{"id":3210,"date":"2020-11-05T14:21:58","date_gmt":"2020-11-05T14:21:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.interventure.info\/?p=3210"},"modified":"2021-07-19T09:48:45","modified_gmt":"2021-07-19T09:48:45","slug":"team-culture","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.interventure.info\/blog\/team-culture\/","title":{"rendered":"Is it possible to create a single team culture in a virtual team?"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"wrapper-text\">\n<p>Imagine this: two groups of people compete to make the highest tower possible made entirely out of<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Twenty pieces of uncooked spaghetti<\/li><li>One yard of transparent tape<\/li><li>One yard of string and<\/li><li>One standard-size marshmallow<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n<div class=\"wrapper-text\">\n<p>The only rule? The marshmallow has to go on top.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"wrapper-text\">\n<p>Now, if you know that one team consists of business school graduates and the other out of kindergartens, who do you think will end up as the victor? The answer might surprise you: it\u2019s the youngsters.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"wrapper-text\">\n<p>Let\u2019s elaborate on that.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"wrapper-text\">\n<p>Peter Skillman, a well-known professional in the product design world, created the so-called <a href=\"https:\/\/elearningindustry.com\/marshmallow-challenge-can-learn-kindergarten-students-team-collaboration\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Marshmallow Challenge<\/a> which proved that prototyping and multiple iterations lead to success. However, the experiment revealed a lot more about team collaboration and group culture.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"wrapper-text\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"3264\" height=\"2448\" src=\"https:\/\/www.interventure.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/Marshmallow-challenge-Interventure.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3212\"\/><figcaption>Interventure, taking a crack at the Marshmallow challenge<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"wrapper-text\">\n<p>Digging deeper into these findings and exploring social studies about different organizational approaches, we couldn\u2019t help but wonder: is it even possible to create a single team culture within virtual teams? How important is it to share physical space with other team members in order to feel a part of something bigger than yourself?<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"wrapper-text\">\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Team culture, as taught by kindergartens&nbsp;<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"wrapper-text\">\n<p>The reasons why kids won the challenge has a lot to do with how humans behave and perceive life at this age.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"wrapper-text\">\n<p>Playing is an important part of growing up and developing creativity. In contrast to business school graduates, kindergartens didn\u2019t waste time seeking power or overthinking their every move. At this early age, kids have the natural ability to cooperate with others and try different things, especially when they have a shared goal. With such a mindset, each challenge is a game.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"wrapper-text\">\n<p>The main thing to learn from kindergartens? They don\u2019t fear making mistakes. They simply get right into it because social anxiety is not a factor for them. They are not paralyzed by fear of making a wrong impression on other people in their immediate surroundings.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"wrapper-text\">\n<p>If you are brave enough to create a culture that encourages experimentation and values ownership, you\u2019re on the right track to create the highest tower yourself, figuratively speaking.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"wrapper-text\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"7952\" height=\"5304\" src=\"https:\/\/www.interventure.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/DSC1427-2.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3335\"\/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"wrapper-text\">\n<p>Of course, establishing a team culture in business organizations is a delicate act of balance because team culture shapes group mentality. It sets boundaries and defines what\u2019s desirable and what\u2019s not. Also, it encourages some types of behavior and doesn\u2019t tolerate some other.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"wrapper-text\">\n<p>There is a popular saying &#8211; culture eats strategy for breakfast. We couldn\u2019t agree more.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"wrapper-text\">\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Team culture has tangible business value<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"wrapper-text\">\n<p>Team culture has proven to be a crucial factor for company success. It can outweigh business strategy in terms of importance. But it\u2019s not just about creating a healthy work environment or maintaining a desirable employer brand that draws talent in and ensures collective progress.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"wrapper-text\">\n<p>A now-famous <a href=\"https:\/\/www.forbes.com\/sites\/johnkotter\/2011\/02\/10\/does-corporate-culture-drive-financial-performance\/#7dd7d1b67e9e\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Harvard study led by John Kotter and James Heskett<\/a> has proven that investing in the development of a specific kind of culture that is adaptive at its core, can dramatically influence a company&#8217;s bottom line.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"wrapper-text\">\n<p>The study focused on the difference in results over an eleven-year period between two groups. The first group included twelve companies that reinforced performance-enhancing culture, while the second group included twenty companies without an established culture of this sort. Check the table below for results.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table><tbody><tr><td><\/td><td>The average increase for twelve firms with performance-enhancing cultures<\/td><td>The average increase for twenty firms without performance-enhancing cultures<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Revenue Growth<\/td><td>682%<\/td><td>166%<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Employment Growth<\/td><td>282%<\/td><td>36%<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Stock Price Growth<\/td><td>901%<\/td><td>74%<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Net Income Growth<\/td><td>756%<\/td><td>1%<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n<div class=\"wrapper-text\">\n<p>(Source: Forbes)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"wrapper-text\">\n<p>The difference is most visible when looking at the net income growth. Wow, 756%! That\u2019s shocking, isn\u2019t it?