5 signs of a healthy culture

When I am going into a team and coaching for the first time, I will inevitably get this question, "How do I know if my team culture is truly healthy?".  Most of the time the leaders at the top don't have an accurate assessment of what is going on in their environment.  It's not necessarily their fault, but that is a post for another day. The old adage holds true, sometimes you really can't see the forrest for the trees. When you are imbedded in the happenings of everyday life, you cant't always see the nuances of what is really happening. It's hard to accurately assess how things are going, no matter the team you are leading.  

Here are a few signs that your team is in a healthy place:

1. The team celebrates victories, both personal and professional.
When someone hits a goal or receives that promotion or aces a test, that person should be celebrated. There is a quote by Jordan Peterson that rings true, "Share good news with people who are going to be genuinely happy for you and that's one way you can identify people who are truly on your side."  If you find yourself  holding back some great news or accomplishment, pay attention.  Ask questions. 

2. Team members Respect clearly communicated boundaries
If you tell someone that you have had a hard morning and you need 5 minutes to get it together and their reply is " Yeah but, we need...". Or if you have an employee that has been told not to do XYZ but does it anyway, these are red flags. Pay attention to what happens when you tell someone "NO". That persons response will tell you a lot.
(Notice that the words "clearly communicated" were italicized. Expectations and boundaries need to be clearly communicated. We can not assume that people know our personal or professional expectations/boundaries.)

3. Each person accepts Responsibility aka NO Blame Games 
In any relationship, conflict will arise.  It is human nature.  How we handle that conflict makes all the difference. During healthy conflict, each person must as accurately as possible recognize their role in the conflict. If there is finger pointing and defensive talk, that is a red flag. "I'm sorry, BUT..." is not true personal responsibility. It is deflection and shifting to the blame game.

4. Everyone understands personal growth is a way of life
In healthy cultures, we must constantly grow and adapt. This is true in nature and it is true in relationships. We must constantly strive to understand what we are bringing to the table. We need to understand that we have not figured it all out and there is always room for growth and improvement.

5. Progress, NOT Perfection, is the goal
In healthy cultures, we recognize the humanity of each person.  We are not perfect creatures, so we should not expect perfection from anyone. If perfection is a goal, we have already failed. Progress is the goal. One step ahead is the purpose.

No matter what team you are leading, these traits can become a way of life. You can live and lead well. And lead your team to a healthy culture.