NZ Football - Culture and Performance

Pip Muir’s report on NZ Football is finally out and unfortunately it doesn’t make for happy reading, with allegations of bullying and harassment being used in an attempt to gain high performance. The key recommendations, as reported on TVNZ, are:

  1. Support the Football Ferns.

  2. Fix player welfare and culture.

  3. Improve structures and governance.

  4. Rebuild culture and diversity.

  5. Improve relationships with key stakeholders.

So once again poor culture is in the headlines ... not only is NZ Football charged with “fixing player welfare and culture” but also “rebuild culture and diversity”.

 I am hoping that we have reached a tipping point where Boards, CEOs and Senior Managers finally realise that hard actions need to follow their well-intentioned words.

After nearly 30 years working with organisations to transform and embed appropriate cultures, aligned to the organisation’s purpose, there are five steps I would recommend to NZ Football:

  1. Identify what Values are truly important to your long terms success by scanning the future horizon of football, by reviewing Pip Muir’s Report and by talking your players, staff, fans and key stakeholders.

  2. Clearly articulate why these Values are important and work with your people to identify what you would expect to see being demonstrated by players, coaches, management and the Board if they were living these Values.

  3. Go to your people and ask them what barriers are preventing them from demonstrating these values, this may include a lack of skill.

  4. Align your structure, systems, and communications to these Values.

  5. Provide your people with the skills and processes to safely call out inappropriate behaviour.

 Oh and finally, and perhaps most importantly, make sure you recruit management and coaches who live and breathe these new Values, as to rebuild the trust within your organisation, you need to win both the hearts and minds of your team, staff and stakeholders. It is only then that you will be on the path to sustainable high performance.

 Good luck NZ Football!

#NZFootball #culture #alignment #leadership #performance

Lynda Carroll