How to Heal: Is Your Team Culture Too "Clique-y"?
A strong, inclusive team culture thrives on collaboration and mutual respect, but sometimes, without realizing it, teams can fall into the trap of creating cliques. When they become too exclusive, this makes for a dangerous culture.
Here are a few signs to look out for:
Exclusion at Social Events: Some team members are left out of informal social gatherings, such as lunch groups or after-work meetups, making it hard for them to form connections.
Groups Form Quickly: Existing team members quickly split into tight-knit groups that seem hard to break into, leaving newcomers feeling like outsiders.
Lack of Authentic Feedback: Team members have difficulty getting clear or honest feedback. They might be told they are “doing great” but not pushed to leverage their strengths to build new skill.
Resistant to Change: There's resistance or hesitation when team members bring fresh ideas or approaches to the table, and old practices are preferred simply because they’ve always been done that way.
Limited Collaboration Across Groups: Team members primarily work within their own cliques and avoid cross-team collaboration, leaving some team members unsure of how to integrate into broader projects.
Unwelcoming Non-Verbal Cues: Team members from established groups may subtly exclude others through body language, closed-off postures, or not making eye contact in meetings. They may even have their own secret symbolic language they use to signal to each other during meetings or events.
Favoritism or Unfair Treatment: There’s a sense of favoritism toward a group of members, whether it's in decision-making, resource distribution, or opportunities for advancement.
Inconsistent Access to Information: Some team members struggle to access the same level of information or resources as those who have been around longer or are deemed as being in the “inner circle,” which can leave them feeling out of the loop.
What You Can Do
If you spot these signs within your team, it’s time to take action. Encourage open communication, be proactive in creating opportunities for new team members to connect with others, and lead by example in fostering a culture of inclusivity. Building a team that feels like a community, not a clique, will lead to stronger collaboration and a more positive environment for everyone. For more on the difference between a community and a clique, read this blog post.
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