It seems everywhere you turn these days, leaders are searching for the secret to creating a winning culture. From corporate organisations to elite sporting teams, the ability to have a group of people working in unity with a common belief system is invaluable – but elusive for so many. Based on my experience in sport and business, here are the top five ways to improve a winning culture.
Develop the Mindset
Mindset is the key factor that underpins individual success. Fortunately it is also one that can be coached. Having a clear set of mental skills that everyone learns within an organisation can significantly lift performance, with the likes of self-motivation, resilience and performing under pressure all being crucial aspects. Likewise, learning how to step up when the chips are down, to be humble during times of success and to receive failure as an opening for growth, helps us perform better. Leaders who can successfully coach individuals to develop strong mindsets will in turn, motivate positive outcomes across the entire organisation.
Identify the Currency
The second key understanding is to clearly identify the currency your culture operates on. While this can be looked at as a set of values or cultural tenets, I like to stream it down to a simple question – what is the one thing that impacts your culture the most? Is it love? Is it care? Is it performance or money? For most businesses, the underpinning currency of the workplace is performance. Mixing up what the key internal driver for your business is will create uncertainty for staff and weaken focus, impacting culture in a negative way.
Embrace Competition
We must view competition against our foes not as the ultimate test, but as an outcome of the key markers and inputs within our own organisations. Of course competition needs to be an element to drive a winning culture but it is not necessarily about competing for market share, volume through the door or wins and losses. It needs to be a competition against the standards of the organisation that leaders set inside their own businesses and for individuals against their own development goals.
Establish Habits & Routines
The success of any plan must be supported by habits and routines. As long as they’re attached to key outcomes within our plans, our habits drive consistency and allow us to create mastery within our roles. The more people within an organisation who achieve mastery, the closer you are to creating a winning environment.
Have Critical Conversations
The fifth key element needed to improve a winning culture is the desire and ability to have critical conversations. All culture is underpinned by communication. I believe there are five key components we need to communicate around:
- Building trusting relationships
- Setting expectations and accountabilities
- Showing genuine appreciation and gratitude
- Stopping and challenging un-resourceful behaviour
- Celebrating success and building for the future.
Some of these components can be difficult subjects to discuss but it is essential if you want to achieve cultural success.
Putting in effort to establish a culture where employees are challenged to be at their best is a worthwhile journey, for staff, leaders, the business and customers.
