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