Have you ever interviewed or hired someone who couldn’t stop raving about their previous company?
Maybe circumstances forced them to leave, or the company was acquired, but they see their previous team as the best.
Now think about your team. Do your Account Executives rave about the culture on the team to anyone who will listen? Do they tell their friends that they should apply for open positions because your company is the best one to work for?
What is the “secret sauce” that beloved leaders of highly successful and happy teams have that everyone else is missing? Let’s find out.
The First Secret Ingredient: Praise and Recognition
Whether we admit it or not, we all crave recognition. We want people to see that we did a good job and praise us for it.
So, the first secret ingredient is consistently giving praise to each member of the team. Actively look for ways to praise your team.
Now, this is not the same as handing out participation trophies. Praise when you see someone doing something well, using a strength, or overcoming a weakness. Follow the formula: “I saw you do x, y, and z, and I appreciated it because…”
Make your team feel like you are looking to catch them doing well rather than looking for things to correct. This will motivate them to try harder to do the right thing.
How To Determine If Your Team Has This Ingredient
How will you know that your team has this ingredient?
If the team praises each other, sincerely praises, helps, and cheers on its team members, you will know that this ingredient is part of your secret sauce. And if they praise and recognize their leaders, that adds a little extra.
Teams that praise leadership and each other will praise their company to others. When they brag about their great team and great company, Top Performers will be listening.
The Second Secret Ingredient: Communication and Collaboration
Have you ever been on a team where one person seemed to run things and had to have all of the ideas? They shut down everyone else, hogged the spotlight, and then took credit.
What did you do? Probably shut down, quit listening, and quit trying.
Now, have you ever been on a team where people felt comfortable expressing themselves, sharing “dumb” or “quirky” ideas, and knowing that others would listen and not criticize?
Which team is more successful, innovates better, and has a better culture? No brainer, right?
So, as leaders, do you know how each person on your team communicates best and honor that? Whether they love email, prefer face-to-face communication, want details, or just facts, each person has a communication style. Leaders need to know and adapt to each person's style; ideally, team members should do the same.
What about psychological safety when collaborating with other members of the sales and leadership teams? Does everyone feel comfortable speaking up, sharing their ideas, and disagreeing when needed without being shut down or fearing that they will “get in trouble”?
It’s easy to say, “Of course, they feel safe,” but do they?
How To Determine If Your Team Has This Ingredient
Think about team and staff meetings. When a disagreement arises, do some people seem to shut down? If so, ask them what would make them more comfortable. When each person on your team, regardless of role, feels comfortable making their voice and feelings heard positively, you have successfully added the second ingredient.
When your top performers casually mention that upper management listened to and ran with their idea (and they will casually mention it A LOT), others will listen and think, “What a great place to work!”
The Third Secret Ingredient: Positive Culture
We have all seen this before. Every company has a culture. Unfortunately, that culture doesn’t always develop on purpose.
What is your team and company culture? Do employees rave about the culture of the team? Remember, teams bragging about culture will entice top performers.
How To Determine If Your Team Has This Ingredient
What creates a positive work culture?
Each team will have its own unique culture, and it can be helpful to brainstorm as a team on what type of culture you want to have, but here are a few ideas to get you started on creating a wonderful team culture:
- Open Communication
- Mutual respect
- Shared Department Goals
- Shared Core Values
- Shared Ethics
- Clear Expectations
- Praise and Recognition
- Employee Growth and Development
- Positive Social Interaction
Notice that two of our “Secret Ingredients” are on our creating a positive culture list.
Define how to communicate, what respectful interactions look like, what team goals, core values, ethics, and expectations are, etc., and agree as a team to prioritize these.
For a great culture, everyone has to be on board, stirring ingredients in the same direction. So, buy-in is vital, as are consequences for anyone who actively moves in the wrong direction. Incorporating the third secret ingredient, an amazing culture, will attract and keep top performers and help everyone be their best.
Does Your Team Have All Our Secret Sauce Ingredients?
If you aren’t sure, ask them. Do they feel that they:
- Are recognized regularly for their accomplishments?
- Have open communication with everyone up and down the ladder?
- Work for a team and company with a positive culture that makes them want to come to work each day?
If they say yes to all three, CONGRATULATIONS! You have mastered creating our secret sauce. But if the answer to one or more is no, then now is the time to incorporate our secret ingredients to create an amazing team that top performers will want to join.
*Editor's Note: This blog has been updated since its original post date.
