and nurturing culture is of the utmost importance to me in the workplace. I feel it makes the work my teams do more fulfilling and generates value for our customers. Some teams naturally resonate with these values. They work together as a family and push each other to perform while supporting each other during difficult times. In situations like these, I like to draw attention to the value they are creating and ask them what I can do for them to further support what they have already started. Every team is different, so I am flexible and willing to work with whatever they feel is the best fit.
In the event a team is new to working together, or already has disfunction, I like to start by discussing why respect, support, and healthy connection between teammates add value. I demonstrate how fostering connection on a mental, emotional, and physical level through shared experiences serves to speed up communication and translates to higher performance. Once we all understand the why, I move to the how. I work with the group to determine the low-hanging fruit opportunities and I hold one-on-one conversations to understand the history of the more complex issues. Eventually, we develop working agreements and hold each other accountable for supporting one another.
Over time, respect and care for each other grow and teammates become comfortable being vulnerable together. We reflect regularly and discuss the value they have created by trusting one another and mutually contributing to the development of a high-performing team."
