Executive Summary
In professional and elite organizations, culture plays a critical role in driving success. In corporate environments, studies show that a well-designed, positive culture can boost financial performance by up to 30%. (Hay Group, 2015)
Research from organizational psychology highlights similar findings: structured culture correlates with increased employee engagement, retention, and productivity, all of which contribute to long-term success. (Harvard Business Review, 2023; Journal of Organizational Behavior, 2023)
Despite this recognized value, sports organizations often treat culture as a buzzword rather than an intentional strategy. Many programs allow culture to emerge organically or by default, relying on the influence of successful former athletes, scouts, or coaches to translate their individual success into leadership. This approach is akin to expecting a successful left tackle to excel as a safety—success in one specialized role does not guarantee effectiveness in a completely different one. Frequently, teams overlook the fact that these leaders may lack the organizational leadership skills necessary to create a cohesive, high-performing culture.
This paper outlines Premier Sport Psychology’s CORE Culture Design framework, which emphasizes shifting from incidental or “default” culture to a “culture by design.” This approach incorporates strategic planning, clear organizational structure, defined processes, and careful recruitment to build an environment designed for resilience, cohesion, and sustainable success.
Premier’s CORE Cultural Alignment Framework
- Clarify Expectations, Vision, Values, and Standards
- Organize Roles, Responsibilities, and Decision-Making
- Refine Processes for Communication, Decision-Making, and Meetings
- Empower People through Success Profiles, Onboarding, and Development
Introduction: Culture by Default vs. Culture by Design
The Current Landscape of Culture Building in Athletics
Athletic programs traditionally build culture through the influence of former athletes or coaches who are promoted to leadership roles based on their reputation rather than proven leadership skills. While these individuals may excel in sport-specific roles, they often lack the organizational experience required to lead and manage complex teams effectively. Consequently, these leaders tend to replicate the culture they experienced in past roles, resulting in inconsistent practices, unclear decision-making structures, limited collaboration, and communication gaps that can stifle growth. Combined with poor on-field performance, this cultural foundation often leads to failure. Without a structured approach, these cultures cannot withstand adversity. Their best chance at success lies in early performance on the field, buying time to gradually learn from mistakes and attempt to build a more cohesive culture.
Challenges with a Default Culture
A “default culture” arises when there is no intentional design behind the culture you are aiming to build. It often lacks a clear strategy, structured expectations, shared values, or refined processes for effective communication. Studies indicate that unintentional cultures can lead to internal conflict, poor communication, and reduced performance (BrainFacts.org, 2023). Default cultures are especially vulnerable to changes in leadership and often lack the resilience to adapt to evolving organizational demands.
The Case for Culture by Design in High-Performance Sports Programs
What is Culture by Design?
Evidence from Organizational Psychology
Research underscores the advantages of intentional culture. Companies that prioritize a structured culture experience higher employee engagement, lower turnover, and improved productivity. For example, Google has cultivated a culture that emphasizes innovation, collaboration, and employee well-being. This framework aligns with their strategic goals, fostering an environment where employees feel valued, empowered, and aligned with company objectives. Initiatives like “20% Time,” where employees spend a portion of work hours on passion projects, exemplify Google’s commitment to innovation and autonomy. Such intentional design attracts top talent and maintains a high level of engagement, retention, and adaptability, creating a resilient workforce.
Application in Elite Athletics
For athletic programs, creating a culture by design reduces, or even eliminates, reliance on influential individuals, establishing a sustainable environment where all team members align with organizational values and standards. Programs like the University of Alabama football team and the San Antonio Spurs illustrate how intentional culture-building drives long-term success and adaptability in elite sports.
Culture by design emphasizes the intentional development of an organization’s culture. At Premier Sport Psychology, we refer to this as our C.O.R.E. Culture Design: Clarifying Strategy and Expectations, Organizing Structures and Decision-Making Authority, Refining Processes, and Empowering People. This strategic framework clarifies expectations, builds consistency in decision-making, and aligns staff, coaches, and athletes with the organization’s goals through clear and effective communication processes. Intentional culture fosters resilience, reduces turnover, and enhances clarity, creating a purpose-driven environment where every team member understands their role.
