Who Needs Culture?

“Culture, culture, culture, culture, culture … What the heck does that mean? … I don’t care about culture… I don’t care if they like each other. I want to win. I’ve been on some teams where the quarterback didn’t like the receiver, but they darn sure made harmony when the ball was snapped.”

Deion Sanders, Pro Football Hall of Famer-turned-coach of the University of Colorado Buffaloes, certainly caught my attention when uttering those words.

I’m a passionate ‘culture’ guy.? Who doesn’t care about culture?? Culture is an organization’s personality evolving around the mission, vision, values, attitudes, behaviors and ultimately the results they achieve. Culture expresses the why behind the how.?

Sanders, “Coach Prime” as his players call him, is bringing the spirit of his playing days into the Colorado locker room. Excellence, speed, swagger, larger than life personality and a magnetism that players have embraced.? There seems to be an intentional effort to turn mediocrity into a brilliant success story. . . not yet fully written but a 3-0 start.

Is the jury still out?? Absolutely!? So why write about it now?

Regardless of what you think about football, Colorado, Coach Prime or culture, be assured there is a culture being built at Colorado. . . even though Coach Prime doesn’t like the term.? It just so happens Sanders is creating an ‘organizational personality’ after his own liking and preferences. Intentional or unintentional, a definite culture has surfaced.

“I don’t care if they like each other.? I want to win.”? That’s culture.? Not a culture Colorado has experienced for many years.? And Coach Prime is doing it his way.

Here’s My Point:

If only every leader approached their desire to achieve World Class Results, through a winning Culture, innovative Strategies, and brilliant Execution.

? Culture X Strategy X Execution = World Class Results

The progressing transformation of the Colorado Buffaloes reveals that culture is initiated, promoted, formulated, and nurtured at the top.? The top establishes the lid by which most teams will measure their success.? The top is a living example of the organization’s expectations.? Don’t like current results?? Check out the example.

“Organizational culture is a combination of behaviors and attitudes exhibited by leaders and employees across an organization that create the underlying vibe of that company.”

Cara Silletto

I am curious to see what this week’s College Game Day will produce for the flamboyant Sanders and his Buffaloes. . .