Shape team culture to support performance, equity and engagement

This standard is about shaping and sustaining a team culture that supports performance, equity and engagement within your area of responsibility. You work in partnership with colleagues to assess the factors that influence team culture, act in ways that build trust, inclusion and shared purpose and lead others to address behaviours that undermine equity or engagement. You establish conditions that support participation, collaboration and contribution, reduce barriers that limit colleagues’ ability to engage and support colleagues to take responsibility for their role in contributing to a positive culture. You promote equitable and inclusive practices aligned with organisational values and professional ethics, provide evidence-based guidance and enable reflection on assumptions, unconscious bias and behaviour. You use data and research to monitor changes in the working environment and reflect on your own impact to strengthen how team culture is shaped and sustained. 

This standard applies to managers and leaders at all levels across all sectors.

1. Work in partnership with colleagues to assess factors that influence team culture, performance, equity and engagement within your area of responsibility to identify strengths, risks and opportunities for improvement. 
2. Establish and role-model behaviours that promote a positive, inclusive and values-aligned team culture to strengthen trust and shared purpose. 
3. Communicate expectations, ways of working and intended outcomes clearly to support inclusion, respect and shared understanding. 
4. Work in partnership with colleagues to identify and address barriers that limit participation, engagement or contribution to support a positive and equitable team culture. 
5. Enable colleagues to contribute ideas and perspectives that strengthen team culture, equity and performance to support shared ownership. 
6. Support collaboration in ways that build trust, engagement and shared ownership to enhance team performance. 
7. Promote equitable and inclusive practices aligned with organisational values, legislation and professional ethics to maintain fairness and integrity. 
8. Lead others to address behaviours that undermine equity, engagement or organisational values in line with organisational procedures to maintain standards and protect colleagues. 
9. Respond to concerns about team culture appropriately and within organisational timescales to maintain trust and support improvement. 
10. Support colleagues to take responsibility for their role in contributing to team culture and performance to promote accountability and shared ownership. 
11. Provide evidence-based information and guidance that enables positive, inclusive and values-aligned team behaviours. 
12. Enable reflection on how assumptions, unconscious bias and behaviour influence team culture, equity and engagement to support learning and improvement. 
13. Use data, feedback and research to monitor workplace changes affecting team culture, engagement and performance and take action to respond. 
14. Reflect critically on your own practice to identify improvements in how team culture is shaped and sustained.

1. What team culture is and how it influences performance, equity, inclusion and engagement. 
2. The factors that influence team culture within your area of responsibility. 
3. How to establish and role-model behaviours that promote a positive, inclusive and values-aligned team culture. 
4. How to communicate expectations, ways of working and intended outcomes to support shared understanding. 
5. How to support others to identify and address barriers to participation, engagement and contribution. 
6. How to enable colleagues to contribute ideas and perspectives that strengthen team culture and performance. 
7. How to support collaboration in ways that build trust, engagement and shared ownership. 
8. How to support others to address behaviours that undermine equity, engagement or organisational values. 
9. How to promote equitable and inclusive practices aligned with organisational values, legislation and professional ethics. 
10. How to use data, feedback and research to monitor the working environment and identify changes affecting team culture, engagement and performance. 
11. How to provide evidence-based information and guidance that supports positive and inclusive team behaviours. 
12. How assumptions, unconscious bias and behaviour influence team culture and how to enable reflection on this. 
13. Theories of reflective practice and how they inform learning, improvement and cultural development. 
14. How to support colleagues to take responsibility for their role in contributing to team culture and performance. 
15. How to critically reflect on your own practice to improve how team culture is shaped and sustained.

The following values underpin this standard. They are integrated throughout the performance criteria and knowledge and understanding requirements and inform how individuals approach their work, make decisions and interact with others.

• Integrity - acting consistently with organisational values.
• Equity - reducing barriers that affect participation and fairness.
• Respect - treating colleagues with dignity in all interactions.
• Inclusion - valuing diverse perspectives and experiences.
• Openness - encouraging honest communication and shared understanding.
• Responsibility - taking ownership of the culture you influence.

The following behaviours underpin this standard. They are integrated throughout the performance criteria and knowledge and understanding requirements and inform how individuals approach their work, make decisions and interact with others.

• Act with integrity, addressing behaviours that undermine equity or engagement.
• Be inclusive, reducing barriers to participation and contribution.
• Act with respect, valuing colleagues’ perspectives and experiences.
• Be curious, encouraging reflection on assumptions, bias and behaviour.
• Take accountability for your impact on team culture.
• Role-model openness, promoting trust, collaboration and shared purpose.
• Practise self-care, maintaining habits that support balanced and effective leadership.