A Video, A Podcast and A Book on Culture

If you’ve made it this far I’m impressed. Many of my friends and mentors are tired of the word culture. I get it, I really do. The word has become over used and lacks substance. I still believe, however, being intentional about creating the optimal environment within an organization is the key to sustained success.

I wanted to share with you one video, one podcast, and one book recommendation. They are three of the best resources I’ve seen on culture in a long time.
Tim Corbin Vanderbilt BaseballTim Corbin is a baseball coach, but I believe anyone running a team or organization would benefit from his wisdom. My favorite quote from the presentation is, “Culture is the total personality of the organization.”


What’s your biggest takeaway from Coach’s talk?

Greg Carvel Head Coach of UMass HockeyCarvel took over one of the worst hockey programs in the country. In his first year, they went 5-29 and lost 17 straight to finish the year. Five years later, they won the national championship.
During the presentation Carver articulates how clarity of vision and people lead to a peak performance culture. Two quotes stopped me in my tracks:

  1. “Cumulative character is the backbone of championship teams.”
  2. “Our culture beats their culture.” (The last thing his team hears before they take the ice).

Driven by Insight

Belonging by Owen EastwoodI recently finished Belonging by performance coach, Owen Eastwood. In all my study of culture, this book did the best job articulating the work necessary to build an elite environment. Two ideas I loved:

  1. The word for leader in Maori culture is rangatira which means, “to weave a group of people together.”
  2. The differences between ‘collectivist’ and ‘individualist.’ “In collectivist societies behaviour is dominated by the needs of the group.” Individualist societies, on the other hand, have, “an ethos of looking out for number one.”

Action Step:Here’s what I would like for you to do: watch, listen or read one of these resources. From there, shoot me an email and let’s find a time to discuss your thoughts and observations. You will be doing me a favor….this is how I best learn, retain, and implement ideas.My schedule frees up in mid-October. I’d love to connect.
Mike
P.S. If you are looking for a framework on creating culture or analyzing your current culture look into my course on Clear Learn. Creating Culture

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Lessons Learned From the 4am Lifting Crew

My alarm is blasting. Blindly and wildly, I flail my arms to turn it off. It’s 3:36am. I stumble to the bathroom, brush my teeth, and get dressed. I head out the door still half asleep. My destination is the “Old School Gym,” to join the 4am lifting crew. 

As you enter the warehouse style building, 90’s and 2000’s rap is blasting. It’s like Vegas- the energy takes over. The gym is grimy. I feel at home. 
During July and August I trained with the 4am crew three days a week. I want to share the lessons I learned from the experience. 

1.    We All Need a Co-Signer: The owner of the gym, Cory Gregory, is a world leader in fitness. G and I have known each other for several years. During the pandemic, I joined his website to enhance my at-home workouts. One day G challenged me, “you need to quit messing around and join the gym.” So, I did. 
I hadn’t trained, trained in years. I was an old dog trying to learn new tricks. Entering the facility was intimidating. G did something, however, that we can all learn from; he put his arm around me and told me to stick with him. Call it what you want: inclusion, belonging, etc. I call it co-signing. Everyone instantly knew I was Cory’s guy. He welcomed me. That’s all I needed. 
I was reminded how important belonging is and how often we forget to be intentional about welcoming others.
What can you do to make a colleague or teammate know they are a key member of your group?

2.Consistency is the Key: Training at 4am one time isn’t hard- inconvenient maybe- but not hard. What is difficult is doing it every day, week after week. The crew isn’t impressed by someone making it for a day or a week. 
Isn’t this true in life as well? It’s easy to have great meet and greet skills. It’s easy to be a good spouse for a year or two. It’s easy to do the right thing every once and awhile. The real ones, the ones who are most impressive, are the people who bring their best selves every day. 
In what areas of your life do you need to be more consistent? 

3.Diversity Is a Competitive Advantage: The 4am crew is an eclectic group. There are professional power lifters, competitive athletes, coaches, professors, construction workers, and financial advisors. One of my favorite members is Joe. Joe spent several years in the Federal Penitentiary and now makes films. The diversity of the group makes it special.
Can you imagine a football team made up with only quarterbacks? A baseball team full of catchers only? Unstoppable teams are comprised of people with unique skill-sets and different life experiences merging together to pursue a shared mission. Much like a gut-wrenching workout galvanizes a diverse athletic team (everyone hurts the same) so does tackling challenging and meaningful work in the corporate setting. Shared values amongst unique individuals is the sweet sauce.
Could your group be stronger with different thoughts and perspectives? 