<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"wrapper-text\">\n<p>The numbers don\u2019t lie: the right team culture has incredible business value. This value goes beyond the financial aspect and stretches to pushing innovation to the fore, doing meaningful work, enjoying a shared sense of purpose, and making a real impact on the world.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"wrapper-text\">\n<p>Now imagine if you align team culture and strategy so that they are cohesive and result-oriented? Or better yet: imagine including team culture <em>into <\/em>your strategy?<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"wrapper-text\">\n<p>Before we dive into the specifics of team culture in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.interventure.info\/blog\/blog-distributed-teams\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">virtual teams<\/a>, let\u2019s take a minute to see what \u2018cultural fit\u2019 actually means.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"wrapper-text\">\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Great team cultures are like business matchmaking<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"wrapper-text\">\n<p>There are many different team cultures and various categorizations, too. According to <a href=\"https:\/\/hbr.org\/2018\/01\/the-culture-factor\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Benjamin Schneider<\/a>, strong team culture is marked by endurance and it\u2019s based on the following model:<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"wrapper-text\">\n<p><em>attraction-selection-attrition<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"wrapper-text\">\n<p>This means people are attracted to organizations that resonate with their values and interests. Likewise, organizations pick people who fit into their existing or envisioned culture. Over time, those who happen to become a part of the organization but alas don\u2019t fit into the team culture &#8211; tend to leave. This is how \u2018culture becomes a self-reinforcing social pattern\u2019.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"wrapper-text\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"2400\" height=\"1600\" src=\"https:\/\/www.interventure.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/Tamedia-dinner-slides-2.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3337\"\/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"wrapper-text\">\n<p>Team cultures that prioritize learning and sharing a purpose have proven to be the most responsive to change which is paramount in today\u2019s fast-paced business world. But regardless of the culture style the company leans toward, there are three elements that need to be in place for a strong team culture (so writes Daniel Coyle in his <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Culture-Code-Secrets-Highly-Successful\/dp\/1847941273\/ref=pd_lpo_14_img_0\/138-7936193-1592206?_encoding=UTF8&amp;pd_rd_i=1847941273&amp;pd_rd_r=e3366ddd-117c-417f-b95c-de57cbc35b87&amp;pd_rd_w=ZA3fe&amp;pd_rd_wg=nQi8f&amp;pf_rd_p=7b36d496-f366-4631-94d3-61b87b52511b&amp;pf_rd_r=XF31HSAMWAKYVFV2QJ74&amp;psc=1&amp;refRID=XF31HSAMWAKYVFV2QJ74\" target=\"_blank\">book \u201cCulture Code\u201d<\/a>):<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"wrapper-text\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1500\" height=\"490\" src=\"https:\/\/www.interventure.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/Safety_Vulnerability_Purpose.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3340\"\/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"wrapper-text\">\n<p>Safety is about creating a safe and pleasant work environment that recognizes individuality but also aims to create a shared identity that reinforces a sense of belonging.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"wrapper-text\">\n<p>Vulnerability is about establishing trust, understanding the value and beauty of both collective effort and shared responsibility.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"wrapper-text\">\n<p>Purpose is about creating and fine-tuning a narrative about shared goals and values.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"wrapper-text\">\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Team culture doesn\u2019t exist in physical space<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"wrapper-text\">\n<p>Team culture is not something that inhabits office space. It exists within people. It\u2019s about the spoken and unspoken values of one organization, shared attitudes and goals, all the vital things that give team members an unshakeable sense of belonging.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"wrapper-text\">\n<p>If we touch upon preconceived notions and prejudices, being co-located isn\u2019t a guarantee for success just like <a href=\"https:\/\/www.interventure.info\/blog\/remote-management\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">having a distributed team isn\u2019t a formula for disaster<\/a>. In fact, there are a plethora of examples where fully remote companies have a firm, more tangible culture established compared to traditional companies that are tied to an office. Just think about Basecamp, Gong, Buffer, and other renowned brands.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"wrapper-text\">\n<p>Some might argue that, precisely because remote teams don\u2019t share a physical workspace, they choose to invest an extra effort to create a culture that supports healthy connections.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"wrapper-text\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"2400\" height=\"1600\" src=\"https:\/\/www.interventure.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/Zira-office-Redbox-Doodle-2-2.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3329\"\/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"wrapper-text\">\n<p>Instead of perceiving physical separation as an obstacle, true leaders can see it as a condition that follows a truly great opportunity: sourcing talent globally.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"wrapper-text\">\n<p>With technology, it\u2019s easy to connect in an instant with people who matter. Traces of team culture are omnipresent in every little thing you do &#8211; from handling misunderstanding and conflicts and managing business risks to addressing poor performance and celebrating success. It all comes down to the way people are treated and expected to treat others.