Building a team where people feel they matter

By Darren Lewis | 1-12-25

Culture is something a lot of organisations talk about, but it is only useful if people actually feel it in their day-to-day work. At SGU we have anchored ours in a simple phrase: Because we care. It sounds straightforward, but the real work has been making sure it genuinely shows up in how we behave, how we treat people, and how we look after the assets we are trusted with.

Whether someone is tightening connectors on a frosty site or analysing data in the office, they should feel that same sense of care and ownership.

What caring looks like in practice

For us, caring is less about sentiment and more about behaviour. It shows up in how you take responsibility for a task, how you communicate with colleagues, and how you handle something that is not quite right. Caring means doing the sensible thing even when no one is watching, and treating a site as if you were the one who invested in it.

That also shapes how we lead teams. If we expect engineers to care for an asset, we have to make sure the organisation cares for them.

Different roles need different kinds of support

Our teams are spread out. Some are office based, others are remote or out in the field. Their daily experiences are very different, so their needs are different too. We have people who spend long days in the cold fixing issues, and people who monitor performance trends from home or from our office.

Keeping everyone engaged starts by recognising those differences. We try to keep communication open and honest, explain why decisions are made, and give people context rather than just instructions. A quick “well done” message or call after resolving a tricky issue goes a long way, especially for engineering teams who spend a lot of time working alone.

Care and performance go hand in hand

Sometimes people assume that a caring culture means a relaxed one. My experience is the opposite. When people feel respected and supported, they perform better. Engineers raise potential issues sooner, office teams share insights, and challenges are dealt with before they become big problems.

Caring is not about lowering expectations. It is about helping people meet them.

Keeping people engaged comes down to meaning

If people feel their work matters and they are seen and listened to, they stay engaged. We involve engineers in discussions about improvements because they notice things others will not. We encourage office staff to see how site operations actually work rather than just reading reports. Over time, this creates a shared understanding which naturally builds culture.

Culture is maintenance, not a moment

Building culture is not something you do once. It is ongoing. If remote engineers start to feel overlooked or office teams feel disconnected, then we need to adjust how we are communicating and supporting people.

We have a phrase internally: “If the people doing the work are not thriving, the culture is not working.” It keeps us honest.

Because we care has to be visible

When we say we care, it has to show up in everyday actions — not posters.

It means being available when someone needs support, giving clear expectations, checking in rather than assuming, and celebrating good work.

If our people feel cared for, they will deliver that same care to clients, stakeholders, and the assets we manage. That is how culture becomes real and not theoretical.

Because we care.

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