For the past six weeks I have been on assignment in the Midwest trying to help a sports team elevate its performance on the pitch. Many of you might be surprised to learn that for every hour I spent on the pitch teaching technique and tactics, I spent another five hours addressing culture. 

Why?

Culture is the secret sauce that makes some organizations soar while others struggle to get off the ground.

Culture is like the DNA of an organization. It's the unique blend of values, beliefs and behaviors that define who we are and how we operate. From top brass to new recruits, everyone plays a part in shaping the culture of an organization.

Where to start?

Define Your core Values.

Start by identifying the core values that define your organization's identity and guide its actions. These values should reflect the principles that matter most to your company and serve as the foundation of your culture. These shouldn’t be just words you put up on a wall. They are the North Star in action, the principles that guide your everyday and strategic decision making. Our first step was a weekend retreat including the State of the Program, a S.W.O.T. analysis and goal setting.

Articulate a Compelling Vision.

Craft a clear and inspiring vision that paints a picture of where the organization is headed and why it matters. This vision should resonate with everyone.  Then put it everywhere and speak it often. Be uncompromising in aligning your decisions and actions around your vision. 

Foster Alignment.

Ensure that every member of the organization understands and embraces the core values and vision. Encourage alignment by communicating openly, setting clear expectations and providing opportunities for feedback and discussion. I mean: point it out when you see folks exemplifying the vision and redirect in the moment as you go. Often times, the behaviors that leaders see as clearly illustrating the vision will not be as clear to some and need to be taught practically. Other times, individuals on your team just will not follow, even when the example is crystal clear. When there isn’t alignment, move people on to their greatness. They will fit and thrive better elsewhere.

Lead by Example.

Leadership plays a crucial role in shaping culture. Leaders should embody the values and behaviors they wish to see in others, leading by example and modeling the desired culture in their actions and decisions. I began by demonstrating the level of preparation for meetings, practices and performances that I expect. Early is on time. Warm up is not part of practice. I changed the numbers of attendees to half and ran practices twice so that everyone is always directly involved eliminating side conversations, distractions and nonsense. Because I met with the staff for two hours earlier each day, all 75 minutes of practice is focused and designed around a single principle. Everyone understands what we are here to learn in each session and how it relates to our shared vision.

Measure and Iterate.

Establish metrics and feedback mechanisms to assess the health of your culture and track progress over time. If you’ve done your job here, performance reviews will not be surprising to anyone. For us, it started with technical measurements of athleticism and fitness, attendance and ability to learn and perform techniques. Solicit feedback from the team through surveys, focus groups, and one-on-one discussions frequently and use this feedback to make continuous improvements. Some measurements can even be posted so that everyone can see where they stand. Others may be more sensitive and should be shared privately. Basing evaluations on irrefutable evidence reduces misunderstandings, bias and solidifies concrete steps forward.

Expect & Address Storming.

As Tuckman’s model of Group Dynamics has taught us, all teams will exhibit fear and tension behaviorally during a culture transformation. After week 3, we had a blow-up on the field. I addressed the behavior immediately and publicly.  Everyone needs to know the consequences, as well as, the expectations. Goals without accountability will not transform a culture. Two days later we had another incident. I could see that we had bubbling tensions and factions building in the program. This is storming. It was time to regroup. I called the team together to touch base in a meeting. We started by reminding folks of the priorities, values and goals they had created in step one. I literally put the slides back up on the screen that were developed in the initial workshop. We implemented an anonymous tool for STOP, START, CONTINUE feedback. I used SLIDO during the meeting. The feedback went right up on the screen live. The more transparent you can be builds the trust that is required to get through the storm. The results were clear. The team wanted even more feedback. So, it was time for us, as leaders, to adjust. We set up 1-on-1 sessions to deliver focused feedback to the players later that same week. Your success during this phase of change requires the timely responses that demonstrate your genuine commitment to the team and the new vision. Addressing the storm was a meaningful waypoint in our journey and one that will stand as a defining moment as we reflect on our journey towards success in the years to come.

It's now 6 weeks later and stage one (Spring Season) has come to an end. Our performance on the field has greatly improved, but more importantly, the buy-in and belief to what we are trying to accomplish has elevated. The players who have committed to the new vision show up on time, phones are away in meetings, coaches are constantly giving feedback during and after sessions, practices are well organized and more. We are not the same group. The progress towards excellence is visible, tangible and visceral. Some have made the decision that this new vision isn’t for them, and that’s okay because we can’t be all things to all people. I sincerely wish them well and offer my support in finding a better fit elsewhere.

The team that remains is excited, motivated and growing in pride and cohesion.

They are on the RISE!

For anyone reading that is looking for more on driving change through a culture shift, I recommend reading:

1. “Corporate Culture and Performance," John P. Kotter and James L. Heskett
2. "The Culture Code," Daniel Coyle
3. "Drive," Daniel H. Pink
4. "Delivering Happiness," Tony Hsieh