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"wrapper-text\">\n<p>The truth is, the stronger your team culture is, the less you have to worry about supervising people. Trust and a shared drive is something that deeply resonates with team members on a tribal level. It\u2019s about creating a \u2018we\u2019 that puts everyone on the same page and gets them excited about work. This is why people don\u2019t hate Mondays; it has nothing to do with the location of their work station.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"wrapper-text\">\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Team culture within virtual teams, from InterVenture\u2019s perspective<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"wrapper-text\">\n<p>Now, if you bear in mind everything we wrote above about the tangible business value of the right team culture and the idea of matchmaking, what argument is there to hinder the possibility of connecting people who aren\u2019t co-located? We don\u2019t see it.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"wrapper-text\">\n<p>From our perspective at InterVenture, remote work comes with its set of challenges but it\u2019s the right people who make things work. We are very careful when it comes to exploring the possibility of collaboration with our potential partners because that\u2019s where cultural fit has to exist, too.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"wrapper-text\">\n<p>Simply put, InterVenture acts like a facilitator or a catalyst if you will, that helps the right people find each other. We are the business matchmaker, but that\u2019s not all that we do nor is it enough for long-term success.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"wrapper-text\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"2400\" height=\"1600\" src=\"https:\/\/www.interventure.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/Copy-of-Twint.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3331\"\/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"wrapper-text\">\n<p>The collective efforts of the Talent Management, the Community Team, as well as the Ops Team are what make all the difference.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"wrapper-text\">\n<p>Talent Managers are responsible for people and their professional development, as well as nurturing a healthy business relationship with the external partner. They lay down the groundwork for mutual growth.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"wrapper-text\">\n<p>The Community Team is there to facilitate a healthy atmosphere that is not just about tech and IT projects, but recognizes team members beyond their professional roles. Communities are like the glue that keeps people together and induces a strong sense of belonging.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"wrapper-text\">\n<p>The Ops team works really hard to support people to do their best work and enjoy it, too! They handle the logistics, paperwork, and take care of employee benefits.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"wrapper-text\">\n<p>Product companies turn to us as they look for specific profiles of talented software engineers who, not only have the desired level of experience and skills but also share similar values and a mindset. Sometimes they need to extend their team, while other times &#8211; they are looking for short-term help with a certain project.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"wrapper-text\">\n<p>Either way, our role is clear and we love it very much: we listen to what our potential partner needs and then match them with a team that represents their other half. We create a win-win situation for everyone involved: talented software engineers have the opportunity to work on projects that excite them while companies benefit from their expertise. That\u2019s how mutual growth works.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"wrapper-text\">\n<p>Cultural proximity matters just like shared team values do. This is why we believe it\u2019s time to <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.interventure.info\/blog\/blog-it-outsourcing-services\/\" target=\"_blank\">leave the dusty traditional notion of IT outsourcing in the past<\/a> and embrace a different approach.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"wrapper-text\">\n<p>If you\u2019re a developer or a software engineer, make sure to <a href=\"https:\/\/interventure.teamtailor.com\/connect\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">check out our community<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/careers.www.interventure.info\/#section-jobs\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">open job positions<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"wrapper-text\">\n<p>If you\u2019re a company that needs help with sourcing talent, InterVenture can help! We\u2019ll handle all recruitment, HR, and administrative work to bring A-team players to your ranks and support your growth. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.interventure.info\/contact\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Contact us today<\/a>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Imagine this: two groups of people compete to make the highest tower possible made entirely out of Twenty pieces of uncooked spaghetti One yard of transparent tape One yard of string and One standard-size marshmallow The only rule? The marshmallow has to go on top. Now, if you know that one team consists of business [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3214,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[13],"tags":[33],"class_list":["post-3210","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-general","tag-team-culture"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.interventure.info\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3210","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.interventure.info\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.interventure.info\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.interventure.info\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.interventure.info\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3210"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.interventure.info\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3210\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.interventure.info\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3214"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.interventure.info\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3210"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.interventure.info\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3210"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.interventure.info\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3210"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}