C.O.R.E. Components of Culture by Design
Developing a Sustainable Championship Culture
Optimizing Structure
In our CORE model, identity, vision, and strategy inform the structure. However, that structure must be clearly defined so that all team members understand their roles and responsibilities — especially regarding decision-making authority, and who needs to be informed or involved. When done right, this clarity builds trust, strengthens communication, and ensures the structure supports strategic objectives across departments.
Example: We worked with a leadership team to redesign their decision-making map, identifying who owns, consults on, or is informed of key decisions. This reduced confusion and delays, and empowered department leads to move faster with clarity and confidence.
Refining Processes
Clear, well-defined processes for communication, decision-making, and even meeting management are essential for building trust and mutual respect. In the CORE Culture Design, we customize these systems to promote transparency, reduce miscommunication, and ensure alignment with collective goals — especially in high-performance or high-stakes environments.
Example: In one organization, we helped rework their communication expectations — down to specific norms for emails, text messages, and Teamwork DMs. We also partnered with their leadership team to redesign weekly meetings using a more intentional agenda and a structured process for surfacing key decisions. As a result, communication became more consistent across platforms, meetings became shorter and more strategic, and teams felt more aligned and informed.
Empowering People
Hiring and developing individuals who align with the organization’s identity, vision, and values is the final piece of creating a truly sustainable championship culture. People thrive when they are growing — and when given more autonomy to shape their personal development path, they become more focused, resilient, and effective. Empowering people through the CORE Culture Design means selecting and developing talent that drives strategic success while fostering a healthy, high-performing culture.
Example: We partnered with a growing organization to implement individual growth plans tied to both role competencies and cultural identity and values. Employees met quarterly with their leaders to track progress, identify growth opportunities, and stay aligned with team expectations — boosting both engagement and performance.
Intentional vs. Default Cultural Fit in Athletic Programs
Limitations of Default Cultural Fit
In default cultures, leaders are often promoted based on technical skills rather than organizational experience. This leads to misalignment between leadership capabilities and organizational needs, resulting in inefficiencies, poor team dynamics, and an inability to foster cohesion. Leaders in default cultures may replicate practices they’ve experienced, but without strategic guidance, this approach is inconsistent and limited.
Example:
A former NFL star who transitioned to a front office role faced challenges due to a lack of organizational experience. While his knowledge of player performance was exceptional, he struggled with developing a cohesive cultural framework, cultivating team dynamics, and balancing financial strategies. The organization experienced internal challenges, ultimately realizing the need for a structured approach. By seeking experienced advisors and embracing a deliberate approach to leadership, the team improved cohesion and resilience.
Studies further indicate that promoting leaders without organizational support often hampers their ability to align goals and sustain performance.
Benefits of Culture by Design in Professional and Elite Collegiate Sports Programs
Alignment with Organizational Goals
A culture by design fosters alignment with the program’s mission, unifying staff, coaches, and athletes toward common objectives. Clear expectations reinforce values, creating a cohesive team dynamic.
Sustainability and Adaptability
Structured culture-building enables resilience through leadership changes. Clear cultural standards ensure that teams adapt to new circumstances while preserving continuity.
Enhanced Performance and Retention
A well-defined culture minimizes conflict, fosters belonging, and boosts satisfaction, reducing turnover. Aligned individuals feel valued and contribute to high performance, attracting and retaining top talent for long-term success.
Conclusion and Recommendations
Summary
Transitioning from a culture by default to a culture by design enables athletic programs to unlock their full potential through structured values, clear communication, and aligned behaviors. This proactive approach fosters a resilient, cohesive environment capable of sustaining high performance and responding to challenges.
Recommendations for Implementation
Premier Sport Psychology recommends that professional and elite collegiate athletic programs implement a culture by design. This involves prioritizing vision and values, creating strategy-informed structures, establishing clear processes, and hiring for cultural fit. By incorporating these components, programs can build a high-performing, adaptable environment that endures over time, laying a foundation for sustainable success and resilience.