30 Lessons On Creating A Healthy Workplace Culture

Culture is one of those buzzwords many people currently throw around without truly knowing what it means.  What we do know is we all want to be part of a healthy culture.  We all want a healthy culture for our church.  Our business.  Our team.  Our organization.  Our family.

But the question begs itself, how do you create a healthy culture?  Are there practices for success which if executed well, can allow us to thrive in this type of healthy environment?

Daniel Jeremiah of the NFL Network’s incredible podcast Move The Sticks recently (June 4th) interviewed organizational consultant Jon Gordon, author of best-selling books The Carpenter and The Energy Bus.

The following are 30 Lessons On Creating A Healthy Workplace Culture captured from the podcast.  All quotes are from Daniel or Jon unless otherwise noted.

1. The number predictor of success is grit, the ability to overcome adversity, challenges, obstacles that ultimately create our success. – JG
2. I know how he’s (Jameis Winston) going to handle adversity because I’ve seen it. – DJ
3. We measure their size.  We measure their arm strength.  But we rarely measure their heart. – JG
4. It’s (the #1 predictor of quarterback success) to come into a huddle and say, “Over my dead body will we lose this football game.” – Steve Young
5. Culture beats scheme every day. – Chip Kelly
6. Culture is not just one thing.  It’s almost everything. – JG
7. It (culture) defines your expectations and beliefs.  Which define your behaviors.  Which then define your habits.  And then the habits create your future. – JG
8. Great coaches expect great things but then they inspire their team to expect that as well. – JG
9. Love tough.  I believe in tough love but love must come first. – JG
10. You win in the locker room first and then on the field. – JG
11. Team beats talent when talent isn’t a team. – JG
12. Too many GMs get rid of guys with the mindset of age or talent but they forget the influence that person has in the locker room. – JG
13. E + P = O.  The Events in our life (what we can’t control) + our Positive Response (what we can control) = our Outcome. – JG
14. You can give a team a bus but unless you have a driver driving it, the bus doesn’t move. It really comes down to leadership. – JG
15. When you have a leader and leaders in that locker room driving that bus, that’s why the team has success. – JG
16. Everybody we draft, everybody we bring into this building, they’re going to do one of two things.  They’re either going to bring energy to our football team or they’re going to suck energy from our football team. – Andy Reid
17. You can be a fountain or an energy drain to your team. – JG
18. An Energy Vampire is someone who sucks the life out of your team. They’re really harmful to the locker room and they will sabotage your team if you let it. – JG
19. The longer you allow someone from an old culture to contaminate the new culture you’re trying to build, the longer it takes to turn things around. – JG
20. Complaining is toxic and will destroy an organization. – JG
21. Complaining is like throwing up.  Afterwards you feel better but everyone around you feels sick. – JG
22. If you have a complaint we want to hear it.  But (also) bring us a solution because we want to get better. – JG
23. A carpenter just builds something but a craftsman creates a work of art.  They’re an artist so they spend more time, more energy, more effort, more care into what they’re building.
24. It doesn’t matter what you did last year.  Your focus is on getting better everyday. – JG
25. The great ones just care more.  They put more energy, more effort into it and they’re always improving the subtle nuances of their craft.  They’re mastering fundamentals and that’s really the key. – JG
26. If the video guy doesn’t know who you are on the football team, then I know you’re not taking this as seriously as you should – DJ
27. You still need to have talent. – JG
28. I’m a pretty good coach when I have great players. – Chuck Daly
29. Everyone one of us will get pruned…how you handle it will determine your growth. – JG
30. Everyone who strives to be great will hit a constraint.  We all have one. You have to identify your constraint.  What is holding you back? And if you don’t identify it, you’re constraint will eventually bring you down. – JG

What is one thing you can take from this list TODAY to improve your performance of create a healthier culture for your organization?

Also, make sure you subscribe to Daniel’s podcast and pick up Jon’s books.  Both will make you a better leader.

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