Watch the full episode How Our Shared Identities Can Propel Us to Greatness – or Self-Destruction with Jay Van Bavel
If we wish to get high performance in our organization, we have to build teams that, in themselves, are high-performing. Some managers believe that all they need to do is to recruit people onto their team who are a strong culture fit. But this alone does not guarantee high performance. As Daniel Coyle highlights in his book, The Culture Playbook, culture requires deliberate planning and execution. During a conversation with our founder Dr. Hitendra Wadhwa, leading social neuroscientist and author of The Power of Us, Jay van Bavel, unveiled one key building block for creating an enduring and high-performing team: a strong sense of community.
The Essence of Community
A successful team is a close-knit community that has been forged through shared experiences and collaboration. Bonds formed during times of teamwork endure over time, allowing former teammates to stay connected years after parting ways. Trust and support are the bedrock of these connections, contributing to belonging and commitment.
Jay talked about the reliability that such an environment offers:
“One of the things that’s going to help [people] over a long period of time is that they have a community because they’re going to hit roadblocks. They’re going to need to brainstorm, they’re going to need fresh ideas and if they have a sense of cohesion and they go back out into the world… they can lean on this team for insights, support, connections, and networking ideas that will allow them to be vastly more powerful.”
This can have a number of other benefits for your organization, including increased employee satisfaction, improved teamwork and collaboration, increased innovation, reduced turnover, and, ultimately, increased profitability.
Military groups serve as prime examples of such community-building and the profound sense of duty to protect one another, especially in perilous situations. Soldiers not only act for their country but also safeguard the lives of their comrades in the trenches.
Uniting Teams through Rituals
Rituals play a significant role in binding groups together. An example of this is the pre-game Haka dance performed by the New Zealand All Blacks, a Maori ritual that not only intimidates opponents but also establishes a deep bond among the players. Jay highlights that these rituals, rooted in cultural evolution, have been instrumental in promoting cooperation and success in precarious environments.
Rituals are beneficial for bonding within companies too. Sam Walton, inspired by his trip to a Korean tennis ball factory, introduced the tradition of the Walmart Cheer. Every Saturday morning, leaders and associates would come together, cheer loudly, and express their appreciation for being part of the team. Walton acknowledged that these rituals may appear peculiar to outsiders, but he referred to them as the ‘spirit of fun’ that truly makes a team feel like one. The rituals either form naturally through interactions between team members. In this case, as leaders, you can pick these up and gradually establish them as the team’s rituals. Or you can ask around, get the team to have a discussion about what would put them in the ‘spirit of fun’ and then figure out what works best for them.
Jay Van Bavel’s research focuses on the impact of social identities on the human mind, brain, and behavior.
The Language of Leadership
Managers who wish to cultivate more community within their teams will benefit from taking on a collaborative and inclusive style to their leadership. Something as simple as the use of “we” in meetings and day-to-day conversations can create a space where diverse individuals unite under a common vision and shared goals. Leaders at successful companies like Pixar prioritize candor, embracing dissent and constructive arguments to nurture an environment where innovation and creativity flourish, leading to exceptional achievements for their teams. Daniel Coyle has studied this in detail — and we’ve covered it here.
Jay illustrated the importance of such inclusivity with an example:
“I was on a panel with Maynard Webb, who was COO of eBay during its explosive growth. He said in their C-suite meetings of executive leaders, they had a black hat and everybody had to take turns wearing it. And if you were wearing the black hat for that meeting, your job was to poke holes in all the ideas being proposed, even if you agreed with them. That was just to free up other people to feel comfortable challenging it and expressing their dissent.”
Community First
In our work at Mentora with executives and managers from leading companies including Accenture, Kraft Heinz and SLC, we have found that developing a strong sense of community based on connection and trust, creating a culture of respect and appreciation, and maintaining a positive emotional climate can improve individuals’ passion and motivation for the work they do.
As you seek ways to enhance team dynamics and drive productivity, remember that investing in a sense of community can be the key to unlocking the full potential of your employees and cultivating a thriving workplace culture.