Jennifer Dulski, CEO of Rising Team, discusses the importance of building a community at work and the challenges of hybrid work. They also explore varying preferences for constructive feedback and the significance of self-awareness and understanding in receiving feedback. Lastly, they emphasize the role of curiosity, empathy, and connection in building better teams.
Clearly articulating and defining values upfront is vital for creating a sense of belonging and a strong community.
Establishing virtual traditions in a hybrid work environment helps foster culture and a feeling of belonging, even when team members are physically apart.
Deep dives
Building Community at Work: Shared Values and Culture
Building a strong community and culture at work starts with shared values. Clearly articulating and defining values upfront is vital for creating a sense of belonging and a strong community. Values provide guidelines and rules for communities and companies, setting expectations and helping to hire the right people. Articulated values, along with intentional efforts to bring them to life, foster a strong sense of connection and belonging among team members.
Traditions and Culture in a Hybrid Work Environment
Strong cultures and communities thrive on traditions. In-person work settings often have shared dress codes or celebratory rituals that create a sense of unity. In a hybrid work environment, virtual traditions can be established, such as themed meetings or unique Slack channels. These traditions help to foster culture and a feeling of belonging, even when team members are physically apart.
Commitment and Intentionality in Building Strong Cultures
Building a strong community and culture requires commitment from all members. It involves not only what individuals gain from the community, but also what they contribute. A strong culture is built on a give-and-take foundation, where each person is invested in the growth and success of others. Being intentional about understanding and respecting individual preferences, such as feedback styles and communication needs, is essential for creating a sense of connection and trust within a team.
How do you view your colleagues? As a family, friends, or just the people you work with? Our guest sees them as a part of our community, worthy of the time and attention it takes to cultivate any other relationship. Jennifer Dulski is the CEO of Rising Team, a platform where companies learn to better develop their teams. She’s built community focused products for companies like Google, Yahoo, and Facebook. Jennifer knows better than most what brings people together and she sits down with Jessi to discuss how we can all be better teammates.