Part I: Standards and Values
“Culture” is a cliche in today’s business world. You are told if you don’t get your “brand” and your “culture” right, you might as well pack up shop and go home. Cottage consulting industries lecture you on vision and mission statements, SWOT analyses, business values, and communication styles.
Yes, much of that is good and necessary. And most leaders looking to build a healthy culture hope that, once they formalize concepts like Vision / Mission statements and SWOT analyses, they’ll then be “off to the races” with sales and success. What often ends up happening, however, is that organizations simply formalize what they’ve already been doing (both good and bad) and add aspirational elements that may be beyond the capacities of the organization.
To see how culture can play a part in success, let’s turn our focus to the athletic world to consider one of the globe’s winningest teams.
The New Zealand All Blacks are the most dominant rugby team in the world. Their 77% win percentage has been earned over 140 years’ worth of matches. They own a winning record against every other nation in the world, including nations like England, France, Australia, and South Africa, who have far larger playing populations and far deeper resources. Even the United States has a larger player pool than New Zealand. Yet, the All Blacks are the envy of the rugby world (and of athletic teams / clubs in general).
So, how? The answer is, in fact, CULTURE, and much has been written on how the All Black culture can translate to leadership success in other arenas. And business owners can glean some principles from the All Blacks (named after their traditional solid black uniform kit) that might be helpful in thinking about business culture. Below are a few (but not all!) of these principles that make the All Blacks the most successful sporting organization in the world.
No jerks
Well, they don’t use the word jerks, but as this is a family-friendly blog, we’ll stick with that. The All Blacks do not select divas to the team. It doesn’t matter how good you are. It doesn’t matter how fast or how skillful or how powerful. If you can’t get along with other people and be a team player, you aren’t selected to the squad. No exceptions. They will never sacrifice cohesion of the whole squad for the sake of babying one diva player.
Sweep the sheds
“Sheds” equates to the American locker room. The idea here is that no player is above the simple tasks. Each member of the squad is responsible for keeping the locker room tidy and neat. This illustrates an attention to detail and concern for the general welfare of the entire squad. If you are “sweeping the sheds” in a business organization, it means each individual is willing to pitch in as necessary – that each individual feels a responsibility to the organization as a whole. The reputation and operation of the organization is so valuable to the individual that he is willing to complete unseen, small tasks to make it work.
Incidentally, this translates over to the playing field as well. One marker of the All Blacks is that, measured by sheer rugby IQ, they are better than their opponents. They are better at passing, kicking, running, and decision-making. They may not be bigger, stronger, faster, or more athletic all the time, but they are often better rugby players because they’ve dedicated themselves to getting better at essential, basic, seemingly small skills. Of course, other teams have some players that are better than the All Blacks; but on the whole, the ABs as an organization emphasize that each individual is responsible for mastering every skill necessary for the game.
At the top, innovate
One of the most distinctive traits of the All Blacks on the playing pitch is that they are nearly always on the cutting edge of the game. They rarely stagnate from a tactical standpoint. Other countries are constantly playing catch up to the All Blacks in how they play and approach the game.
This is very different than what many of us think of in a successful business. We think: develop a successful formula, make it bigger, and tweak it in small amounts over time. The All Blacks recognize that their advantage over their opponents does not come in their athletic resources. So they create that advantage through constant innovation. Many other organizations do this, as well. The Toyota Way has a similar emphasis on innovation, although how that comes about may look different.
In any case, organization leaders ought to continually challenge themselves: how do I take risks while preserving the quality of my product or service? How do I innovate even when it seems like everything is well? How do I push the edges of the envelope as I’m being successful so that I can make sure my business is prepared for tomorrow and next year?
Leave a legacy
Each All Black understands he is part of a larger story. The New Zealand rugby culture pressures each player to leave the jersey in a better place – to carry on the winning ways of the All Blacks. In the same way, business leaders can help their employees see purpose in their work. Of course, what exactly this looks like will vary from business to business, but if employees feel their work and their role matter, they are more likely to be productive.