We all know great culture when we see it...shared energy, shared vision, shared experience. I've seen winning teams with mediocre culture, but they didn't strike me as happy. As a player or as a coach, we're truly blessed with great shared experience.
Sean McDermott challenged the Buffalo Bills, "That’s what it gets back to in terms of earning the right to win. How we meet, how we talk, how we work out, how we practice when we do practice, how we play – that’s the standard we’re trying to get to every day.”
What is culture? For me, "it's how we do what we do." The key word is we.
Some associate slogans with culture, but a great slogan doesn't make a great culture. Wooden's UCLA Bruins had a great run but I don't associate a unifying slogan but a unified approach, the Pyramid of Success. The Patriots over two decades earned six championships with the mantra of "do your job." UNC Women's soccer promotes, "Excellence is our only agenda." The 2008 Celtics had "UBUNTU." Every season, every team, every culture is unique.
A catchy slogan doesn't guarantee anything.
I coach middle school girls, complex people at a complex age in a complex time. Girls can be collaborative, cliquish, or churlish. Over two decades I'm nowhere near having all the answers. But I'm working the culture wars every day.
Here are a few suggestions:
Build better habits for each player and each team. Apply James Clear's quote:
Be positive. "Negative thinking yields negative results." We coach to teach and to help young people become the best version of themselves.
Greet each player by name at the beginning of practice. Each of us values our individuality and recognition.Clarify the shared vision. With middle schoolers, the philosophy was "teamwork, improvement, and accountability." Winning hasn't been the top priority. Winning is a byproduct of as many people as possible doing the right things as often as possible.
Be punctual. Young players depend on parents to be on time. But we don't. Start and finish practice on time. Respect everyone's time.
Focus. At Ohio State, Urban Meyer emphasized "crossing the red line." When you cross the red line onto the field, be ready to go.
Work at efficiency. Economics examines competition for scarce resources; practice time is scarce. Accelerate the tempo into and between activities. We can't have a three minute water break in a ninety minute practice.
Share terminology. Terminology promotes accuracy and efficiency. For Michelin 3-star chef Thomas Keller, a "baseball" is a clean towel. Keep practice rolling with "spacing" or "movement." Brian McCormick says, "no lines, no laps, no lectures."
Give and get feedback. Walt Whitman said, "Be curious not judgmental." Ask players what they liked or disliked and why. Find productive activities that they enjoy, too.
"Scoopus?" Get more data. What I think is going on with the girls isn't necessary what IS going on. We're in a small part of their world. Remember the cliquish and churlish things.
Create space between 'reaction' and 'response.'
Summary:
- "Basketball is sharing."
- Be positive.
- Clarify the shared vision.
- Accelerate the tempo.
- Share terminology.
- Scoopus