Team culture is all about coming together as one to accomplish tasks. Whether you are in the workplace, on a sports team, or both (like me!), having people around you that you can trust to function as one, cohesive whole immediately elevates your experience with that group.
It is normal to experience conflict in the workplace, especially when working closely with a small group of people. However, by fostering team culture in the work environment, it becomes easier to express personal feelings and opinions to engender new policies or ideals for the benefit of the group. Although team culture can improve an organization in numerous ways, this article is going to demonstrate, through some of my past experiences, why having strong team dynamics is critical to achieve more effective conflict resolution.
When you have a group who is trusting of each other, not only does it become easier to recognize when coworkers are being truthful about conflict but also allows for a more empathetic approach to these situations. I know I have been very lucky to have been surrounded by a caring group of coworkers–both at Go Ape Treetop Adventure and WBWC–and teammates who trust in one another to do their work and support team goals.
When a problem arises, my manager at Go Ape always talks to the affected staff directly, and she is not afraid to continue the discussion until it has been resolved. From a sports perspective, one example of trust that we have is to not jump to conclusions if a teammate is not at our team lift or practice. Injuries come about from time to time, and they need to be handled appropriately and with the proper attention. Additionally, teammates can be going through difficult weeks, and it is important to recognize that these could be possible reasons they are not there. We then make sure we support those individuals in any way possible. The staff at WBWC has gained a strong sense of trust in one another. Each of us knows that if we need improvements to be made, everyone on the team is going to pull their own weight, such as working to improve the social media together. This semester, we do not have a staff member in charge of our station posts, so we decided to break the work into appropriate components for our positions to get the job done.
Through conflict, we can reflect on the little tasks and actions that we all are performing each day to look for potential improvements. Doing this can prevent the same problem from repeating, as well as avoiding other conflicts. Through my experience in sports, the best way to help each other improve is to hold one another accountable. Making sure they are at practice (unless they have a legitimate reason to be absent), doing all the repetitions, and ensuring they are staying safe avoids problems that could come up in the future, including injury or not performing at our team's peak potential.
At Go Ape, my boss and I--as activity trainer--send messages to our team group chat to give everyone reminders on ways we can all improve in our positions. Additionally, when problems arise that impact the entire group, such as needing to rake our mulch landing site better or remember small safety procedures, she addresses everyone. During staff meetings at WBWC, we often have brainstorming sessions to think of new ideas to optimize each staff members’ performance in their own specialized area. The most important aspect of this tip, however, is to make sure you do not take the criticism to heart. Pointing out areas of individual improvement is critical for overall improvement that will affect customer service, employee enjoyment, and relationships with guests and coworkers. All of these are great examples of improving the workplace for the better.
In the workplace, there is arguably not much better than sensing you can have open and honest communication with your coworkers. Knowing that you are going to have their respect, even with possibly differing views, is immediate proof that the group supports fostering team culture. To implement this, open communication needs to start at the managerial level. Once this is established, it will demonstrate to employees that communication is a quality and upheld value in that place of work. Furthermore, everyone will feel comfortable and safe to address conflicts without worrying about how comments will be taken.
A few of the girls on my track and field team had a conflict my freshman year, and my coach called us together to talk through our feelings honestly. Even though it can be awkward to address conflict in such a blatant, head-on fashion, it can be extremely effective in getting things out in the open instantly. Through this, we were able to move past our conflict and finish out the season with strong support from each other. Additionally, in both of my places of work, my supervisors support respectful opinions and thoughts being brought to light. Minor conflicts regarding staff have arisen in the past, and I was in a place where I felt comfortable enough to express my feelings on the manner to my supervisor. My boss responded in a way that made me feel heard and respected, demonstrating the team aspect of our work culture.
Through these examples, we can see how implementing a powerful team culture can have significant impacts on preventing and handling disagreements in the workplace. Whether it is aiding in open communication, trusting one another, or searching for small ways to improve personally or organizationally, striving for success in all of these areas will help to build a strong milieu. We should always strive for success, and these tips are great focus areas toward engendering a culture that would give any employee a reason to be proud.
Jessica Klonowski is a junior public relations major, psychology and athletic coaching double minor, at Baldwin Wallace University. She plans to obtain her masters degree in digital marketing upon completing her undergraduate degree, and then work full-time within the field.
Read articles on how radio station experience builds public speaking skills, and how public relations skills can be used to improve leadership word choice, also written by Jessica Klonowski, view her resume, or about page.