How to Cultivate Team Spirit at Work

Team spirit in the workplace simply means having a team that wants to show up to work everyday. Often, this looks like shared team values, feeling appreciated, knowing each other socially, and more. 

What does team spirit look like at work?

There are a few simple ways managers can foster it, one being by creating spaces for celebration and inspiration sharing. That can be as simple as delegating a Slack channel in which team members can share interesting articles, podcasts, or books; or establishing a time or space for informal conversations that drive social connection. These efforts will create a working environment where team members feel empowered to speak up and share differing opinions, and result in a cohesive collaborative team.

As leaders, it’s also important that we make sure our teams feel proud of the work that they’re doing. On a daily basis, we should be giving shout outs to individual members, creating team rewards, and hosting celebrations for a job well done. You can find your own unique way to show that appreciation. How you do it is less important than whether or not you do it.

These options are just that, options. You should be looking to identify where your team has blocks in team spirit and how the individual dynamics on your team and within your organization affect that. Here are some questions to help you reflect on those factors:

1. Are there “cliques” among your team members? How can you bridge the gap between those groups and form a stronger bond as an entire team?

2. Is there one team member who almost always speaks the loudest? Is this person helpful or annoying? What are some of the ways you can get other voices to join in?

3. Is there one team member who is almost always the quietest? How can you encourage that person to join in?

4. How does your team deal with conflict? Are there any issues with passive-aggressive behavior? How can you use your own digital body skills to manage and diffuse that conflict?

As a final step, ask your team when they have felt most excited to be at work. This can give you clues on some new team spirit rituals to initiate. Maybe it’s happy hours, game nights, wellness/fitness activities, creative activities, or just simply catching up over video/phone. However, be mindful of how much time people spend online. It can impact how much they want to engage virtually outside of work-related interactions.

I hope this was helpful so you and your team can cultivate more team spirit at work. If you’re looking for more FREE TIPS, check out my FREE Hybrid Toolkit below.

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