Building a Positive Workplace Culture

International schools are known for creating vibrant school cultures, focused on shaping and enriching the experiences of students and their families. Many schools, however, overlook the importance of attending to the workplace culture. And yet, research consistently shows an association between a positive culture and high levels of employee engagement, performance, wellbeing, and retention. Workplace culture determines how staff and leaders communicate, collaborate, and feel about their work. In international schools, where diverse teams operate in high-pressure, fast-paced environments, workplace culture is a crucial determinant of student outcomes and school effectiveness. 

While building and maintaining a positive workplace culture is the collective responsibility of all staff, leaders play a critical role as carriers of the culture. Through their actions, words, and priorities, leaders set the tone for what is valued and expected within the school community. By intentionally focusing on four key components - belonging, positive collegial relationships, recognition and appreciation, and psychological safety - international school leaders can create an environment where staff are flourishing and able to maximize their contribution to the success of the school.

Belonging

Belonging is the glue that holds a diverse international school workforce together. It creates an emotional connection to the workplace through a sense of shared purpose and inclusion. Strategies to build belonging include the following:

• Defining shared values, mission, vision and goals: working together to articulate what drives the staff community and ensuring that everyone knows the crucial role their daily work plays in achieving the school’s goals. 
• Collaborative problem solving and decision-making: acknowledging and drawing on the knowledge and expertise of staff to maximize school effectiveness.
• Diversity, equity, and inclusion: ensuring individuals from all backgrounds and perspectives feel represented, accepted, respected and treated fairly.

Positive Collegial Relationships

Healthy relationships among colleagues, built on trust, respect, and civility, form the backbone of a positive workplace culture. To foster positive collegial relationships, leaders should focus on building a strong sense of staff community and establishing behavioral norms that guide collegial interactions.

Building a strong staff community requires intentionally creating opportunities for employees to collaborate, socialize, and develop meaningful connections. In the fast-paced environment of international schools, it is easy for leaders to overlook the importance of such efforts amidst competing demands and packed schedules. Prioritizing time for staff to come together should be seen as a valuable investment, however. Regular team-building activities and opportunities for collaboration between teams foster a sense of unity and mutual understanding, which directly enhance workplace effectiveness. Additionally, dedicating time for social gatherings allows staff to connect on a personal level, helping to build camaraderie and trust. These efforts are not a luxury but a vital element of a thriving and supportive workforce.

Support staff play a key role in the success of any international school but are often excluded from opportunities to collaborate and socialize. Their inclusion in the broader staff community breaks down silos, promotes mutual understanding, and reinforces the idea that every team member's contribution is valued. 

Positive relationships are constantly reinforced by respectful and civil interactions between colleagues. Establishing explicit norms around collegial behavior is essential to ensuring that everyone is clear about what is expected from them. By facilitating with all staff the collaborative development of a Workplace Culture Statement and a set of behavioral norms, leaders can ensure that interactions remain positive. This clarity not only fosters a positive environment but also provides a basis for accountability when conflicts arise.

Leaders at all levels play a pivotal role in shaping and sustaining positive collegial relationships, setting the tone for how relationships are formed and maintained, and demonstrating through their actions what trust, respect and civility look like in practice. Building connections with staff and modelling behavioral norms inspires their team to follow suit, creating a cohesive and supportive environment where positive interactions are the norm.

Recognition and Appreciation 

Recognition and appreciation are fundamental to fostering a positive workplace culture. Many schools already have systems in place to acknowledge the work of staff. Developing a culture of recognition and appreciation is more nuanced than shout-outs, long-service awards, and teacher appreciation lunches, however. Leaders can show staff they are recognized and appreciated in the following ways:

• Checking in regularly and finding out what staff are working on, to ensure they feel seen and known.
• Soliciting feedback on new initiatives to ensure staff feel heard. 
• Ensuring staff feel understood by listening to their concerns and asking them what they need to be more effective in their work. 
• Ensuring staff feel respected by increasing autonomy over their work and avoiding micro-management.
• Learning about the aspirations of team members and supporting their growth, to ensure they feel supported.
• Noticing and mentioning excellent work, authentically and in-the-moment, to ensure staff feel truly recognized. 

Psychological Safety

Psychological safety is essential to creating a positive workplace culture. Individuals need to trust that they can express ideas, raise concerns, or make mistakes without fear of judgment or retribution. This sense of safety fosters open communication, collaboration, and mutual respect, and also supports resilience and wellbeing by reducing stress.

Leaders can help create psychological safety with their teams by implementing the following practices: 

• Acknowledging that failures are a normal part of the learning process and are steps toward improving individual and team effectiveness. This involves sharing their own mistakes openly and honestly and encouraging others to do the same. 
• Admitting that they do not have all the answers and creating an environment where it is normal to ask questions and seek advice from others.
• Orchestrating constructive solution-focused discussions when things go wrong, rather than apportioning blame.
• Regularly seeking feedback from team members and responding productively when challenged.

The quality of the workplace culture in international schools is just as important as the culture created for students and their families. Leaders should see time spent improving the workplace culture as an investment in the long-term success and effectiveness of the entire school community. A thriving workplace culture built on belonging, positive collegial relationships, recognition and appreciation, and psychological safety not only enhances staff performance and wellbeing but ultimately impacts student success. By intentionally cultivating these four elements, international school leaders can create an environment where staff feel connected, respected, valued and empowered to give their best.