To spark some inspiration this week, I went back through my notes. Roughly six months of semi-readable scribblings from interviews and catch-ups.
It spun out a bunch of themes that kept showing up, and one theme kept coming up when culture was talked about.
The theme was the disconnect between core values promised/expected versus actually lived on a daily basis. That culture isn’t formed by words on a wall. You know the ones I’m on about. My guess is 90% of sports teams will have at least one of: Respect, Excellence, Integrity, Together, Humility, Passion, Pride, Resilience, Accountability, Family, and the classic ‘One Team’. There will be teams with 4 from that list. Plastered along the corridors and changing rooms of team facilities in any sport all around the world.
I’ve always wondered if you swapped the values out, would anybody actually notice?
My notes made me realise there’s a growing cynicism about those words on the wall, even the word ‘culture’ has taken a hit because of the way sports teams sell the creation of the words on the wall as being culture. But from my conversations, culture in teams is regularly referenced as being formed by collective buy-in to the behaviours and norms a group actually lives by. The things they do consistently, not what they say. That buy-in starts with the people setting the standards, and whether they hold themselves to them before they hold anyone else (especially players) to them.
One sporting director said that high expectations “start with the staff, before we even think about the players.”
And one line in an interview I noted: “Every decision sends a message. Standards tolerated become culture.”
So, this week’s question:
Question 006
What standard do we hold the players to that we don’t hold ourselves to?
Players get fined for being late while staff meetings regularly start ten minutes behind. Players have their sleep, recovery and workload monitored, while staff look like zombies running on 14-hour days, missed meals and 10+ cups of coffee. Players are reviewed after every game, but many staff haven’t had honest feedback or a proper 1:1 in months.
None of this is about catching anyone out or pointing the finger. It’s just a healthy reminder connected to culture, that players notice everything.
On your own: Write down one standard you’d expect any player to meet, and be honest about whether you meet it yourself.
With your team: Everyone writes one behaviour or standard that’s currently slipping from staff but expected by players, then read them out. Pick the one that comes up most, and agree how you’ll hold yourselves to it this month.
See you next week.
Michael