What is a team-oriented business culture, and why is it important?

Even if your workplace gets on most of the time, there’s way more to being team-oriented than strong banter and sharing hilarious GIFs on the office chat app. 

In fact, what may seem like a highly functioning team on the surface could, in reality, be a disaster in the making, with rivalries simmering under the surface and just one missed deadline away from outright communication breakdown.

Never fear. Whether your workplace is a well-oiled machine or everyone gets on like oil and water, this article will tell you everything you need to know about building — and maintaining — a team-oriented culture. 

What does being “team-oriented” actually mean?

Being team-oriented basically means you work well with others. It’s that simple! You leave your ego at the door and prioritize group success over individual recognition. 

In practice, this might look like flexing your communication style to help a neurodivergent teammate or offering a hand to someone falling behind. And you do these things not because you’re told to, or because you’re showing off, but because it supports the team — and by extension, your own success. 

A real-life example 

Two colleagues are co-presenting a project. One feels more confident speaking, while the other is happy doing the research. A team-oriented person won’t insist on leading the entire presentation and taking all the credit — instead, they’ll propose a split that plays to each other’s strengths, and credit the quieter person if they’re less visible. Why? Because they understand that shared success benefits everyone.

So what’s a team-oriented culture?

‘Workplace culture’ (also known as ‘organizational culture’) is a set of values and behaviors that define the business and its way of doing things. And team-oriented is — see above. 

When you combine the two, you get a workplace where team-oriented behaviour is the norm, and not just something that happens on a micro level. It’s something that reaches into every element of the business, from the hiring process all the way through to management values and behaviors.

What does team-oriented leadership look like?

Being team-oriented as an individual is a soft skill. It’s about working well with people. As a manager, this translates into focusing on motivation and well-being as opposed to completing tasks and deadlines.

That’s not to say you throw your schedule out the window. Far from it. It just means you approach things slightly differently. 

This could mean asking an employee whether they’re comfortable with the workload, as opposed to shouting deadlines at them. Or it could look like coaching someone to better performance, rather than threatening them with disciplinaries and targets they had no say in defining. 

Good to know: 

Team-oriented leadership shares similarities with a bottom-up management style, where leaders and team members are considered equals. This contrasts with a top-down style of management, which is more about hierarchies.

The hallmarks of a team-first attitude

If you’re a hiring manager, be sure to snap up team-oriented individuals, because they bring so much more than just technical nous. And while personalities differ, certain habits and approaches tend to signal this mindset. 

Team-oriented people:

• Support different communication styles 
• Value other ways of working 
• Are empathetic and supportive (rather than critical) 
• Can read the room
• Are able to compromise for the good of the group
• Are consistent, reliable, and dependable 
• Are supportive, rather than competitive.

Why team-oriented cultures thrive

Building a team-oriented workplace isn’t just lovey-dovey fluff. It pays off in tangible ways. We’re talking significantly better outcomes. 

Teams that talk openly and respect each other’s point of views work out problems faster. When you get different minds together, whether in person or online, it can spark fresh ideas.

Plus, if people feel like they’re part of a team all heading in the same direction, they’re more likely to care about their work. This means fewer sick days, less burnout, and fewer people leaving the company. Everyone is happier to share ideas because they feel safe to speak their minds. And instead of jealously guarding information like a dragon hoards gold, they see sharing knowledge as a plus for everyone.

At a glance:

• Faster problem solving 
• Higher engagement 
• More creativity and innovation 
• Better knowledge sharing 
• Fewer silos 
• Happier, more motivated staff.

What gets in the way of achieving a team-oriented culture?

Usually, it boils down to poor communication, a lack of inclusivity, and/or rubbish tech that hinders collaboration. 

Competitive and entrepreneurial characters can be great, but only if the quieter voices also shine through. If dominant personalities take over and leadership doesn’t moderate the situation, teams — and entire organizations — have a tendency to degenerate into a turf war. 

This unaddressed conflict can erode team culture, so you need to address these issues early on through intervention and coaching (more on that in the next section). 

How to promote a team-oriented culture in your workplace

It’s the actions of individuals that either reinforce or undermine that culture day to day. When people approach their work with collaboration in mind, it has the potential to shift the entire culture of an organization. Here’s how to do just that. 

1. More group projects

What better way to promote teamwork than by actually doing it? The more people collaborate, the better they are at understanding each other’s features, contributions, talents, and idiosyncrasies. In fact, when it’s managed well, teamwork has the power to turn enemies into BFFs (or close to). 

