A team that takes ownership of their contribution and how they work together they will have a strong shared vision and will continuously search for ways to improve. Do not underestimate the importance of building a great team culture.

Below are 5 ways you can begin building great team culture today:

1) Create leaders, not managers

A great team culture is one that emphasizes mentor ship over management. Cultivating leadership will play an important role in establishing the culture of the team.

Communicate clearly with team members so everyone is on the same page. Develop schedules that are designed to offer flexibility so everyone can do their work in the way that is most effective for them, but not so flexible that they become unmanageable.

Teach members of your team how to give constructive feedback that encourages productivity rather than causing shame or embarrassment. Facilitate and participate in improvement efforts alongside your team members.

The best way to teach leadership is through example, so take care to teach your team members clearly and patiently and remember that everyone has something to offer.

2) Promote a culture of learning

Promote a culture of learning where every person is encouraged to continue expanding their skill sets. This can be done by providing access to ongoing training and personal development. The expansion of online learning has made this even easier as people can learn on their own time when it best suits them. Offer access to online courses and create opportunities for team members to take on new responsibilities.

Encouraging ongoing learning and goal achievement will help to prevent team members from becoming complacent or bored in their positions. It will also allow them to learn new skills which will add value to the team and workplace as a whole.

When everyone has access to the tools they need to be successful and move forward in their careers, they will be more engaged and will create a stronger work environment. A great team culture is great for business!

A strong team will have a sense of ownership in the planning, problem-solving, and goal-setting for the vision of the team. When a team is focused on the collective vision, they will be better able to fulfill their individual roles.

Developing a great team culture will enable success and attract more talent. It is important to remember that at the heart of every great team are people, so it is necessary to understand the dynamics of how they work.

Treat your team members like they matter and are not simply resources for the company to use. Find ways to foster their self-esteem, ambition, independence, and desire for growth.

3) Get to know your team

It is important to take the time to get to know the people on your team. It may seem simple, but getting to know your team members will strengthen the team and build a great culture.

This involves doing things like celebrating birthdays, promotions, and holidays with your team. Encourage camaraderie by having occasional potlucks and eating lunch together.

By developing relationships and getting to know your team members, you will begin to understand their strengths, weaknesses, and skills yet to be developed. A great leader understands how to draw out the talent around them. Take the time to learn how to motivate your team to go beyond what is expected of them.

4) Great teams benefit from having an analytical thinker.

When it comes to assembling a great team, this study from Carnegie Mellon University suggests that having an analytical thinker on the team is a must to balance out big-picture strategists.

How is an analytical thinker defined? The study described this person as someone who pays close attention to “process focus,” which is the art of identifying and focusing on the sub-tasks needed to achieve the goal.

In other words, this detailed-oriented person sweats the small stuff; they’re a great complement to the broad thinkers who concentrate on executing overall strategy.

They key is to educate team members on appreciating the process of creation, which can help negate potential disputes. When the entire team understands the nature of the details, this analytical thinker can thrive without being at odds with those planning out strategy.

As a software company, we can offer a candid example–adding “this one button” or “that one little feature” is almost never as easy as it sounds. Very rarely are these small changes actually small, and big picture people need to be in tune with this side of an analytical thinker’s work, so that misunderstanding’s and disputes can be avoided.

5) Meet regularly

Having a regular meeting that takes place weekly will make a big difference in great team culture. Regular meetings will build rapport, encourage productivity, and bring the importance of improving the team to the forefront.

The meetings should be scheduled in advance and everyone should be familiar with the agenda before the meeting begins. Have clearly defined roles for meetings; for example, one person can lead the meeting, one can act as a timekeeper, and one can take notes on the discussion.

These meetings should focus on discussing problems and coming up with solutions; they should also be an opportunity to build relationships. Be careful not to lose sight of the primary objective of the meeting; don’t allow the discussion to be derailed by other interests or topics that are not on the agenda.