Team Climate
Definition
The perception of team members regarding the atmosphere of the team.
What is it?
Team climate in a retail setting refers to team members’ sense of participatory safety, how valued their voice is, and overall satisfaction with being a part of the team.
Why is it important?
A positive team climate fosters loyalty and commitment from employees. It also allows for more creativity and innovation from the team and overall satisfaction.
Suggestions for Improvement
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Work to Inspire a Shared Vision
Either lay out for your team or open up a conversation with them about exactly what the team is aiming to accomplish. There should be clearly set goals as well as a vision of the impact the team can have if they accomplish what they set out to achieve. If everyone is working towards the same end, the team will function better as a whole.
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Create Participatory Safety
It is up to the leader to create an environment of support and trust. Employees should feel free to express their thoughts, ideas, and opinions without fear of being dismissed or chastised. Be sure to support and encourage all thoughts and ideas and do not tolerate team members who try to shoot down others’ contributions.
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Support Innovation
Allowing employees to play off of their strengths benefits both them and you, as they may see things in a way others don’t. Creativity and innovation can be encouraged in playful and fun ways, such as a competition to create a new display or a suggestion box for ways to improve the store that then the entire team gets to vote on.
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