Last week was about team effectiveness, culture, and and Blizzards/Concrete Mixers.  This week is about baseball, culture, sending signals, and how those signals indicate what kind of culture you are a part of and helping to create. 

I’m guessing most of us have watched a baseball game or some other sporting even where people were using hand signals to communicate something.  I remember being on a baseball team where the coach would touch their hat and then their leg to steal, their belt to bunt, their cheek to take a pitch, etc.  In order for this system to work, the player needs to see the signal, interpret the signal, and then act on it.  If the coach gives the wrong signal or a player misinterprets a signal, then it usually leads to some kind of error that may or may not impact the game.

You’re probably wondering what this has to do with anything.  When it comes to culture, people like using words to describe a culture.  They like to say things like, “We are striving to have an inclusive culture.  We are building a culture that encourages diversity of thought.  We want people to be honest and transparent.  We want people to be real and authentic.  We value teamwork.  We want people who challenge the status quo.”  As the saying goes, talk is cheap.  Just saying the words doesn’t mean those words are reflective of the culture.

When I look at a team, I listen to how people describe the culture, but most importantly I look for signals.  I see signals, interpret them, and then take action.  I don’t respond to the first signal I see.  Instead, I look for a pattern to increase my likelihood that I’m interpreting the signal correctly.  For example, if I see people consistently having open and strong debates about things that tells me that the team is okay with people questioning things, so I openly challenge.  If I see people who are always silent and in agreement, I assume that it’s not okay to question the leadership, so I’m not as likely to voice my mind.  If I continually hear some variation of, “We’ve always believed this,” then that is a big sign that they aren’t open to anything that will disrupt the status quo.  If I notice people stopping and going out of their way to help people, I decide the team is welcoming, and I extend this warmth to others.  If the people don’t give a warm welcome I assume that the team has no desire to truly care about each other, so I mentally prepare myself to work in an environment like this.  I also pay attention to what leaders reward and recognize, because that’s a leading indicator of what people really value.  What are some of the signals you look for in new teams and with new people?

The thing is that these signals don’t just come from some official leader.  We all send signals through our words and our silence.  We send them through our actions and inactions.  All of these signals combine to show the team’s true culture, and all of this goes a long way to indicate what we truly value. 

The challenges: Are you aware of what signals you and/or your team are sending?  Do these signals match up with what you value?

Have a jolly good day,

Andrew Embry