WEBVTT NOTE This file was generated by Descript 00:00:05.000 --> 00:00:06.290 Mike Bifulco: This is Tiny Improvements. 00:00:06.320 --> 00:00:07.369 I'm Mike by ko 00:00:09.684 --> 00:00:10.854 No team is perfect. 00:00:11.334 --> 00:00:13.584 Working on a team that's in a bad place can be draining, 00:00:13.614 --> 00:00:15.324 demoralizing, and even toxic. 00:00:15.834 --> 00:00:17.964 A few times in my career, I've been part of teams that were 00:00:17.964 --> 00:00:19.194 struggling to find their footing. 00:00:19.254 --> 00:00:21.234 And once or twice I've seen a turnaround. 00:00:21.664 --> 00:00:23.494 There's no cure all for a bad work culture. 00:00:23.734 --> 00:00:26.854 But in my experience, the catalyst for change is often remarkably small. 00:00:27.639 --> 00:00:31.239 Something I didn't realize until I'd been working for years, is that every person 00:00:31.239 --> 00:00:33.129 on a team contributes to its culture. 00:00:33.549 --> 00:00:36.599 This means that you have the power to shape the environment that you work 00:00:36.599 --> 00:00:38.339 in and the people that you work with. 00:00:38.823 --> 00:00:41.283 You probably have a sense of what your perfect team would look like. 00:00:42.123 --> 00:00:43.593 The right balance of autonomy. 00:00:43.863 --> 00:00:46.653 Intellectual challenge and comradery is different for everyone. 00:00:46.923 --> 00:00:49.113 And it's important to recognize that your ideal team might not 00:00:49.113 --> 00:00:50.313 be the same as someone else's. 00:00:51.243 --> 00:00:54.153 I believe that building a great team is not far off from the golden rule. 00:00:54.423 --> 00:00:56.853 Be the teammate you wish you had and others will follow suit. 00:00:57.883 --> 00:00:58.933 Embrace the positives. 00:00:59.373 --> 00:01:00.963 And creating a thriving team culture. 00:01:00.993 --> 00:01:04.473 It's invaluable to draw from the positive aspects of past experiences. 00:01:04.953 --> 00:01:06.873 Think about the best team you've ever worked with. 00:01:07.023 --> 00:01:07.893 What made it so great. 00:01:08.283 --> 00:01:10.563 Borrow bits and pieces from that experience and remix 00:01:10.563 --> 00:01:11.613 them to fit your current team. 00:01:12.183 --> 00:01:13.983 Here's a couple examples that have worked well for me. 00:01:15.033 --> 00:01:15.963 I'll start with gratitude. 00:01:16.273 --> 00:01:20.113 Cultivating a habit of expressing gratitude can profoundly lift team morale. 00:01:20.893 --> 00:01:22.783 Praise resonates differently with each of us. 00:01:23.053 --> 00:01:26.353 Some prefer public acknowledgement while others appreciate a private, thank you. 00:01:26.773 --> 00:01:29.683 It can take some time to figure out what works best for the people you work with. 00:01:29.713 --> 00:01:32.353 But no matter what expressing gratitude is always a good idea. 00:01:32.893 --> 00:01:34.753 Being openly thankful for your team's efforts. 00:01:34.753 --> 00:01:37.753 Foster is a positive environment and encourages everyone to contribute. 00:01:37.753 --> 00:01:38.653 Enthusiastically. 00:01:39.053 --> 00:01:42.413 Take the time to show your teammates, the things that you genuinely appreciate about 00:01:42.413 --> 00:01:43.883 their work and their presence on the team. 00:01:44.163 --> 00:01:46.053 Receiving that extra bit of love feels great. 00:01:46.113 --> 00:01:48.093 And selfishly, it feels good to give it to. 00:01:49.173 --> 00:01:52.203 This can be particularly tricky to do when you're feeling overwhelmed or stressed, 00:01:52.203 --> 00:01:55.383 but it's in those moments that a little bit of gratitude goes a really long way. 00:01:56.673 --> 00:02:00.093 At craftwork, we've adopted the practice of a weekly five fifteens reflection. 00:02:00.363 --> 00:02:02.613 A piece of work culture cribbed from my time at Stripe. 00:02:03.033 --> 00:02:05.673 Each week, every team member journals about what they accomplished that 00:02:05.703 --> 00:02:08.623 week, including the challenges that they faced and goals for the coming 00:02:08.623 --> 00:02:10.933 week, this reflection is time-boxed. 00:02:10.993 --> 00:02:12.223 They take 15 minutes to write. 