Culture Starts in College
What’s the story?
College sports in America are a big deal. These college teams are grounded in tradition and breed passion and loyalty. They are an integral part of American communities, providing entertainment and fierce local rivalries. College basketball and football in particular draw huge crowds, along with great expectations of producing the next big sporting star.
In the frenzy of the new school year, we’ve noticed a welcome change in the approaches of some college coaches who are recognising that culture - rather than talent - is the priority.
Lincoln Riley, is one such coach. In his capacity leading the USC Trojans, he is known for his thoughtful recruitment and has said he doesn’t want good players, he wants the right players.
Reflecting on the recent activity in the NCAA transfer portal, he said it was a reminder, “To make sure we’re bringing in the right guys, not just the right body types or the right experience level or anything like that, but guys that you’re confident that you could put in this locker room, and they’re going to acclimate well with the team and fit in well with the culture.”
In a sporting ecosystem infatuated with stats and physicality, that is a bold move.
The Team Code Take
Far too many sports teams still don’t think deeply enough about the impact that a bad hire can have on the team.
Too often the focus is solely on technical ability or perceived talent, rather than considering whether the candidate has the behaviours, attitude, mindset and creativity to add to the existing culture, whilst performing at the highest level.
The greatest coaches have always put culture at the centre of their work, whether in college or professional sports. The same applies to the best athletes too. History is littered with stories of the greatest ever players who defied college qualifying statistical tests. Take Steph Curry and Tom Brady, for example. Both were drafted very late and not expected to achieve great things because of their physical capabilities. Luckily for sport, some coaches recruit based on culture and mentality rather than just physical statistics.
In every sports team that succeeds, there are a healthy mix of talented athletes and those with the attitude required to do their best in any position whenever they are called upon. This is what great culture looks like. It is shaped by the team, owned by the team and enhanced by the team. It exists when team members leave and evolves when new team members join.
The world of professional sports can learn a lot from the college coaches who are promoting culture. Attracting the best talent is harder than ever and players are increasingly seeking a sense of purpose in the teams they are joining. Teams who create and honour unique cultures will attract and retain better athletes.
From the weekend five-a-side team to the championship contenders, culture starts in the hearts and minds of people and succeeds on the field.
Three actions to have culture at your core
Don’t hire to fill a hole. Have a recruitment process that centres around values, intention, mindset and ambition.
Find the stories behind the stats. There’s a complex human behind the numbers - get the bigger picture by taking the time to understand your potential recruit.
Start small and scale. It is never too soon to test your ideas and start building your culture; you will learn transferable skills and strategies.