What can businesses learn from the All Blacks Rugby Team to create a High Performing sustainable winning culture?

As the Quarter-Final of the Rugby World Cup is approaching against Ireland, the All Blacks are preparing this encounter with a strong team connection and carrying their team binding culture. How do they focus on such a winning mindset?

 There are more than a 100 national teams playing rugby in the world. Why is it that New-Zealand stands-out from all of them?

This is explained by one incredibly important component that the New-Zealand population has been maintaining since around 100 years now: ? Their culture ?.

New-Zealand has a fierce rugby culture spread throughout the country, which is visible directly in the National Rugby Team:

• The Team name: the All Blacks
• An almost unchanged jersey: Black with white ferns
• A majestuous and ferocious start-off dance: the Haka

 New-Zealand has one of the best rugby team in the world, even though it's the 125th out of 195 countries in the world for population.

Jerome Kaino, a former All Black and twice World Champion says: 

"Winning is a by-product of what we built in our team". 

What differentiates the All-Blacks from the rest of the teams is that they focus on building team cohesion so that every player is reminded of where they are and the importance of their duty.

When your team is one homogenous titan, winning comes ineluctably.

On the contrary, other rugby teams focus on winning, getting the best score, getting better tactics and investing in more complex instigators, whilst ignoring internal conflict and team disunity.

 Of course, the All Blacks focus on winning, but they are aware that they can't get there without a uniform and inflexible squad.

This is proved during challenging times. Jerome Kaino tells us a story where the All Blacks were loosing a match against Ireland at the 83rd minute, but a last minute unifying reminder of team importance made them score a winning try.

 If this is proved true for sports, we can get a lot of inspiration from these mechanisms for coporations.

We all know that some companies often focus on making money, this is how the gears keep turning and gives a return on investment for its shareholders.

Though, if we keep the All Blacks' example in mind, companies shouldn't focus only on the numbers. 

Of course, companies need to have the objectives visible, but in order to be the best, companies need to focus on their culture.

They need to make sure that every individual is committed, feels proud of belonging to the company/team and doesn't want to let its company/teammates down, and tries to set standards higher every year.

This can only be achieved trough a very visible and simple culture captured in a one pager.

 We can look at when a company is going through tough times, and you can apply this to your company

• Did everyone start behaving in silos, blaming others and stopped communicating?

or

• Did they merge even more as one unit in order to face difficulties

 Eliud Kipchoge, World Champion Marathon Runner, has said that even with one of the most loneliest sports in the world: 

"100% of me is nothing compared to 10% of the team. I believe in my training, but mostly in my team."

 Culture is the glue that binds an organization together and it’s the hardest thing for competitors to copy.

As a result, it can be a lasting source of competitive advantage. 

Companies need to change their focus if they want to survive in this VUCA world

 The All-Blacks know their culture and their purpose:

- Does your company make her culture visible, and is it simple (can it be tweeted)? 

The All-Blacks focus on having a strong affiliation with each team member:

- How well do your team(s) bind together? 

Every All-Black is expected and encouraged to add value to the team:

- How well do you stimulate individual initiative so that everyone brings their full magic to the benefit of the team? 

Each new rookie All-Black rookie stands in front to the team, discloses and writes down what it will bring to the team:

- How well do your new-comers announce how they will add value to the team/company? 

Thanks to the Haka, each All-Blacks feels galvanized before playing:

- How is the energy level in your company? 

Mentally Fit energizes your Individuals, Teams, and Organizations for better performance using sports metaphors.

 Mentally Fit works with Companies and Businesses to (re)define their culture and making it simple and visible.

This helps them create a strong bond with their teams and employees.

 The Mentally Fit’s team of coaches has developed a unique methodology to train all types of performers from Olympics teams and high-profile CEOs and team managers, channeling theirs energies into winning and becoming top-class performers and sustainable high-performing teams. 

The simple and pragmatic Mentally Fit methodology is changing the way companies and organizations are leading their people and doing the business, and we have worked with over a thousand global clients, including major local and international brands.

2019 - Jules Bancharel - Business Developer at MentallyFit