Managers can help solidify this by vocally celebrating successes that the team accomplishes as a whole. 

2. Training and workshops

Some people are naturally team-oriented, while others require a little nudge to bring these qualities out in them.

Training and mentoring can nurture these skills in team members and managers alike. Whether you run it yourself or bring in some outside help, make sure the initiative emphasizes the importance of different collective effort, coupled with practical steps for working together as a team. 

Events can be short and sweet, like scheduling an afternoon speaker — or they can be more intensive, like a workplace retreat or week-long training course.

3. Make space for different communication styles

Having a diverse team is all well and good, but if it’s not inclusive, then it won’t take off. The most successful teams value diversity and make space for it. 

Not everyone thinks, speaks, or works in the same way. Some people formulate their ideas aloud; others need reflection time before they contribute. In meetings and group discussions, being mindful of how people engage improves comprehension, which means better results. It also means a more flexible, inclusive workplace.

In practical terms, this might include offering a range of communication channels, leaving pauses after asking a question, summarizing what someone said to clarify understanding, or following up with written notes for those who process information better nonverbally.

4. Avoid hierarchies

Hierarchies, by their definition, split people into groups. Avoiding them where possible will help make your business more team-focused. This means managers letting others step forward and make their voices heard while focusing on transparency and consistency (as opposed to dishing out orders and deadlines). 

Moving towards a more bottom-up approach doesn’t mean you need to abandon top-down management styles entirely (such as with a matrix organization). It just means using it more sparingly.

5. Trust people

If you’re used to top-down working, trusting others to take the reins can be terrifying, quite frankly. But a big part of having a team-oriented business culture is trusting others to do their work. It also means nurturing their skills (rather than just doing it for them), and making yourself as approachable as possible. 

Avoid micromanaging like the plague. If it’s tough to resist, try using project management software to keep track of tasks and projects from afar. You get all of the insights without pestering your workers for updates. 

6. Support others (without waiting to be asked)

Teamwork isn’t always about big showy gestures at crisis point. Sometimes it’s noticing small things and stepping in early. 

Paying attention and offering help — even if it’s outside your usual remit — sends a strong message of solidarity. Just be sure to be discreet, because no one likes being made to look like they need to be saved! 

The key is to offer support that’s practical and non-intrusive. “Can I take this off your plate?” or “Want to talk it through together?” Or even a simple “how are you getting on?” can go further than you think. These micro-moments of teamwork create a ripple effect and normalize collaboration as a default behavior. 

7. Take responsibility for how your actions affect the team

Accountability means thinking about how your decisions and work style affect others upstream and downstream. 

Did you communicate clearly and inclusively? Did a delay on your part cause someone else stress? Did you miss out steps when explaining a decision to someone, or not offer an explanation at all? 

Being team-oriented means stepping back from your individual tasks and taking a proactive stance, from flagging issues to telling someone when priorities change. 

8. Give credit deliberately and often

Don’t save praise for end-of-year reviews! To be a truly team-oriented individual, take the time to acknowledge contributions in the moment.

This isn’t about flattery. It’s about lifting others and highlighting their efforts. When someone goes the extra mile or consistently delivers strong work, naming that contribution reinforces shared effort and trust, boosting the person in question while setting a great example — one where success is seen as collective rather than competitive.

9. Stay open to learning — including from your team

Being team-oriented doesn’t mean getting it right all the time. What it does mean is being willing to grow in how you collaborate. 

Maybe a teammate offers feedback that catches you off guard. Maybe a project dynamic highlights an area where you need to adapt. The most team-focused employees treat these moments not as criticisms but as clues. 

By being open to adjusting your approach — and learning from the people around you — you model the kind of humility and psychological safety that underpins the strongest teams.

10. Embrace apps and tools

Speaking of project management software, teamwork and communication go hand-in-hand. 

Online collaboration tools like Backlog can help managers stay up-to-date while helping manage their own work (minus the need for annoying update emails). It’s also perfect when face-to-face communication isn’t an option; something that’s becoming increasingly common as more businesses embrace the benefits of remote work.

If you invest in tools that help employees collaborate on their terms, you’re one step closer to a team-oriented way of working. Ready to give Backlog a try?

This post was originally published on August 26, 2020, and updated most recently on November 19, 2025.