The results of a wining culture
Last week we got all excited about the Stormers reaching the final of the URC and the winning culture that is being established within the organisation (in case you missed that post, you can read it here).
Bad news alert!
The Stormers did not win the cup. Well done to Munster for winning the final – it was sincerely well deserved. What the Irish team managed to accomplish this season is nothing short of spectacular (and very similar to the Stormer’s story). Given the fact that the Stormers did not walk away with the silverware – does it make the entire season and what they have been trying to accomplish a failure? From our perspective: Absolutely not!
In real sport, only one player or teams gets to walk away with the trophy (we are not talking about participation trophies here). But does that mean every other team or player failed? If your only measure of success is getting the gold, reaching the target, scoring the century or winning the cup – you are going to miss the mark more often than not. As is the case in sport, business and life, there are other equally important and valuable metrics to pay attention to.
Lets relay these learnings back to business. Yes winning is wonderful, but there are other ways to know that you are establishing a healthy, winning culture:
- Personal growth: People are growing. Not only are they becoming more skilled, but they are maturing personally. Their commitment to the cause is “forcing” them to step up and the environment brings the best out of each individual.
- Commitment: Most everyone is willing to go above and beyond for the benefit of the group – looking past their own comfort and preferences to contribute in a way that will benefit the team or organisation as a whole. This is done willingly, out of service and a conviction that the people around me would do the same.
- Loyalty: People don’t want to leave. In an era of increasing churn rates and the great resignation, a healthy culture serves as the glue that makes it exceptionally hard for people to leave once they have been a part of it.
- Others want in: Not only do people want to stay, but those on the outside want to get in on the action. Healthy cultures give businesses the ability to attract the best talent. It becomes your greatest competitive advantage. No wonder Eskom is struggling to find a new CEO…
- Better work: People do better work, they are more creative and innovative. Quality goes up because your people are more engaged. Not only are employees more loyal, but customers are more loyal since they have a better experience in dealing with your business. And that makes your business stand out (and more successful) – bottom line, you will make more money!
A winning culture won’t always produce trophies. But it does produce magic.
Do you experience the symptoms of a winning culture at work? We would love to help you create a team or business that flourishes. Get in touch to find out how we can help.
Thank you for reading. Have a great weekend!
At least one South African got to hold the trophy – great to have you back RG Snyman!
At PurposeWorks we are all about Making You and Your Work Rock. Our focus is on Organisational Health and Design, Employee Centered Culture, Leadership Development and Performance Coaching. For more information on how we can help you create a work environment that rocks, develop a great team, become an inspiring leader or unlock your personal excellence talk to us at info@purposeworks.co.za.
