One of my clients recently brought this topic to coaching. This is a challenge many leaders are faced with, but over the past 5 years I have actually rarely seen brought to a coaching discussion.
My client was afraid of the impact of recruiting new people because the environment that the current team had built (from scratch) and was continuing to hone together felt so aligned and meaningful. In fact, although positive about the growth that the recruitment represented, my client saw the arrival of new team members as potentially destabilising and damaging to what they’d created.
Alongside shifting mindset to a perspective where new team members could bring different and valuable contributions to the mix, we discussed more tangible actions as to how to embrace this change over the long term.
Here are a few of the takeaways that came out of our discussion – areas to lean in to, to keep a positive, healthy culture going when you’re scaling up:
Getting clear on the core values that define the team’s culture and hiring for the right fit. Instead of prioritising technical skills, look for people who align with the key values of the team and can contribute positively to the team dynamic. Ensure your values are integrated into your hiring and onboarding process, as well as your ways of working or team charter.
Listening to gather feedback from team members about the culture and work environment to really understand perspectives. When a team scales up, maintaining an environment where team members feel comfortable sharing ideas, feedback and concerns is even more important. Having regular check-ins and an open-door policy can help with this.
Communicating regularly. Ensuring team members are informed on the high-level business goals and objectives you’re trying to achieve together means everyone will be clear on their role, their "why," and their part to play in achieving those goals.
Encouraging cross-team discussion. Investing in time for the team to strengthen relationships can help everyone feel included and connected. And finding simple ways to acknowledge individual and team achievements can help recognise contributions and boost morale.
Holding your perspective firmly, but lightly. Being able to adapt and evolve your thinking, culture and processes as you grow, whether it be your team, the broader business or even just within your own role is perhaps the most important one of all! By not being wed to a set idea of how things should be, we keep an open mind and give ourselves the flexibility to see other possibilities we may not have imagined.
These are just a few thoughts that came out of our discussion and have helped my client approach their concerns around scaling up. What strategies have you used to maintain a healthy work culture as your team’s grown?
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