What was the best team you worked with? What qualities made it great for you?
Have you ever witnessed otters in the zoo or in the wild? Were you a little jealous at how they somehow managed to simultaneously have fun while tirelessly getting all of their otter business done? Let me tell you about my time in an office that felt exactly like that...
About halfway through my career as an accountant I took a job as an accounting and finance recruiter for a large, international firm. I was looking forward to increased interaction with people while utilizing my network and years of knowledge. While I don’t necessarily consider myself an extrovert sitting in a quiet office all day, by myself, working on reports, analysis, and journal entries was a special kind of hell for me. So, going into a busy, loud recruitment office felt like I was joining a 50 hours a week party. I was psyched from the start. This group was full of master communicators, it was essentially 98% of the job. Immediately, I appreciated being surrounded by my peers all day as it allowed me to witness how they went about their day communicating with clients, candidates, and closing deals. It was wonderful to be able to have real time observations that I could learn from and emulate. The office culture was not only one of production but of growth mindset. This team was also honest. Brutally. That is a trait I also share but generally haven’t been on the receiving end of it and it was really a breath of fresh air. The group always gave great feedback alongside any of those brutally honest comments. We were continually learning new ways to improve our skills and practiced honing our best ones.
While we worked a hard 50+ hour week we spent time playing during those hours. Sometimes it was games aimed towards the growth mindset, other times we had Guitar Hero contests and in office cocktails on Friday afternoons. We had periodic nights out with our plus ones which added to the bonding. Finally, we functioned as a true team, we filled in for each other as needed which was always recognized and everyone’s contributions were valued, I believe all of us felt seen and heard in our roles.
Let’s recap the highlights of what this culture included: modeling good communication, honest and functional feedback, face to face time, growth mindset, and opportunities for effective bonding/team building. Have you experienced elements of the ideal team? What is your vision? Where are you in that currently?
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