Culture seems to be the buzz word the past couple years and rightfully so.
“There’s no magic formula for great company culture. The key is just to treat your staff how you would like to be treated.” – Richard Branson,
Culture is what drives whatever we’re a part of.
It can be as small as a group that meets for two months, a youth soccer team that plays for three months, or a small company with a few employees.
It can also operate on a larger scale, ranging from a high school sports program to an entire school district, or even large companies, organizations, and hospitals.
Culture plays a role everywhere. It’s the reason people enjoy going to work or feel a sense of belonging. It’s what makes them feel valued in their workplace or on their sports team.
Culture drives a group in a positive direction—or it doesn’t. Everything you’re part of is either moving forward or backward. There’s no neutrality with culture.
Some aspects of culture to consider:
YOU CAN’T QUOTE YOUR WAY TO A GREAT CULTURE
Sometimes, we throw around quotes until we’re blue in the face. But at some point, culture has to be lived and demonstrated daily.
It’s one thing to say something 100 times in 20 different ways, but if the leader isn’t modeling it, it won’t work.
If people talk about the culture they want but act in ways that contradict it, it won’t work.
Building culture takes effort. It requires consistently applying the values you want to foster or have agreed to promote.
YOU’RE PART OF A TEAM—EMBRACE IT!
When you’re part of a team, you have to set differences aside and work with others.
You may not always like everyone, but for the well-being of the group, you’ve got to at least try.
That can be tough because it’s natural to feel frustrated with others at times. But learning to work through those challenges is part of being in a group.
IT’S REALLY HARD TO GROW
Culture is incredibly difficult to grow and can be ruined by a single decision.
It takes consistent energy to build and develop good culture. It means repeating your core beliefs over and over.
When people—whether players, students, or employees—can articulate what you’ve been sharing, they understand what you’re promoting.
The real test of culture happens when leaders aren’t around. For example, in coaching, one of the biggest concerns is what happens in the locker room when no staff are present. That’s where culture reveals itself.
In the workplace, culture grows in the break room or during conversations with colleagues outside of work. Those moments away from direct supervision are where the narrative of culture takes shape.
The hardest part of growing culture is directing and sustaining it during those unsupervised moments.
Culture isn’t just a trendy buzzword—it’s what shapes how any group or organization works together. Building a great culture takes effort, consistency, and making sure actions match words. It’s not about being perfect; it’s about creating a space where people feel valued and supported as they work toward common goals. Whether it’s at work, on a team, or in a community, culture grows when everyone does their part, even during tough times. In the end, culture is something we live out every day, and its true strength shows when no one’s watching.
Here’s a good article that builds off what I’ve experienced with Culture
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Kevin Vanderwal 