00:02:12.223 --> 00:02:14.653 And each one should take no longer than five minutes to read. 00:02:14.833 --> 00:02:17.083 The result helps strengthen our understanding of one another's 00:02:17.083 --> 00:02:20.563 experiences, ensuring that no one's efforts or struggles go unnoticed. 00:02:21.253 --> 00:02:23.863 They also serve as a handy reminder of personal accomplishments and 00:02:23.863 --> 00:02:25.243 growth during performance reviews. 00:02:26.053 --> 00:02:28.633 it forces self-reflection and it gives us each the opportunity 00:02:28.633 --> 00:02:29.893 to see a bit behind the curtain. 00:02:30.353 --> 00:02:31.163 With five fifteens. 00:02:31.163 --> 00:02:34.223 We often get to hear more aspirational and candid thoughts than we would 00:02:34.223 --> 00:02:35.753 otherwise hear in a typical work chat. 00:02:36.323 --> 00:02:39.443 It helps us connect better as complex living and breathing humans rather 00:02:39.443 --> 00:02:43.433 than semi distant colleagues smashing code into a computer week after week. 00:02:44.723 --> 00:02:45.263 Up next. 00:02:45.383 --> 00:02:45.713 Fuck. 00:02:45.713 --> 00:02:46.433 The negatives. 00:02:47.393 --> 00:02:50.453 Adopting additive team behaviors is just as important as the 00:02:50.453 --> 00:02:51.833 elimination of negative ones. 00:02:52.733 --> 00:02:56.063 When was the last time you rolled your eyes or heave decide at work. 00:02:56.483 --> 00:02:59.213 This is probably a sign of something that's ripe for improvement. 00:02:59.813 --> 00:03:03.533 Whether it's a lack of transparency, ineffective communication, or a culture 00:03:03.563 --> 00:03:07.103 of overwork, recognizing these pitfalls is the first step in eliminating them. 00:03:07.283 --> 00:03:10.613 For example, if weekly meetings have always felt unproductive, Consider 00:03:10.613 --> 00:03:13.493 replacing them with more efficient communication methods, like brief 00:03:13.493 --> 00:03:16.553 daily stand-ups or targeted updates through team communication tools. 00:03:17.483 --> 00:03:20.353 Encourage your team to be vocal about what isn't working and be proactive 00:03:20.353 --> 00:03:23.413 and making changes that foster a more positive and productive environment. 00:03:24.013 --> 00:03:26.893 This not only improves the current team dynamics, but it prevents 00:03:26.893 --> 00:03:28.363 repetition of past mistakes. 00:03:29.903 --> 00:03:32.183 It's a great idea to do some introspection here, too. 00:03:32.993 --> 00:03:36.443 I've worked hard to jettison habits of my own that make me less fun to work with. 00:03:37.043 --> 00:03:40.523 Oh wide spectrum of behaviors from procrastination to communicating poorly 00:03:40.523 --> 00:03:44.733 when I'm stressed out to recognizing when I just need more sleep I'm far 00:03:44.733 --> 00:03:48.333 from perfect, but chiseling away at these things has hopefully made me a 00:03:48.333 --> 00:03:50.013 more effective teammate over the years. 00:03:51.123 --> 00:03:51.693 Here's the thing. 00:03:52.263 --> 00:03:54.903 Every job will involve doing things that aren't strictly fun. 00:03:55.473 --> 00:03:57.843 In a sense, that's probably why your job is a job. 00:03:58.473 --> 00:04:01.353 But that doesn't mean that you can't enjoy and improve the people you work 00:04:01.353 --> 00:04:02.793 with or the environment you work in. 00:04:03.453 --> 00:04:04.713 To truly transform your team. 00:04:04.713 --> 00:04:07.143 Start by being the type of teammate you would want to have. 00:04:07.533 --> 00:04:10.923 Embrace the give and take of support, ensuring you're as reliable and 00:04:10.923 --> 00:04:12.603 approachable as you expect others to be. 00:04:13.353 --> 00:04:15.963 The most important team I've ever been a part of is my marriage. 00:04:16.053 --> 00:04:18.273 And the best marriage advice I ever received was really 00:04:18.273 --> 00:04:20.593 simple: always over contribute. 00:04:20.923 --> 00:04:24.253 If both partners are always trying to give more than they take, you'll both be happy. 00:04:24.823 --> 00:04:27.523 I believe this holds for nearly all relationships, including 00:04:27.523 --> 00:04:28.513 those with your coworkers. 00:04:29.053 --> 00:04:29.953 Put yourself out there. 00:04:30.013 --> 00:04:32.233 Be a catalyst for change and grow with your teammates. 00:04:32.263 --> 00:04:33.613 As you build the team you want to be on.