Team Building for Office and Remote Working

Open and Closed Companies

Do you need a strong mission statement to build teams and achieve results?

Mission statements may help qualify clients, attract people to work with you and open up partnership opportunities. There may be a Halo Effect, whereby a positive mission creates an impression of virtue throughout the business. A mission statement lays out your values.

It is important, however, not to use faith in the mission as a recruitment criterion. This places undue emphasis on conformity and creates a closed way of working that is less able to spot mistakes and course correct. It is essential to keep an open mind when scaling a business.

My neighbour left Goldman Sachs recently. While chatting, I mentioned there used to be a stigma attached to mid-career recruits at the firm, and he noted there still is. This is strange for a successful firm. Most businesses need to embrace additions to the culture and use new ways of working to broaden the firm’s reach.

Diversity of thought improves creativity and innovation. But how do you enable people from diverse backgrounds to create a shared identity?

Safety in Numbers

There is a comfort in being part of a crowd. Participants in the Hajj pilgrimage and a Fat Boy Slim beach concert, report a sense of well-being when at the centre of activity. Those on the fringes were more likely to feel concerned about their safety. People seek out the densest areas, even as studies show that when there are more than 7 people per square metre, there is a loss of control over movement. Densities of up to 12 are common at the Hajj.

We take comfort from being together and sharing experiences whatever our backgrounds. This matters when building a team and a culture. You can bring a diverse group together and create cohesion without hiring those of one mind.

You might argue that pilgrimages and free concerts are one-offs, after which people return to their everyday lives. This is true, but the studies show a lasting impact from these mass events on the way we behave. Pilgrims are more likely to believe in the harmony of religions after visiting Mecca. I have stronger and more positive memories of being in the crowd as Mo Farah won Olympic gold, than from sprinting on the track a few weeks earlier.

Sharing Identity and Stories

Team harmony is easiest to create in person. While I dislike compulsory night outs, a weekly team lunch with food from different cultures, can be accompanied by sharing stories, games and films from that culture. Just keep politics out of it.

Researchers at Sussex University twice filmed students walking from a lecture. The second time they were given ‘Sussex Psychology’ branded baseball caps. They formed groups of six or seven, whereas the previous week they were in twos and fours, with a few walking alone. The physical representation of a shared identity changed crowd behaviour, and people who identify with each other want to be closer and are happier.

Engagement is harder in a remote environment. Wherever possible, teams should be brought together for purposeful interaction on a regular basis. Otherwise it is important to concentrate on clear communication and keep meetings short and on topic. It is much easier to get distracted while on a call.

The regular one-on-ones between manager and reports become more important. Insist on attendance and punctuality and stick to a regular agenda. Leaders may consider mentors as well as managers to work with staff. Town Halls take on added significance and must provide clear goals, and report on personal and company milestones.

There are extra activities to consider when remote working. Virtual social events must be interactive, with games and breakout rooms, and be more than talking with a drink. Leaders should make extra effort to reward people with thank you notes and small gifts. Time and a small budget to support neighbourhood volunteering can build a bond with remote workers.

Scaling a business requires new ways of thinking and will dilute the intimacy and shared experiences of a firm’s founders. These are replaced by the benefits of new ways of working, but this requires considerable effort. It is important to make people feel part of the team from day one through careful onboarding. Thereafter, special attention is paid to providing a platform for new and creative thinking, alongside teambuilding exercises.

Questions to Ask and Answer

1. Is my recruiting policy focused on finding likeminded individuals?

2. What steps am I taking to create a shared sense of identity?

3. Are social gatherings themed nights or interactive events?

Whenever you are ready there are three ways I can help you:

1. The Profit Through Process Planner: My flagship course on how to design and invigorate a business that scales. I share 30 years of experience of researching, investing and running businesses that I intermingle with science and stories.

2. Resolving Team Conflicts: A free email course tackling an issue that no one ever teaches you as a manager. The course also serves as an excellent introduction to the foundational understanding of The Profit Through Process Planner.

3. Schedule a Call. The Clear Communication Code includes my systems for one-on-one meetings, town halls and effective hiring.