1. BUILDING A STRONG
TEAM CULTURE
Lessons learned by a guy who made lots of
mistakes along the way

2. WHO AM I?
Mark Fordham
singing cockroach, vp services @ centraldesktop
©2012 Central Desktop

3. What I hope to…
• Do • Not Do
Mark
©2012 Central Desktop

4. Some things I’ve learned….
Business is personal Work can be fun People want to win
©2012 Central Desktop

5. What I (try) to do
(and no, I didn’t pull this out of some leadership book)
Strong Team
Culture
©2012 Central Desktop

6. Alignment
Goals: How:
• Right players in the right roles • Feedback loop
• Team oriented to the way • Buy-in on the big stuff –
they’ll work together both in frequent check-ins
word and deed • Leadership retreats to get
• Everyone pointed in the same feedback on direction with
direction and the right rotating members
direction • Remove players that aren't
aligned with the vision
Why: • Propose specific new roles
• Malignancy spreads suited to strengths of
• Misalignment breeds hostility individuals and making those
and personal agendas roles central to the direction
on the department
©2012 Central Desktop

7. Appreciation
Goals: How:
• A great place to work • Shut up and listen
• Foster greater cross-team • Be random
collaboration • Random notes
• Be specific
• Be consistent
Why: • Senior leadership email –
• Valued team members value managing up
their work and others • Viral value recognition – team-
• Higher retention wide contests
• Measureable productivity • Starbuck’s anyone?
gains • End of day bell ringing
©2012 Central Desktop

8. Acknowledgement
Goals:
• Transparency to the good, the bad,
and the controllable
• A team open to change
Why:
• Team members respect and trust who
they work for and where they’re
headed
• We’re all grown ups
How:
• Publish weekly management meeting
notes
• Open ear + open mind
• Honest and respectful notifications
around personnel changes
• Sharing financials
• Admission of mistakes
• Explain the “why’s”
©2012 Central Desktop

9. Accountability
Goals: How:
• Individual empowerment • 1:1 passion pow wow’s
• Individual contribution to the • Set the direction, define the
mission – everyone has a stake measurements for success and
• A safe place to grow get out of the way
• Change it up – realign
constantly
• Career pathing
Why: • Every initiative should be
measured
• Most people want to be • Options
measured – “How am I doing?
Am I making a difference?”
• Team members want a chance *Accountability can be shared.
to shine
©2012 Central Desktop

10. Ambition
Goals:
• A culture of learning
• Winning
Why:
• Maximized potential is never
realized playing it safe
• How:
• Iterate
• BHAG
• TBO (team based objectives)
©2012 Central Desktop

11. Amusement
Goals: How:
• Team ‘thrival’ versus survival • Wine Fridays (depending on the
• Dare I say make work a place you day, sometimes its Wine
don’t loathe? Everydays!)
• Random guitar sessions
• Ring the bell
Why: • Impromptu joke telling sessions
• We all work way too much not to (some call it cringe sessions)
protect the very thing that • Cockroach outfit-wearing sing a
humans crave – laughter and long
good cheer
• We spend more time at work
than we do with our significant
others (friends, family)
©2012 Central Desktop

12. One more thing….
To do this right….
• This has to be intentional.
• This has to be authentic.
• This has to be a priority.
©2012 Central Desktop

13. ANY
QUESTIONS?
WE DON’T BITE!
©2012 Central Desktop