Building a Culture That Grows With Your Team
As your organization grows, so do the demands on your culture. In the early stages, team culture can feel organic—a natural extension of your mission. But as you expand, creating a cohesive, purpose-driven culture becomes more complex. Intentional culture-building is essential to ensure your organization grows with its values intact. Here’s how to approach it.
The Importance of Shared Experiences
Research tells us that teams who share experiences—like training sessions, projects, and problem-solving tasks—tend to bond more strongly and perform better. But in larger or growing teams, turnover and expansion can make it harder to maintain this cohesion. Creating shared experiences is a powerful way to keep culture strong as you scale.
1. Define “Behavior Values” for Consistency
Behavior values are a set of specific, observable actions that define how team members work and interact. They’re not just about “what we value” but rather “how we act.” Documenting these values gives your team a clear blueprint for behavior, reinforcing alignment even as new members join.
Example: If proactive communication is a behavior value, then every team member knows that keeping others informed isn’t just a “nice-to-have” but a key part of their role. This creates a consistent experience for team members and clients alike.
Implementation Tip: Include behavior values in team meetings, one-on-ones, and performance reviews to keep them top of mind.
2. Create Shared Training Opportunities to Build Cohesion
Training together allows team members to learn, share, and grow with a common understanding. These sessions become the shared experiences that reinforce culture and strengthen team bonds, even as the organization scales.
Example: Whether it’s onboarding, skill development, or leadership training, group sessions create shared understanding and set a standard for how things are done.
Implementation Tip: Incorporate both technical and cultural training in onboarding so that new hires get a sense of both what they’ll do and how they’ll do it as part of the team.
3. Reinforce Culture at Every Step of Hiring and Onboarding
Every new hire is an opportunity to strengthen or dilute your culture. Hiring with behavior values in mind ensures that new team members fit into the organization from day one. Reinforce these values throughout the onboarding process to help new employees understand their role in the broader mission.
Example: If a core value is adaptability, look for people who demonstrate resilience in the face of change. During onboarding, emphasize how adaptability plays out in daily interactions.
Implementation Tip: Use behavioral interview questions that reveal a candidate’s alignment with your values. During onboarding, have new hires shadow team members who embody these values.
Conclusion
As organizations grow, culture must grow intentionally alongside them. Shared experiences, behavior values, and strategic hiring are all tools that can help preserve your organization’s core identity while scaling. Curious about how to align your culture with your growth? Let’s talk about your culture strategy and how to make it work for your team’s unique needs.