Learning how to build an effective culture is crucial for any team or organization to get more consistent with the day-to-day behaviors of the group. The culture aligns what the organization believes with the behaviors that result in those beliefs by clearly outlining the strategy that will produce the outcomes they’re after. This is only possible when you have a shared vision for the future. An organization needs a common mission to collectively work towards, along with a set of clearly stated values that will inform people on how to act in any given scenarios along the way.
What Is a Culture Playbook And How Do You Create One?
Every organization has a culture, either by design or by default. A culture by design is one that is built with intention, discipline, and skill. For example, if you tolerate behaviors that are inconsistent with the stated values, then you are getting a culture by default. However, if you hold each other accountable to the behavioral standards articulated in the core-values, you’ll demonstrate that you believe it and that you want to work to discipline yourselves to become that way.
The purpose of culture is to energize and sustain the behavior called for by your strategy. The environment of culture is how we need to perform in order to execute our strategy, the everyday operational stuff, in order to win. (ie; learning the curriculum, getting in shape, and managing weight.)
To design the ideal culture for your program you will need to have a playbook to properly articulate the purpose, create action plans for ongoing events, and great leadership to keep the organization disciplined throughout the execution stage.
I learned how to create a Culture Playbook via Focus 3, a company that educates coaches and organizations in how to develop culture and instill leadership in organizations. They are a great ongoing resource and I would highly encourage you to listen to their podcast as well.
How To Create a Culture Playbook
In order to properly explain how to develop the culture, I will use my own personal approach to this process. Just like any other organization you must start with a Mission and Core Values Statement. These two items will clearly articulate the “Why” and “How” of your program.
OUR MISSION
To impact communities all across the country through the sport and activity of wrestling.
CORE VALUES STATEMENT
Be discipline-driven, give relentless effort, and strive for personal excellence in all that we do.
Elements of the Culture Playbook
A culture playbook has 3 elements; a statement of what we believe, a statement of behaviors driven by each of those beliefs, which will also be used as consistent soundbites, and the specific outcomes that we want to produce through those behaviors.
Here is an example of my own culture playbook with the previously stated Mission and Core Values Statement.
OUR CORE VALUES
Be Discipline-Driven — Give Relentless Effort — Strive For Personal Excellence
The Beliefs
- Be Discipline Driven
- Give Relentless Effort
- Strive for Personal Excellence
Behaviors
- Think before you act.
- Do what’s right, even when it’s hard.
- Practice with intention, purpose, and skill.
- Empty the bucket.
- Find your wall of exhaustion and push it back.
- Do difficult things everyday.
- Lead by example.
- Try to master everything you do.
Outcomes
- Give yourself the best opportunity to make the right decision.
- Develop the courage to push through difficult things.
- Maximize your ability to learn and get better.
- Better today than you were yesterday.
- Best opportunity for success.
- More equipped than before.
- Become the most valuable to your community.
- Push those around you to become more than they currently are.
The Importance of Leadership in a Culture Playbook
Leadership will be a crucial aspect of creating the culture. Without it, you will be left with undisciplined default behavior, and that has never led to success in anything. Leaders create the standards and expectations for the rest of the group to model after.
Leaders Build Culture —> Culture Drives Behavior —> Behavior Produces Results
Leadership Essentials
To Engage, Envision, Equip, Execute, and Encourage the people you’re leading.
- Engage: Connect with people and build trust. The level of connection drives the level of commitment.
- Envision: What are the goals you want to achieve? What’s the plan or strategy? What work is required?
- Equip: People need skill. Job skills and behavior skills. Train people for the work they’re being asked to do.
- Execute: Go do the work. Work the process, invest the time, and solve the problems.
- Encourage: The constant input of energy from the leader to the team, individuals, and the process.