The 3 Keys to Creating a Positive Work Culture Where Everyone Wants to Work

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Let's flip the script for today and talk about what DOES NOT WORK for building a positive work culture. The #1 behavior that I’ve seen destroy team cultures is negative criticism that is not intended to help, but instead meant to tear people down. This is as true for both what’s heard and what isn’t. To prevent dissension among the team, set the tone upfront that outward, open criticism of another person is prohibited.

You must eliminate this and always call it out when you observe it. Similarly, tell your team that gossip and talking behind people’s backs is not allowed. Think about it—there is nothing good that comes from either of these things. They lack integrity and completely dissolve trust. Root these out right away. Always replace a negative criticism or gossip with a positive contribution. Turn it around!

All right, let's jump in!

The best way to gain an understanding of your organization’s culture is to experience it! This starts with your team, by having conversations with each of your direct reports. Seek to understand first. Listen, learn, be curious and build relationships.

So what is culture? I define culture as “the values, beliefs, synergies, commitment to excellence, and camaraderie that serves as the enduring heartbeat of the organization.”

Creating a culture of connection starts with the level of emotional equity you put in. Caring for your employees’ well-being and success is paramount. From there, you build from the individual to the organizational success and well-being.

1. Care for your employees

Care—empathy in action—helps you retain your top performers and create an enduring, rewarding partnership that leads to growth and results. “People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.” The wisdom of President Theodore Roosevelt’s quote is at the heart of empathy and shows us that caring for your people is rooted in desire. This is entirely within your control.

You have to want it! It’s the difference between transactional leadership and transformational leadership. Transactional leadership is just that—a transaction with a need and a timestamp attached to it. Clear results and expectations are provided, usually with rewards or punishments attached. For each individual relationship, it’s best to lay the groundwork by establishing rapport.

Let each person know they can come to you to ask questions, ask for help, or make a suggestion. You can have all of these things while establishing boundaries to avoid constant interruptions. Lead from the heart and make a dedicated time investment each week to meeting with people, listening, answering questions and helping them to solve problems.

2. Hold impactful 1:1 meetings

One-on-one meetings for some teams are only about reviewing tasks. If you find yourself only focused on tasks and deliverables in one-on- one meetings, I encourage you to set up an outline for what the ideal one-on- one meeting looks like.

There’s so much opportunity in one-on-one meetings to listen, get to know someone, share ideas, find out what opportunities they’re looking for, and highlight your vision and big-picture strategic priorities. And remember this—there doesn’t always have to be harmony in every conversation. Don’t be afraid to disagree.

Don’t be afraid to speak up and tell your team member or leader what you need—or what you feel they can do better. At Netflix, it’s considered essential to speak up when you have an idea to share, feedback to provide, or when you disagree with someone else’s point of view. Netflix founder and former CEO Reed Hastings says in No Rules Rules: Netflix and the Culture of Reinvention,

“It’s fine to disagree with your manager and implement an idea she dislikes. We don’t want people putting aside a great idea because the manager doesn’t see how great it is."

While there’s no cadence set in stone for one-on- ones, I’ve found that holding once per week formal check-ins for 30 minutes creates a nice rhythm for connection. Like with anything, if that’s not needed, mold this to fit both of your needs. The big thing is to focus on quality and frequency for how you’re communicating.

Begin by asking how the person is doing and how they’re feeling. Ask about their family, how their weekend was, or how their overall experience is going. By having more frequent conversations throughout the year, you can learn what they’re passionate about, the work they enjoy most, and how they like to spend their time. The best way to meet someone where they’re at and truly connect is to try and find shared experiences among the things they enjoy most.

3. Embrace a servant leader mindset

Champion leaders embrace this mindset and share it with their employees. Share more of yourself with your employees to let them know they can comfortably share pieces of themselves with you. I ask you to think about that professional vulnerability and what you want to let people in on. You get to decide that. You can choose to share about your family, hobbies, and interests.

But don’t feel you need to share every personal part of yourself. It’s up to you. People are looking for personalized connection—the camaraderie that helps them feel more a part of things. Look to learn from them! You don’t have the ability to hear every conversation or know exactly how work is being executed on the ground level.

Learn more about the innovation being done, what your team is working on, and how they’re collaborating. I think back to the gentleman who hired me for my first job in management consulting. He was a very senior-level leader who was an unassuming, quiet man. He knew when to share a story or an example that made us feel more at ease, and it left an indelible impact on the way I treat others.

He put himself out there, vulnerable and humble, and never expected much in return. He went out of his way to meet everyone that he managed and took them out to lunch early on during their tenure with the company. He put people first, surrounded himself with a loving family, kept things positive, and treated others with kindness.

The more we relinquish control and the notion that we know all the answers, the better we are. This logic is counterintuitive to many people. How could we be more powerful and influential when we are not the ones in control? Pride and ego can cloud our minds, as pride is anathema to developing a beginner’s mind.

However, we grow by putting others first. We strengthen our willingness to trust because we are implicitly trusting others to be themselves. Impact comes through kindness, empowerment, and by understanding an individual’s needs and wants and then leading them in that direction. When you know this, you’re able to help each person achieve their potential.

And you're on your way to building a positive culture that everyone wants to be a part of-- from the inside out.

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Christopher D. Connors is the author of The Champion Leader (pre-order now!). He's a keynote speaker, executive coach, and globally recognized expert on emotional intelligence. Christopher consults with executives and leaders at Fortune 1000 companies and with organizations spanning many industries.

He is the #1 best-selling author of Emotional Intelligence for the Modern Leader, one of the top selling emotional intelligence books in the world. He is also the creator of top LinkedIn Learning course, Leading with Emotional Intelligence.