After 15 years of research, McKinsey found that the successful transformation of the culture is the exception, in 30%, not the norm.
Unfortunately, high-performance teams are also a minority in organizations, with 18% from above leadership teams and 30% from all the collectives that act like this.
What makes changing culture and improving team cohesion so difficult?
After spending more than 25 years in organizations, your trainer Having worked as a CEO and as an organizational psychologist, I’ve seen that most leaders don’t know how to build both high-performing teams and thriving cultures in a way that really lasts.
Culture change is difficult. It is a big project and takes a long time, on average three years. People can give up because they don’t have a road map, they don’t understand how the pieces fit together, or they don’t see change fast enough.
Improving teams and culture feels intangible until it is measured. However, there was a lack of measurable evidence on the elements that create culture and successful teams.
This is the inspiration behind my latest book Connected culturewhich provides a roadmap for leaders to build high-performing teams and thriving cultures with the 5Cs model.
Presentation of the 5Cs model
The 5Cs is a scientifically proven model that includes five critical elements that create high-performing teams and thriving cultures. The elements are: Connection, Sincere Communication, Clarity, Cooperationand Contribution. Our organization developed the 5Cs model in collaboration with Principles experts, based on extensive research and experience working with executive teams.
These five elements are key to creating a healthy, high-quality team and workplace environment. The 5Cs model does the following:
- Explains about 50% of the variance in overall employee satisfaction
- It explains about 80% of the variance in satisfaction with organizational culture
- Shows that Connectedness is the strongest predictor of job satisfaction
- Shows that open communication is the best predictor of performance
Five key elements to improve team performance and culture
This article explains all five elements. In a series of future posts, I will go deeper into each of the 5Cs.
What this means: Coherence within a group and organization reflects the connections that everyone feels to the organization’s ethos and to their colleagues. Connection involves a deep sense of mutuality confidence which goes beyond mere association or participation and well-being which includes the physical, mental and emotional health of team members and organizations.
Why is it important: Trust and the sense that people care about each other as human beings are two key aspects of all high-performing teams. Although it may seem simple, these elements allow teams to integrate into each layer of the model.
Where to start: Recognize that business is done by people who have relationships with each other.
Reflection: How can you improve the relationships around you?
2. Open communication
What this means: Sincere communication is about direct and honest discussion between all members of the team and organization. It can be nurtured through it psychological safetywhich is seen through people’s willingness to take interpersonal risks, important two-way processes healthy conflict and return, transparency, openness information sharing and ideas of meritocracywhich reflect the willingness of leaders and managers to listen to ideas.
Why is it important: Having a foundation of trust is essential for open communication. The more open and honest teams are with each other, the better teams work.
Where to start: Too often I see teams shy away from having a tough conversation. To overcome this tendency, rely on discomfort. Broach the subject of a tough discussion carefully, without being overly critical.
Essential leadership reading
Reflection: What, if any, difficult conversations might you need?
3. Clarity
What this means: Clarity in a group or organization refers to how clear people are about their responsibilities, the processes they follow, and their common goals. Clarity can be achieved through differentiation roles and responsibilities and their associated expectations, clearly defining work flows and processesand creating and constantly striving towards it common goals.
Why is it important: When teams and organizations understand what they want to accomplish together, know their roles, goals, and how to achieve them, it reduces conflict and improves efficiency.
Where to start: Simplicity is powerful in defining shared goals.
Reflection: Are there shared goals that we as a group or organization are trying to achieve?
4. Cooperation
What this means: Cooperation measures the extent to which people support each other and hold each other accountable for their performance. It is reflected through a strong presence team supportcommitment to accountability fairly and consistently, and drive towards excellent in collective and individual performance.
Why is it important: Effective collaboration allows teams and organizations to work seamlessly and help each other be their best individually and collectively.
Where to start: Look at your colleagues and team members around you.
Reflection: How can I ask for help? How can I help others?
5. Contribution
What this means: Contribution reflects how the team’s actions align with the organization’s values, goals, and impact. It includes it impact that the team and the organization in the wider community, existence and acceptance of the key core values to carry out discussions, recognition meaning and significance and their importance for developing people and creating company-wide harmony in a shared vision which provides guidance and purpose.
Why is it important: Employees and teams often feel that their work is not meaningful or recognized. One of the main reasons this happens is that they don’t understand how their contribution fits into the big picture. When organizations recognize employees as effective and align individual roles with the company’s values, goals, and broader impact, results increase. motivation and performance.
Where to start: Align your behavior with the organization’s core values.
Reflection: How do the behaviors I live and lead each day align with the organization’s core values?
Team and culture change is possible when leaders know what to build and how to measure progress. The 5Cs model provides a clear map of where people and organizations thrive.
