Digging Into Culture Change: Leadership Lessons from the Lawn

Culture change is like weeding—slow, intentional, and rooted in consistency. Learn how to create lasting growth in your team or program.

As I knelt in the grass gripping a flat head screwdriver I thought, "This is one of those things that I didn't realize as a child I would appreciate as an adult."

When I was about 7 my parents taught me how to use a long screwdriver to dig out weeds from the garden and here I was, 35 years later, using that same skill to attack the seemingly endless number of weeds surrounding our home.

Before starting my adventures in the yard, I’d been on the phone with a coach working to reshape the culture of their program. As I moved from weed to weed I thought about our conversation and the recruiting quote that says,

“If you don’t get the best kid, that kid may beat you once a year. But if you don’t get the best fit, that kid will beat you every day.”

As I dug up another spikey aberration from the grass it occurred to me that culture change is a lot like weeding.

The temptation when we notice weeds in our yard is to go buy some weedkiller so they go away as quickly and easily as possible. The same is true when we notice weeds in our culture - we often seek quick, painless solutions in place of doing the tough internal work to create lasting change. If you’re preparing to pull weeds from your program, I offer the following...

Water your lawn - weeds are easier to remove when the soil is slightly damp as opposed to hard and dry. Saturate your culture in what nourishes it and it will be easier to spot and remove the weeds.

Energetic exchange - Often the “problem players” occupy much of a coach's time and attention in the same way we can look at a yard full of green grass and only notice the weeds. In healthy, thriving cultures there is a positive, restorative flow of energy throughout the program. Before beginning a culture change, take time to notice who/what is sucking your time and energy.

Extract the root - If you pull weeds but fail to remove the root the weed will resurface in time. Similarly, if we’re going to take the time to address toxicity within our team, it benefits us to get to the root of things. We must dig in to unearth issues that are deeply embedded and address root causes to prevent those issues from continually resurfacing.

Dad wisdom - When it comes to weeding and culture change, I think of what my Dad used to say, “It takes less time to do it right than to do it over”. Acquire the tools you need and allocate the time required to do it well the first time.

Invest in growth - When you pull a weed it leaves a hole and the same is true when we remove a toxic individual from our program. While it may feel like addition by subtraction (and often is) it benefits us to invest in repairing what remains to make it stronger and healthier.

Notice small shifts - Removing all the weeds from our lawn does not mean new weeds will never pop up; it simply means fewer weeds will grow in the future. Similarly, getting to the root of cultural issues does not mean new issues will never come up; it simply means fewer or smaller issues will arise in the future. Notice when less of something negative is giving you more of something positive.

Give yourself time - Culture change takes time, and it’s hard work! Much like weeding, the process of changing a culture is slow, requires tools, and demands consistency to sustain positive growth. Have patience - be persistent - and ask for help when needed.

Whether it's your yard or your culture, I wish you the best as you work to uproot that which no longer serves you.

Here’s to digging in,

:) Betsy

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