A Coach's Diary

If you want your team to perform better, create an inclusive culture and climate. Research shows that when team members develop a shared understanding of the team's goals and align each team members' contributions to the shared goals, those teams outperform teams that don't. Research also shows that when all team members feel like they belong and when they feel valued for the uniqueness that they bring to the team, and when they feel safe, the team members are work harder, smarter, and more together. When a team has the right climate and culture, it can outperform other teams. How do you know if you have the right culture, what do you do if your culture needs to improve, and what do you do if you already have a strong and inclusive culture? Assess Your Current Climate The first step to shaping an inclusive culture and climate is to assess the current levels of inclusiveness of your climate. Observe your team so that you can plan your strategy for how you can communicate inc...

While the coach and the leaders of a team share most of the responsibility in creating the right culture and climate, everybody on the team is a co-creator of the team's culture and climate. That responsibility is not just on the coaches and best players but on everybody. Everybody impacts culture - good or bad - by the way we act and interact with each other. Ask yourself, "Am I a culture-builder?" Ask yourself, "Is my team's culture better because I am on it?" The best teams have cultures where everybody feels like they belong and valued for the uniqueness that they bring to the team. When everybody has that sense of belonging, research says that teams work harder, smart, and more together, and they outperform teams that don't have that same sense of belonging. Having the right culture can and will lead to more success and wins. How can you impact culture? We all impact our teams' culture by the way we act and interact with each other. It starts wi...