As an avid sports fan I can’t help but hear the word Culture. It’s seemingly everywhere in the world of sports, & has risen to the top of many sports-related conversations. It seems like every time a new Coach takes over a team the sports media, social media, talk show hosts, & fans immediately begin talking about “changing” the culture of that team.
Like so many things in the world there are many, many parallels & similarities that can be transferred over from sports into life:
- In business it seems like every hot new company has a new methodology for establishing their organizational culture which drives profitability, sustainability, & financial success.
- At home if you don’t have the right culture in place you won’t need to look far to see, read, or hear advice on how to establish a great culture within your home & family.
But what is culture? How is it defined, & what does it really mean for you & your people?
A team’s culture in sports can be as simple as “the way we do things around here.” A business’ culture can define the personality of the organization & dictate how the employees within that business interact with one another. Family culture extends throughout the household & can have lasting impacts – both positive & negative – for generations to come.
What are some of the most common issues when establishing (or re-establishing) a team, family, or organization’s culture?
Oftentimes leaders will find that their people have grown bored with their process or bored with their role. Boredom can lead to being discouraged. A group that has become discouraged can soon become apathetic if that leader doesn’t address & handle the situation head on. Communication is usually a big part of any breakdown in organizational culture. Too often leaders will find that their team communication is only moving in one direction, usually down the chain of command. Poor communication, or 1-way communication leads to conflict & turmoil. For some, being understaffed or constrained by a lack of resources leads to poor decision-making which can lead to inconsistency.
Culture should have its own line item
There is no arguing that culture is extremely important within any organization. It shouldn’t be part of a checklist. Culture is important enough that it should be a separate line item (a highlighted line item!) that gets constant attention. If the leader doesn’t pay constant attention to the growth, decline, or stagnation of the organization’s culture, then no way will the people within the organization pay the culture that proper amount of attention. It can easily be argued that the most important job of any leader is to define, create, maintain, & improve the culture within their team.
As a leader you must start by gaining a real understanding of what culture is. Define it. Relate to it within your organization. Example: Just because the New York Yankees have a culture that celebrates consistency doesn’t necessarily mean that your new start-up company should define its culture the same way. What works for some organizations may not work, or may not even be appropriate, for another. Don’t just copycat the culture that one of your favorite teams or organizations utilizes; define what culture is, & make sure that it will fit into your scheme.
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Culture, IMO, is best defined when simplicity is mixed with the details. Simplicity in that it’s “the way things are done around here.” Details in that it is the ethos of a team’s beliefs, standards, practices, habits, & core values.
Now, it’s time as the leader of your organization to accept the responsibility (& it is a responsibility) of both defining & setting the standards for your culture. However, while the responsibility is yours, do not overlook the other individuals that make up your team. They are the ones ultimately who will carry out your organizational culture; without them & their support your job as a culture setter will be close to impossible. For a Sports Coach this could include the support staff, Assistant coaches, & players. For a business owner this could include your employees. For a parent, your spouse, partner, children. Whoever it is, & whatever the format of your organization, be painstakingly sure to include your people when considering how to set the tone for your culture.
Setting the tone
While NFL Head Coaches & Fortune 500 CEO’s receive a bunch of publicity regarding their culture setting there are many, many roles that require great effort & attention when it comes to establishing organizational culture. From Dads to Entrepreneurs there are folks in most every walk of life who can benefit from a few simple steps as they tackle the task of establishing culture within their team.
Start by identifying what matters to you most. This is your chance to look within & to give yourself an honest, candid assessment of your core values, beliefs, & principles. Without identifying these core basics of culture it won’t do much good to establish practices or habits yet. Be honest with yourself here; the last thing you want is to embark on a new culture without being comfortable yourself here. Tough to establish something you don’t truly believe in or are comfortable with even if it does sound really good.
Strong cultures must reflect your true core beliefs. If you establish your culture based on what is important to you it becomes easier for you to live by this culture. If it’s easy for you to live your life by this culture it becomes easier for your people to follow suit. Soon, your organizational culture is prospering without a whole lot of extra effort because you are already living it! If your culture is real, people will notice. It will become palpable.
Don’t get caught up in fancy slang, phrases, or buzzwords. Just because your favorite podcaster has a new 1-word focus doesn’t necessarily mean that this 1-word should drive your culture. Instead spend much time & effort to identify what it truly is you stand for…..& don’t shy away from it! Be proud of it!
It’s important to be authentic here as well – don’t just throw a word or phrase up on the wall because you think customers will respond positively or because the players will think it’s cool. You want the culture you are establishing to be powerful; it’s almost like a living, breathing thing.
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Prior to his time with Kashbox, JP spent 28 years as an NCAA Lacrosse Coach (22 years as a Head Coach). During that span, JP had the opportunity to coach with & against some of the top lacrosse coaches in the country.
Now that you’ve established what is important to you it is now paramount that you identify what is important to your team. Is your team a Championship-driven group with aspirations of winning? Or are they more complacent & more concerned with the experience? Lots of variables to consider here, but such a vital step in the process. Think how difficult it would be to establish a culture based on winning if your people aren’t the type of people who are willing to make the sacrifices necessary to win. Wouldn’t be easy, maybe not even possible. People drive the organization, so be very meticulous when identifying the core values of your team.
You want people on board with you who fit your culture. Many times (probably most times) it will benefit the team if you sacrifice a little to bring the right people on board. Maybe there is a player with a little less speed or strength, but who fits in extremely well with your culture. It very well may be worth it to sacrifice a little bit of talent to accentuate your culture in these cases. Your people matter. A lot. Spend extra time, effort, & energy to get to know your team. This extra effort will be rewarded as you fill your team with the right people.
As Jim Collins says in his book Good to Great: “Get the right people on the bus, the wrong people off the bus, & everyone in the right seats.” If you’ve ever traveled a journey with a bus full of the wrong people you know how important this is!
A living, breathing thing
A strong culture can be an amazingly powerful thing. Once defined, established, nurtured, & practiced it can & will take on a life of its own. It will inspire & motivate. It will stimulate & educate. It can become much like a living, breathing thing that not only needs constant attention but is also incredibly rewarding to cultivate.
Powerful cultures extend beyond any playing field or locker room. They can permeate boardrooms & meeting rooms. Classrooms & Dining rooms. It is well worth the effort. Not only is it worth the time, effort, & energy to establish your culture the right way it leads to efficiency. The more established your culture becomes (which will take lots of that time, effort, & energy) the more efficient your organization will run allowing you as the leader to focus on the many little things that add up to big things. The more established your culture becomes, & the more “right people” you get on your bus the more engaged everyone becomes in your process.
An engaged team, organization, or family is a powerful thing to experience. So start at the top with yourself as the leader. Thoroughly examine yourself; your characteristics, standards, beliefs, core values, practices, & habits. Break them all down. Analyze them. Are they in alignment with your team? Do they need to be tweaked in any way?
Walk the walk, don’t just talk the talk. The process is worth it, & the results will be tangible.
Along with his responsibilities as an NCAA Coach, JP has also been a small-business owner for the past 22 years. He founded & built a successful lacrosse camp business that, in addition to camps, expanded into travel teams, clinics, lessons, & consultations.
In both of his careers as an NCAA Coach & small-business owner, JP has helped to teach, coach, mentor, & develop hundreds of players & coaches.
