3 easy rules to build an awesome work culture

Team Culture.

I have a confession to make. I’ve never really played team sports. The closest I got was doing Mock Trial in high school. I was a witness. But even that wasn’t that 'teamy'. I’ve always been more of a solo artist. An individual contributor.

It was in my work life that I started to really see why teams are important. First of all – as I painfully learned when starting my own business – if you must you can see what it was via the wayback machine – doing everything by yourself is impossible. No one is great at everything. I needed a team to succeed but at the time I didn’t really know it. That business never made a dollar.

In my first exposure to healthcare data, I joined a small team funded by a research grant. It had a visionary leader - a PI who was an MD, an application guru, a patient whisperer and myself the data person. Mixing it all together, we were able to improve patient care and outcomes at the local HIV clinic. The project was a success because it combined our individual talents in service of a meaningful and clear vision. 

Now after 3 years at Bluetree Analytics, I’ve built a team culture that’s in a word, awesome. Best part is I kind of did it by accident. But there are lessons in there for any people managers. Here they are. 

Pavel’s 3 Rules of Building a Company Culture

(in no specific order)

1.   Honesty and Transparency

I’ve been allergic to bullshit since I was a kid. I don’t like lying or being lied to. It’s so much easier to just be honest and transparent. As I built the team, I’ve always shared our financial performance, our challenges and successes widely. Some people love that level of detail and transparency, some people don’t care but everyone appreciates the no-spin zone. 

2.   Have your team’s best interest in mind. On an individual basis.

I’ve seen this advice in different form from lots of people. But in essence, just ask your people what they want and listen. From money, to more time off, to learning opportunities, you have to figure out what your individual team members want from their work. And its different for everybody. Then you can figure out a way to support them on the path to get there. Basically, just try to have their best interest in mind. And if you do, that will translate to better engagement, high quality output and a happy, collaborative team. For example, if someone wants a chance at becoming a manager, note that, put them on a path to get there. Well, when they eventually take that manager role, they are much more likely to do the same thing for their direct reports and the virtuous cycle of growth continues.

3.   Give trust immediately.

The best people don’t want to be micromanaged, they want to be trusted and supported. I hire the best, or at least I assume they’re the best until proven otherwise. So my default with every new hire is to trust them implicitly. I trust they will do great work for the client, help others on the team and ask for help when they need it. Trust is taken away when something happens to warrant that. This is the opposite of trust is earned.

In summary, don’t swindle, truly care for your team and give them your trust. If you do that, they will support each other, tell you exactly what they need to be productive and perform at the highest levels.