Question

Organizational culture is a key factor in the performance of teams. Part of leading a high-performing team is creating a culture that encourages new ideas, experimentation, and risk-taking without the fear of retribution. Describe specific ways you can foster this type of environment within an organization.

Answer 1

As mentioned in the question, it is true that the organisation culture enhances the performance of teams. High performing teams encourage healthy culture encouraging new ideas, experimentation and risk taking abilities. Here are specific ways that can foster the right type of environment:

• It is important to embrace diversity as it helps to get to know each and every employee: Diversity brings with itself great experiences, stories and skills. It is important to understand each and every employee in terms of skills, journey and personal goals. It helps to manage the team well.
• Value the team: It brings a diversity of thoughts, ideas and solutions to various organisational challenges. It brings creativity and the culture of innovation in the team leading to more success.
• Help to bring efficiency and increase in productivity in an equitable manner. Teams adapt to a learning environment where communication is effective and everyone is given consistent knowledge and resources.
• Happier employees are productive and have a higher commitment to the organisation. It is important that organisation practices are focused on better and happier organisation culture.
• Senior leaders must adopt practices that encourage teamwork, idea sharing and innovation. It ensures that more employees are seen work towards performing well.
• Creating a positive work environment also involves knowledge upgradation and skill development as it helps employees to work better and be motivated to earn more.
• If the leaders and managers are not available when the employee needs you it creates a negative impact, demotivates the team members and leads to conflicts.

Here are other ways and process to foster the right type of environment:

• The organisation should have proper HR systems. It helps in overall performance reviews and goal setting process: The HR systems offer a platform to set goals aligned with overall organisation objectives and helps to review the same. It helps the managers and leadership team to track the goals and ensure that they are being achieved.
• Communication process and proper structures. The synergy, efficiency and coordination improve in the organisation if communication and team structures are properly defined.
• Embracing new technology and processes. It is important for leaders to embrace and support the technological & other process changes. The reason for change needs to be well explained as the ownership of the process and guidance is the management responsibility.
• Promote equality and inclusion. It is important to understand any cultural, ethnic, gender differences don't lead to a positive culture in the organisation and create conflicts.

Focus on developing people skills. Here are some practices:

• Developing emotional intelligence. It is important that leaders become aware of self-emotions and deal with the situation accordingly. Keeping the composure and emotions in balance helps to improve people skills.
• Conflict management in a positive manner is another important aspect of developing and overcoming challenges of people skills. By focusing on the present and respecting other thoughts ideas helps to go a long way.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------