Culture is the sum of attitudes, customs, and beliefs that distinguishes one group of people from another. Leaders spend an exhaustive amount of time creating the healthiest culture possible for the individuals they serve. They want to create environments where people can thrive.
So what does a successful workplace culture look like. In a February 19th ESPN article, writer Jeff Borzello profiled the winningest program in men’s college basketball over the last five years, the Villanova Wildcats. You can read the full report by clicking HERE.
After reading Borzello’s thoughts, I gleaned 10 Signs Of A Successful Workplace Culture:
- A Successful Culture Is Defined By Winning – Villanova has the best record in college basketball since the 2013-14 season, winning 88.4% of its games. In addition, the team has won four straight Big East titles and the 2016 national championship.
- A Successful Culture Is Formed Through Adversity – In Coach Jay Wright’s second season (2011-12), the team finished 13-19. He said, “We had hit rock bottom after that season.”
- A Successful Culture Is Led By Humble Leaders Willing To Change – Coach Wright added, “What are we doing? We’re not helping these kids. We’re not true to our culture. This is on me. This is a decision I made. This is the culture I’ve created since the Final Four. These are the guys I brought in. I’ve got to change.”
- You Recruit And Hire A Successful Culture – Over the next year, players Ryan Arcidiacono, Daniel Ochefu, Kris Jenkins and Josh Hart all joined the program. Villanova, not Duke or Kentucky, has since become winningest program in college basketball.
- A Successful Culture Is Made Up Of Individuals Who Love The Program And Are Committed To Its Success – Regarding Arcidiacono, Coach Wright said, “Arch was a Villanova basketball player before he ever got here. He was like a kid growing up in Indiana going to Indiana. He grew up in the Philadelphia area. Parents went to Villanova. He followed Villanova since he was 4 years old. He knew what it was before he even got here.”
- A Successful Culture Is A Hungry Culture – Former Villanova assistant coach Baker Dunleavy said, “That was the spark. Those guys (Arcidiacono and Ochefu), two guys who grew up watching Villanova basketball. Their DNA fit our program, their fire and competitiveness. Their hunger. That’s kind of what our program needed an infusion of.”
- A Successful Culture Feels Like A Family – This is communicated by Coach Wright to all potential recruits.
- A Successful Culture Is A Unified Culture – Coach Wright expects full buy-in not just from the recruits, but also their families, coaches, and networks.
- A Successful Culture Is A Culture Where Expectations Are Clearly Defined – Executive athletic director Jason Donnelly said, “He’s done a really good job of saying, ‘What is my expectation for me and for Villanova and for my staff?'”
- A Successful Culture Is In The Teambuilding Business, Not The Talent Collection Business – Since 2007, Villanova has had just one top-20 recruiting class. In addition, in these 12 classes, they have signed only eight 5-star prospects.
What is one thing you read from the list above which will help you improve your workplace culture?
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