Throwing a mission statement on the wall doesn't mean your team has culture.

In recent years the idea of cultures has received spotlight attention, extending to both the larger and more traditional definition of culture, i.e. multiculturalism, cultural sensitivity, etc. – and the lesser known, yet still gaining momentum, form relating to organizational culture and cultural identity.  For this piece, I focus on cultural identity in sport and the impacts of an organizational culture.  

From the workplace to the ball field, the philosophy behind forming and maintaining an organizational culture and the impact on those associated is becoming widely recognized and taking a foothold.  Organizational culture, as defined by the Business Dictionary, is, “the values and behaviors that contribute to the unique social and psychological environment of an organization.”  To tailor the definition towards athletics, aspects such as work ethic, practice and training dynamics, and emphasis on winning factor into defining organizational team culture.  This culture fostered within an organization, whether it be a team or a business, is pivotal to productivity and overall success.  Imagine working for a company in which it is miserable to show up to work every day because there’s always a gloomy atmosphere, you disagree with how the place is run, and you have poor relationships with your colleagues.  Transfer this to sports, and you are playing for a disorganized team, with a real negative coach that presses values that neither you, nor your teammates, necessarily agree with.  Sound like a winning team, or a team you want to work hard and play for? Probably not.  However, consider a team with a clearly defined and abided by culture and set of standards (norms), aligning with your own values.  Now, you’re motivated to go to work, compete, and overcome adversity. Establishing culture is pivotal for a team or any organization, and cultivating culture fit is crucial for the tribe to thrive.  So how does culture develop within a team or an organization?  Is the overall organizational culture just a sum of its individual components – the personalities and values of each member of the team or organizational staff?

While the individual cultures of each player involved, stemming directly from their personality profiles, are important factors, there is more than just that contributing to the organizational culture.  In rare cases, where teams simply mesh well and the overarching culture develops as a result of the players’ personalities, there still needs to be another factor in place guiding this.  A leadership figure needs to take charge in driving the overall culture.  A positive organizational culture develops from the top down. A coach, a boss, a general manager, or the owner, the desired culture should be made clear at the top of the totem pole and enforced in an effective manner.  People respond to their leaders, especially in sports.  Drilled into athletes at a young age is listening to their coaches, captains, etc.  An effective method of enforcement is always leading by example, but other ways in which a culture is implemented properly vary based on the desired culture combined with the profiles of each member of the organizational staff.  Additionally, some players integrate into a team’s culture more easily than others, and this can be a function of both the coach’s personality traits as well as the player’s.

One big factor that goes into how well a player might integrate into a new team or program is their personality.  Certain character traits ease a player’s transition into a new environment, with a new culture. The two most important traits likely to enable a successful transition, regardless of culture, are agreeableness and openness.  A player that is high in agreeableness is less likely to resist the change and be more cooperative with all aspects of a new program.  A player that is high in openness is more likely to look forward to trying to work with the aspects of their new environment and culture and not simply stick with what is comfortable and familiar to them.  Low neuroticism is also going to be important in assimilation, as new experiences trigger stress.  The more a player can control and cope with unwanted emotional responses attached to the new team dynamic, the better.  The other two Big Five traits, conscientiousness and extroversion, are dependent variables based specific cultural attributes.  Quick example, an introvert traded or drafted into an extrovert locker room is likely to experience anxiety acclimating and forming relationships.  In an isolated environment, performance would likely become inconsistent or decline.  On the other hand, positive results might be measured when an extrovert enters an introvert-oriented culture, igniting a desired “spark” or given a leadership role.  The same applies to a mismatch with conscientiousness.  The organized and disciplined nature of someone high in conscientiousness could experience culture shock, going into a program that is a little more loose and unorganized, or, depending on other variables becomes the conscientious player’s opportunity to positively influence the team, as well.  In the reverse scenario, the team could potentially positively influence a player low in conscientiousness, depending the balance with other traits.  Understanding the make up of personality traits, along with important life experience examples indicates if the person is a good culture fit.

An ideal mix of personality traits perfectly positioned with an organization’s culture is moving target. Culture fluctuates with an organization’s goals, the members of the organization, their contributions, and decision-makers at the top. Those decision-makers at the top, the ones promoting the culture, should understand this fluidity and the need to find a balance that matches with the above variables. While the importance of establishing a culture, and the many factors comprising successful integration is understood. Equally important is avoiding a cult mentality, leading to deviant behaviors. Rather, culture empowers individual identities to thrive and contribute as a person and in their role.  The F.A.S.T software allows decision-makers to adjust the culture specific and task specific traits to predict the players who fit the current organizational culture and balance any identified gaps.