How to ‘actually’ cultivate culture: Lessons from high-performing sport cultures

LinkedIn is flooded with posts about organisational culture. You can’t escape it. Companies pride themselves on having a positive, [insert buzzword here] culture. And there’s no shortage of tropes that come with trying to “improve” it.

Think: the dreaded pizza “party,” table-tennis tournaments, mandatory team-building days, vague company-values campaigns, or anonymous surveys that never lead to action.

These gestures do little to change a culture, and employees can smell the BS from a mile away.

So, how do we make a real difference? Where do organisations get it wrong? And what do we actually mean by culture? Research into high-performing sport environments may hold some answers, writes Sports News Blitz’s Ted Purcell.

What is culture, really?

It’s no surprise that cultures built on trust, understanding, and acceptance are consistently linked to well-being, performance, and professional growth.

But what does that look like in practice?

Culture is about what you do, not what you say.

Edgar Schein’s (1984) model offers a useful framework, breaking culture into three layers: artifacts (the visible stuff), values (why people do what they do), and assumptions (the unspoken norms).

In a sports organisation, artifacts are how the building looks, what people wear, and how they show up.

Values act as the compass for behaviour - the guide for what’s expected. Assumptions are “the way we do things around here,” usually implicit and unconscious.

The last two pillars shape daily behaviour. Alignment between values, goals, and actions is the foundation of a high-performing culture.

When people understand what’s expected, because behaviour aligns with stated values - they know how to act.

Image credit: MIT Management Sloan School

Where organisations go wrong

Many organisations slap their values on a wall, mention them once, and call it a day.

Take West Ham United, who pride themselves on doing things “the West Ham way” - a football philosophy built on attacking, entertaining play. Yet they routinely hire pragmatic managers and produce some of the dreariest football in the league.

If leaders aren’t walking the walk, the culture hits a ceiling. For culture to mean anything, it has to be fully aligned, from values to daily actions.

And here’s the kicker: culture will always default to the behaviours you tolerate from your most difficult team member.

If what the team says it cares about doesn’t match what it does, that’s not just a culture problem - that’s an integrity problem.

You either build culture intentionally around values, standards, and norms, or you let it default to whatever social dynamic naturally emerges.

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So how do you change it?

There’s no “one-size-fits-all” formula. But seminal research from elite sport cultures offers some practical guidance.

As Cruickshank and Collins (2012) note:

“As optimal performance is governed by a team’s bespoke resources and competitive context, the facilitative values, beliefs and behaviours will occur directly relative to these factors.”

Building on that, here’s a five-step process to start cultivating a genuine high-performance culture:

1. Identify perceived values across the organisation

Start by gathering input from people across roles and levels - players, support staff, board members, veterans, newcomers.

What do they believe the team’s values are, or should be?

The success of this step depends on honesty. If perceptions have never been openly discussed, or if key influencers aren’t on board, expect guarded or inaccurate feedback.

2. Identify existing or potential informal roles

Evaluate informal roles within the group. Research shows that negative or disruptive individuals can derail cohesion and performance.

A clear example came at the 2010 World Cup, when Nicolas Anelka’s insubordination triggered a mutiny that saw the entire French team refuse to train - a complete collapse of group unity.

Given how much time teams spend together, conflicting agendas are inevitable. Spotting individuals likely to adopt these roles early is crucial.

3. Examine perceived stressors

It’s equally vital to assess the team’s perceived stressors - competitive, organisational, and personal.

For instance, poor facilities (a competitive stressor) or interpersonal conflict (an organisational one) can both undermine shared values and cohesion.

By identifying group values and informal roles (the path) and recognising stressors (the barriers), you set the stage for consistent performance.

4. Identify and empower “cultural architects”

Remember, the goal is to create a high-performing culture, not a high-performing manager. But the manager still plays a key role, equipping them with strategies that allow performance-driving values to emerge organically within the group.

One effective tactic: identify cultural architects - influential figures who embody the desired values.

Once recognised, they can help guide direction, deliver messages, and model the standards of the group.

These roles should go to individuals respected by their peers, whether through performance, leadership, or social standing.

Think Martin Ødegaard at Arsenal: not the stereotypical “captain,” but a skilled, respected, and hard-working player who sets an example for others.

Empirical evidence across elite sport supports this principle, that peer-led influence drives sustainable cultural change.

5. Moderate external influences

It’s far easier to slip back into old habits than to sustain new ones. That’s why controlling external influences is critical.

First, secure alignment and resources by holding regular, open dialogue with board members or key stakeholders. That relationship can make or break a culture shift.

Second, don’t underestimate the media’s influence. Their narratives shape perceptions across fans, boards, and teams.

When handled strategically, media can reinforce positive messages and strengthen the cultural narrative.

Equipping managers with pre-planned responses for media scrutiny can also prevent derailment during challenging periods.

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Takeaway thoughts

These principles aren’t a rigid playbook - they’re a framework.

Their real value lies in adapting them to the unique context of your organisation.

Culture is complex, nuanced, and ever-evolving. But by prioritising authentic actions over empty slogans, you can build a culture that’s genuinely high-performing, and one that actually lives up to its own values.

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