Recently I worked with a team on building their team culture and their part in creating it. I started off by asking them a simple question.
“Who are your leaders?”
They responded by saying the coaches, captains, and few other names of teammates who are high performers on their team. When I ask them who shapes their teams’ culture they responded by naming the leaders they previously mentioned.
Wrong. The culture is the attitude of the people in it.
I asked them if they are part of their culture, which they nodded.
“If you are a part of the culture, you have a part in creating it. That makes you a leader as well.”
I knew immediately the reason they weren’t liking their current team culture is that they weren’t doing anything to change it. They ignored their responsibility as leaders to take ownership of creating the culture they wanted. They avoided stepping up as a leader and placed blame on a select few who they thought controlled the culture. If this is the case with your team, your culture will not change until the attitudes of the people on the team change.
“Leaders create the culture that drives the behavior that produces results.” – Brian Kight
Everyone on your team are ALL leaders in the sense that they all play a part in creating the team culture. Leadership means taking ownership of that role. The culture is YOU. It’s not the coach, captains, school, or fans. The culture is each and every one of YOU. What YOU believe and do can change the culture.
Once you can create buy-in from your team that each and every person plays a vital role in establishing the team culture you can change it. Establish values and rules that you want your team to live by. What kind of culture do you want? What do you want your team to look and act like? Create unified team goals that everyone on the team buys into. Once you know your values, rules, and goals that everyone is onboard with you can shift the culture and change the attitudes on the team to step up as leaders and take ownership of their part on the team.
Teams with great cultures also know how to bring the energy with their positive attitudes. Does your team do this? Energy is contagious. Once it’s formed and passed throughout the team it can create powerful momentum.
Feel the energy this team I worked with brought in an activity called Rock, Paper, Scissors Cheerleader. The only way this activity works successfully is if the whole team buys into the game, develops a positive attitude, and brings the energy. If you were another team looking in, what would you think about this team? Other people and teams can feel the energy from these groups and they are drawn to them! You can intimidate your opponents and draw others to be on your team through your team culture. Create the culture that you want and remember that each and every person on your team has a part in creating it.