Clan culture: collaboration and trust
A people oriented, family like culture with a strong focus on collaboration, engagement and open communication. Teams work around shared goals and development receives great attention.
What is a collaboration culture?
A people oriented, family like culture with a strong focus on collaboration, engagement and open communication. Teams work around shared goals and development receives great attention.
Characteristics
Drivers
Effects in the workplace
Increases engagement and loyalty, strengthens collaboration and stimulates knowledge sharing. Often less turnover and more collective problem solving.
Practical examples
Production teams holding daily brief meetings to solve problems together
Logistics warehouse where experienced employees mentor new colleagues
Construction site where team leaders ask their crew for weekly feedback
Food production company involving employees in improving production processes
Leadership in a collaboration culture
Leaders in a collaboration culture act as mentors and coaches. They encourage open communication, actively involve employees in decisions and invest in the personal growth of their team.
Action items for leaders
- Involve employees in decisions that affect their work
- Encourage mentorship and knowledge sharing within teams
- Organise regular team moments for open feedback
- Invest in training and personal development
- Celebrate successes as a team and recognise individual contributions
Risks and pitfalls
In extreme form it can become too permissive: results and accountability become underexposed.
Balance collaboration with clear result agreements. Ensure that collegiality does not come at the expense of productivity and that difficult decisions are not endlessly postponed.
Compare these examples with your own experience at work.
Take the free culture testFrequently asked questions
What exactly is a collaboration culture?
A collaboration culture (also called clan culture) is an organisational culture strongly focused on teamwork, engagement and open communication. Mentorship, shared values and personal development are central.
How do you recognise a collaboration culture in the workplace?
You recognise it by close knit teams, open feedback, shared decision making and great attention to employee wellbeing. New colleagues are often guided by a mentor.
Is a collaboration culture suitable for production companies?
Absolutely. In production companies a collaboration culture leads to better knowledge sharing, less turnover and stronger team cohesion. It works especially well combined with clear production targets.
What are the disadvantages of too much collaboration?
Too much emphasis on collaboration can lead to slow decision making, groupthink and avoiding difficult conversations. Result orientation can be overshadowed when there is no balance.
How do you measure a collaboration culture?
The Werkvolk culture test explores your experience across four CVF dimensions. A personal result describes your perspective. Discuss it alongside real work situations; use Culture Suite to collect several perspectives for a team assessment. The test uses original scenarios and is not the original OCAI instrument.
How do you strengthen collaboration within a logistics team?
Start with regular team meetings, encourage mentorship between experienced and new employees, and involve the team in process improvements. Small steps like a daily check in already make a big difference.