Lessons to be learned on culture

Whilst there will be many posts, articles and other forms of media outpouring today, the thing that most resonates with me about what this England team have achieved is their amazing culture as a group.

There is no rivalry amongst the team, no-one feels or appears to be more important than anyone else, and everyone is working towards the same goal. There is no baggage of previous failures and there is no apportioning of blame when things go wrong or become difficult. They trust one another implicitly and they share a common value that they are all making a contribution, no matter their part within the squad. When you see the substitutes, who have so far never kicked a ball in this tournament, celebrating as wildly as the players who are in the arena (Theodore Roosevelt), you know that there is a special bond that exists that has been nurtured, developed and cultivated to bring this team together. This hasn’t happened overnight it is a culture that a significant investment has been made in, and it has created something that feels very special indeed. What is also interesting is by adopting values such as these, look at what it means to your customers and stakeholders. The immense joy and the feeling it has created amongst those people who are the investors in this enterprise is absolutely extraordinary. The wave of euphoria is incredible and whilst it can be clearly seen that the team are enjoying their work, just take a moment to look at what it means for those who are the recipients of their service.

There is outstanding leadership and it is the behaviour, values and beliefs of the person at the helm and his peers that has created all of the outcomes above.

I recently read a brilliant book by James Kerr [Legacy] that outlines the core beliefs, behaviours and values of the All Blacks, and how they create a culture that has seen them become one of the most successful sporting teams of all time; but it is not just their score-lines that they measure their success by, it is the affect they have on those around them and the legacy of what they leave behind. I can see so many of these in this England team that it demonstrates to me, that none of this happens by coincidence.

If ever you needed a reminder of why the culture within your company is important let this team be a role model for you and regardless now of what happens on Sunday, they have already achieved so much that yesterday evening proved.

I am so thankful that I work for an organisation that during my first couple of weeks I have seen many of the core values of an amazing culture exhibited by everyone I have engaged with.

Like football, which has now come home, as an employee I feel that I have found my home.