Department Climate is essentially how the staff interact and treat one another as well as how they interact with clients and others outside of the department. 

A positive, respectful climate is essential to the successful functioning of your area. A negative working environment can handicap any department.

Ideally, you want to create or reinforce a climate where staff treat each other with dignity and respect, listen actively, ask productive questions, communicate constructively with candor and openness, and where staff feel support and have a strong connection to their work.