When times get hard, it is easy to get down on your situation and expect the worst. Bad news follows bad news, and suddenly we’re in a rut where we always expect bad things to happen. This often leads to a snowball effect that drags down personal productivity, daily attitude and morale in the workplace. It spreads like a cancer throughout an organization, creating what is commonly referred to as a “culture of losing.” (Fellow Redskins fans, we know what this looks like!)
This culture of losing develops slowly over time and is nurtured by day-to-day habits. Before you know it, it can affect every part of your organization. Once-proud companies that took pride in winning every account, big and small, start looking at losses as inevitable events, due to factors out of their control. The late, great Zig Ziglar summed this up nicely: “Have you ever noticed that people who are the problem never realize it? They’re in denial. They think “denial” is a river in Egypt!”
The most destructive fact about a culture of losing is that once you/your company start expecting to lose, losing becomes easier. And this losing attitude can hang around for a long time if it isn’t addressed.
Ever notice how winning teams never seem to panic, even when they are trailing late in a game? Despite the situation, they always believe that they can turn it around at any time. They expect good things to happen and treat every game as an opportunity to win. But this “culture of winning” doesn’t just appear overnight. This “never say die”, find a way to win culture is developed and nurtured by their everyday comportment, attitude and expectations.
Although they ultimately did not win the College Basketball National Championship this year, Loyola Chicago demonstrated this principle in their amazing run from 11-seed to the Final Four. “Why not us?” was even used by their coach, Porter Moser, as something of a team motto throughout the season. Although they were a small-school team without a bunch of future NBA stars, they believed in themselves and their abilities as a team. One of the most frequent observations about Loyola during the tournament was how well they played together. That teamwork was a big part of how they were able to beat higher-seeded teams with more “star” players.
You might ask, how can I even think about winning when I am in the midst of a string of losses? Consider the position of Loyola Chicago at the beginning of the year. Last year they had an average season, with an 18-14 record. They had not made an NCAA tournament appearance since 1985, and their only Final Four appearance was in 1963, the year they won the tournament. What about that record suggested that this would be the year they made it back to the Final Four for the first time in 55 years?
So next time you find yourself falling into a “culture of losing” and expecting bad results, ask yourself two questions: “Why not us? Why not now?” Say it again, like you mean it this time.
Creating a culture of winning begins right here, right now.
Have a great weekend,
Ro