Creating and Sustaining a Winning Culture

By: John Klessinger, Head Wrestling Coach - South River HS (MD)

Recently, I made a talk to some fellow educators on culture in sport. I aimed to provide the audience with the methods to build a culture that I have found successful. I prepared for a crowd of youthful teachers and coaches whom I could share my beliefs and philosophies about coaching. I was hoping to offer them strategies and tips to use with their students or athletes. However, it was not the case. Each of the persons in attendance was not new to the profession. I was met with an experienced group of educators, administrators, and employees of the school system. Thus, my plan of "enlightening" people with over twenty years of teaching and coaching wisdom became more of a workshop on what I've found to be effective over the years. The discussion was minimal, and fortunately, I had more than enough information planned to talk for days if the room would allow. Creating a culture is a topic for an entire book. In no way can I bring it its due diligence in one short blog post. Therefore, I am going to share my key points on developing and sustaining a winning culture. While this presentation was designed for mainly coaches, it applies to the classroom, business, management, or any organization with the ultimate goal being having people "bought in" to the organization's mission, goals, and standards while cooperating and sharing similar attitudes.

Before I get into what we can do to create and sustain a winning culture, I am going to tell you what it is not.

Culture is not:

• A monarchy where only one person is in charge and makes decisions.
• Do as I say, not as I do.
• *Lead by fear and negativity. (I highlight under "Motivating Your People" the exception.)
• Focusing only on results and ignoring growth and improvement.
• Judging success only on winning percentage and victories.
• Without discipline and accountability.

Creating and Sustaining a Winning Culture is:

Expectations and Accountability

• You will be more respected for the discipline and structure you provide than focusing on making everyone happy.
• Be hard on them and set high expectations but be "loving" at the same time. Loving is showing you care about your people.
• Make it clear to everyone and communicate your Mission, Goals, and Standards often, especially in the beginning.
• Accountability is an everyday learning activity. It occurs in practice, in school, during games, and in the community.

Growth as a Coach

• You will do many things along the way you do not feel like doing if you want to be successful.
• Give your time in exchange for trust. A large part of developing your program is building rapport with your people. Be giving of your time to help your program. Make sacrifices for your team.
• You are not perfect. Do not expect your people to be perfect.
• Keep learning and growing. You should never be an expert. Read, listen, learn, and watch for ways to get better.

Growing Your Team

• Recruit people who will fit into your culture. Ask yourself the questions: "What is their work-ethic like?" "Will they add to our program or be a distraction?" "Is it a win-win? Is it good for both them and us?"
• In time, people will come to you because you have built a program that they want to be a part of.
• Provide opportunities to prepare and improve. Personal and professional development, mentor programs, internships, etc.
• "Repetition is the mother of skill." Don't expect anyone to get it right away. If it is essential, it should be a part of every practice.
• Constantly beat the bushes. Email, text, and communicate what is going on.
• If you expect it from them, you also need to be present and engaged in what they are doing.

Motivating Your People

• You can push them hard when they win. When they lose, you got to love them.
• Fear can be a great motivator. It should always be in your back pocket. "Positive" fear is holding them accountable for what you say and do. "Negative" fear is yelling, berating, or tearing someone down without a learning point or teaching component included.
• Constantly build them up.
• Learn that everyone is motivated differently. Some need a more aggressive push. Others require "love." Some are internally motivated, and nothing you say will matter. All of them want and need your positive encouragement.

Leadership

• Leadership is consistent behavior demonstrated over and over each day.
• If you want enthusiasm, you have to be enthusiastic.
• Be humble and honest.
• I cannot expect my guys to do something if I am unwilling to do it first.
• Talk to them regularly. Struggle with them. Show them you are in the fight with them. Let them know you are human.
• Challenge them to be better. Do not be ok letting them be ok. If you genuinely care about them, you will push them to be better.
• Always point the finger at yourself first. What could you have done differently as the leader?

Communication

• Send regular correspondence about the schedule, events, and other team happenings.
• Everybody likes knowing what is going on long in advance.
• Email, text messages, or social media should be used only for information. Anything related to an individual in regard to playing time, position, behavior and discipline, or anything non-information based should be communicated face to face or by telephone.
• Do your best to recognize everyone. If you forget, someone will let you know.

Developing Grit

• Put your athletes in uncomfortable situations that foster and grow the toughness muscle.
• We teach them that it is ok to struggle, and good things come because of it.
• We praise them when they complete challenging activities.
• We educate them on proper positive self-talk and let them know that complaining, make excuses, and blaming others is the opposite of toughness.

Being a Good Teammate

• Coaches need to develop activities that promote accountability. Allow them "latitude" to take care of business amongst themselves. Intervene when necessary. Being a good teammate is a learned skill. Provide your team with consistent opportunities to develop it.
• Being a good teammate is continuously spoken about by the leader or coach.
• Teammates are teammates first, friends second.

Great Coaches

• Are dynamic and willing to adopt the best practices to consistently be successful.
• Are always learning and growing. They recognize that they are never experts in their fields.
• Build rapport with their team and are concerned about them as people.
• Establish a culture of respect, accountability, and discipline.
• Give credit to their players and take responsibility when things do not go well.
• Model the behavior of what they expect from their athletes on and off the field.·

Sustaining a Winning Culture

• Complacency is the enemy. Growth is constant and needs to be kept in the forefront of your year to year planning.
• Take the emphasis off winning and focus on developing good people first, good athletes second.
• "Steal" from other coaches, leaders, and mentors. There is so much excellent information out there if you take the time to look.
• You can build a program around only a few players who are bought in. They will bring others along with them but not every player will be 100% bought in.
• Make everyone feel "loved." Recognize each member at the end of season banquets in some way. A player may not have contributed to the team, but if they spent the time and energy, they earned recognition the same as your best player.

Early on in my teaching and coaching career, I struggled with many things. With time and experience and a tremendous amount of trial and error, I figured out an efficient way of managing the groups that I led. It is always a work in progress, and I will never become a "master" in my profession. If I did, I do not believe I would be an effective leader. We need to change, grow, and learn continually. We expect that from our athletes, employees, and children. If we want others to follow us, we need to set the example first. Then, we help our people do the same. That is leadership. That is creating and sustaining a winning culture.