4.Earn Respect from Effort: I almost didn’t go to the workouts because I knew my max effort wouldn’t produce the same results as the others. I learned quickly that nobody cares. The way you earn respect is showing up and working your tail off. It was cool to have experienced lifters shout encouragement as I went for personal records (which aren’t that impressive).
A lot of time is wasted worrying how others perceive us. There is a very good chance they aren’t thinking about us at all. People admire those who are willing to do hard things. Your absolute best effort is enough.
Where can you earn respect by putting forth your best effort? 

Final Thoughts:I’m now on pause from the 4am crew. This time of year, my work demands I’m sharp in the late afternoon and evening. I’ll revisit the crew when my life cycle shifts. 
I’m thankful for Cory and the crew. I’m recommitted to my health and fitness. I was reintroduced to doing hard things. Also, I was able to experience being coached again. When you’re the one typically doing the coaching you forget how hard that can be. 
Is there something crazy, even extreme, that you’ve wanted to do but for whatever reason you haven’t pulled the trigger? Have you been presented with an opportunity in which you wanted to participate but lack of confidence has stopped you?
This week, I challenge you to do something that scares you. 

Mike
P.S. If you want to learn more about Cory and Max Effort check out the two links below:

Cory G Fitness

Max Effort

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Relationships > Networking: Ten Thoughts on Being Around Wise People

I’ve never liked the idea of networking.  It feels hollow.  However, I believe in connecting and working diligently to forge relationships. I’m convinced that being around wise people is a key to building a full-filled life.  Conversations with people who listen, challenge, inspire and elicit action are life changing.  They have the ability to unlock and unleash potential that we might not know exists. 

Over my life, I’ve often found myself in the presence of people who are highly successful. While I’m no expert, here are some random thoughts on how I’ve worked to create relationships with wise folks.

Ten Thoughts on Being Around Wise People

  1. Do the Hard Work: Read, write, listen, pray, meditate, and spend time in self-reflection.  Without a working understanding of ones values and goals, finding an impactful mentor is difficult, if not impossible.  
  2. Be Open: “When the student is ready, the teacher will appear”- Lau Tsu. Wise people do not have to be rich and famous- these people are all around if we are intentional about looking.
  3. Courage to Ask: In my experiences people love to help. There are times where their schedules won’t allow but rarely, if ever, are they offended by an ask. 
  4. Prepare, Prepare, Prepare: Time is the most precious thing to wise people, and EVERYONE is trying to steal it from them. When I get the opportunity to connect, I want them to leave knowing this was a worthwhile investment of their most precious commodity. I can do this by creating thoughtful questions that allow them to expand. The best way I’ve found to show I’m prepared is to ask powerful questions.
  5. Zero Expectations: I never go into a conversation expecting a “silver bullet,” a job offer, or any other ego-driven motive. My goal is to be present, listen deeply and enjoy the opportunity.
  6. Add Value: While it can be intimidating at first, I’ve found sharing my thoughts and opinions adds to the relationship. When the interactions evolve into a mutual exchange the real fun begins.
  7. Pick up the Tab: Or at least offer to pick up the tab. Whatever money I’ve spent (even when I didn’t have any) was well worth it.
  8. No Fans Allowed: Most people treat “stars” differently. The people I want to be around don’t enjoy that- they actually want an escape. The goal is to value their humanity not their status. I always remind myself, “don’t be a fan.”
  9. Start Doing: It’s important to act on the advice received. Possessing the industriousness to take action is rewarding to the teacher.  This is a way to separate because most people want a quick fix. The best way to show you truly value the conversation and advice given is to put it into action.
  10. Stay Connected: A one-time conversation is great- but a long-term exchange is when the magic occurs. I like to take the time to send a hand-written note to let the person know how much I appreciate their time. This is not always feasible or desirable, so go with your gut. This is also the perfect time to plant the seed for a follow-up conversation. 

This Week’s Challenge(s):
Is there someone you want to connect with?  This week, ask someone you admire for a phone conversation or a Zoom call.  If that’s too much, write them a thoughtful email.  Being around wise folks is a difference maker.  We owe it to ourselves to actively build meaningful relationships.

Second, is there someone that you can help on their journey?  As someone who’s life has been enhanced tremendously by giving and caring people, please consider helping out. You have the power to change someone’s life. I’m living proof.  

Finally, I don’t want to sound presumptuous but if I can help you or someone you love let me know.  Assisting others find their passion is one of my greatest joys.  I’m here if you need me.   

Make it a great week,

Mike

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