We have the team we deserve!

“Culture”, it’s a word we keep hearing when talking about companies. But how do companies actually create their culture?

Mostly, it comes from the behaviors of the people who make up the organization. For example, a friend told me that at a large airline, all leadership meetings began with a reminder of the location of emergency exits, stairways, and the rendezvous point after evacuation. The culture of this company is safety. The best way to develop and reinforce this culture is therefore to behave and act in ways that emphasize the importance of safety.

Similarly, if you want to build team spirit and a culture of collaboration, choose your actions to reinforce your principles. We cannot succeed alone; whether as a CEO or manager, we need a high-performing team to accomplish our missions! And the quality of our team reflects our management and the energy we put into it.

1. Be clear about your availability

Even a very autonomous team will have issues that require our help or judgment. Likewise, we will need time to focus on strategic matters. To avoid constant interruptions, we simply need to communicate our availability clearly. The “open door” policy is a good idea in theory, but in practice, it can harm concentration. Jumping back into a complex task just seconds after an interruption can take up to 20 minutes!

So, don’t do things halfway. Set specific times in your schedule when you are fully available. During that time, avoid phone calls and emails. At other times, make sure you won’t be disturbed. Also, consider working remotely a few days per week or month. This will help establish boundaries between availability and focused work.

2. Give feedback

Providing constructive feedback is one of a manager’s most important roles. But finding the balance between too much and too little is not always easy. Like with availability, create dedicated time slots in your schedule for feedback. Prioritize those working on key projects or those needing skill development. Feedback helps your team grow, feel recognized, and supported, which improves team morale, even for those with less available time.

For more autonomous team members, consider providing coaching spaces. Remember, the manager-coach’s role is not to give solutions, but to help your team find and implement their own.

Another point: the “tough love” approach. If there’s a problem, verbalize it and take necessary action. As long as your team knows your intentions are in their best interest, they will accept constructive criticism and use it to improve.

3. Create a culture of the right to make mistakes

If every mistake leads only to criticism, team members will be stressed and afraid to take risks. This doesn’t mean celebrating every error as a success — rather, communicate clearly which mistakes are acceptable. What is the margin of error regarding risk, deadlines, and budgets? Knowing this, team members can leverage creativity to find innovative solutions, even if they don’t succeed on the first try.

This is especially important for challenging projects. A team member who knows they can make mistakes is more likely to grow their skills. Otherwise, the project becomes a source of stress.

4. Share the company vision

Working in a department of a large company can sometimes make it hard to see how your work fits into the bigger picture. Losing sight of this can reduce motivation. As a manager, act as the link between the company’s overall vision and your team’s work. Regularly revisit this vision, especially during times of change. Help your team develop a vision for itself and define its mission within the company.

5. Make decisions: it’s the manager’s role!

Managers must make tough decisions. Letting conflicts or mobility requests linger only worsens matters. Playing the “bad” role can actually help the team move forward. Decisions are better accepted when your team knows they can count on you. Communicate clearly that issues can be escalated to you for resolution.

Too much internal competition harms business. In our teams, cultivate “coopetition.” If two colleagues always agree, there may be a problem; if they constantly disagree, both may be ineffective.

6. Encourage peer-to-peer problem-solving

Even with clear availability, team members may face urgent issues. Encourage them to seek solutions from colleagues or other departments before coming to you.

As a manager, you might be an expert in your domain, but not always. Understanding related areas helps you direct team members to the right person. When team members know each other’s strengths, they can solve problems independently.

7. Share emotions

Emotional intelligence is key to successful teamwork, as Google’s research shows. It’s the ability to read others’ emotions through voice and body language. Creating spaces to express emotions — laughter, pride, anger, or fear — allows us to acknowledge and respond appropriately, strengthening feelings of achievement.

Sharing emotions can also mean taking your team to an art exhibit or an escape game! This builds stronger collaboration and a positive team atmosphere.