Developing Culture is a process.

Culture is a process, not an event.  

 How does one go about creating culture on their team or within their organization or facility? It is truly a simple concept. Establish values, live those values and then teach those values. This is how culture is created. 

 Creating a culture is not a single event. It is a process, and it is an intentional series of events.  It must be worked on and acknowledged everyday and nurtured like a child. It needs nourishment and guidance, affirmation and rewards. 

Some coaches may say culture is not important, that it is fluffy mamby pamby stuff and teaching technique and tactics are what is important.  To this I offer as counterpoint great teams, like New Zealand’s national Rugby team the All Blacks. The All Blacks are world renowned for their culture, for being a team that sticks together. “Once an All Black always an All Black.”  If you have not read the book “Legacy” by James Kerr, I would highly recommend it. It is my top choice of coaching books at the moment.  

To create culture, you must know your values, define them, live them and teach them.  Be diligent about upholding your values. In order to create a meaningful long term culture you may have to fight the current fallacy of win at all cost, Internet driven motivation and self professed fame and narcissism that pollutes our current social media driven culture.  The endless posts of your “athletic achievements”, what you look like (selfies in the mirror), what you eat etc.  These types of posts fight most positive cultures; they go against the core values of most people and teams and in the end are based in a shallow insecure attempt to build yourself up by accruing likes and followers. 

Let’s learn from the All Blacks,  “they say that better people make better All Blacks…” (J. Kerr. 2013) That means better people make better doctors, better mom’s and dad’s and better athletes.   

“Be a little bit better everyday.” (J. Swagar) 

Jenn Swagar 2017

Reference: 

Kerr, J. ( 2013) Legacy. Little Brown Publishing.