Development of a culture conducive to the pursuit of health, wellbeing, and sustainable high performance is an essential component of the Practices of the Healthcare Athlete.
Dr. Darin Davidson partners with Learner+, a CME/CE reflective learning platform for healthcare providers. For the opportunity to reflect on this article and earn CME/CE credits, Launch here. Check out all past articles which are also eligible for reflections and CME/CE credits.
For downloadable, actionable strategies and tactics to leverage biology in the pursuit of health, wellbeing, and sustainable high performance, visit the resource store, Launch here. Chapters are arranged by topic so those of interest can be selected and each are also eligible for reflections and CME/CE credits through Learner+.
We often encounter discussions about the importance of culture. In the world of competitive and professional sports, it is frequently noted how successful teams have an underlying culture which supports, promotes, and develops the athletes’ and coaches’ abilities to perform at their highest level on a consistent basis. Conversely, unsuccessful teams are often said to have a poor culture in the sense that there is a lack of a supportive framework to allow individuals to be at their best.
We can utilize this concept of culture from the competitive and professional sports environments alluded to above within the Practices of the Healthcare Athlete. Just as culture is important within sports environments, so too is it an essential component in the pursuit of sustainable high performance in non sports settings, as well as the pursuit of health and wellbeing. This applies not only to ourselves and the groups with which we associate during performance domains, but also within our families and friend groups. Essentially culture extends to all interactions we have with ourself as well as all those around us. It is important that we cultivate a culture that is conducive to accomplishing the goals within our pursuit of health, wellbeing, and sustainable high performance.
As noted above, a positive and strong culture often is at the foundation of successful teams and groups. This is on account of the benefits that such a culture provides. As discussed above, such cultures often provide support and an environment that is conducive to not only being at one’s best but developing skills and improving in a continuous fashion. This is often accompanied by a sense of belonging amongst the members within the group, as well as a sense of acceptance regardless of the outcomes. Typically, these cultures are more focused on the process of becoming the best version of oneself rather than an over emphasis on the outcome. When considered from the perspective of internal motivation and reward as compared to external motivation and reward, positive cultures frequently emphasize internal sources of motivation and reward. From an actionable perspective, this corresponds to prioritizing the process over the actual outcome.
The culture that we cultivate and develop typically will emerge from the repeated actions and behaviors we exhibit. This is equally true amongst all members of the group. When there is a natural leadership structure within a given group, it is not only the actions and words of those leaders that develop the culture, but perhaps more importantly those of the other members of the group. If the overall framework and perspective is not adopted by all members, the culture will not be consistently demonstrated and will not come to life in the ideal fashion. This will be detrimental in the process of realizing the important benefits of a positive culture.
It is important that the culture we establish is authentic. The crucial issue of authenticity was discussed in the previous article. At its core, it is essential that the culture that we develop is consistent with the values, principles, and philosophy with which we want to live and perform. In order to cultivate the desired culture, it is important that we first identify the values, principles, philosophy, and purpose that are important to us. We then strive to the best of our ability to repeatedly and consistently show up and demonstrate these attributes. Within a team setting, it is important that we then support and encourage all those around us to do the same. This applies equally to members of a friend group and family. This process not only contributes towards a positive culture but creates a strong sense of belonging amongst each other which is important for providing cues towards anchored and grounded states amongst all members of the team or group.
When we repeatedly demonstrate consistent attributes and traits which are in alignment with our values, principles, philosophy, and purpose the culture we are trying to establish will naturally emerge and come to life. This is not an instantaneous process. Repeated repetitions over time as consistently as possible are necessary in order to fully establish the desired culture.
Given the above description, it is evident that culture is ultimately based upon a strong foundation of anchored and grounded states. Flexibility within our nervous system such that we are able to encounter shifts into activated, attacking, anxious, overwhelmed, and shutdown states and return back to anchored and grounded state is another essential component. The combination of strong anchored and grounded states, as well as a flexible nervous system is essential in order to experience and manage the inevitable obstacles and setbacks we will encounter in any pursuit of life. Within teams and families, it is particularly important that we support the development of anchored and grounded states as well as flexible nervous systems amongst all members.
The establishment of this type of a culture leads to the optimal foundation for the pursuit of health, wellbeing, and sustainable high performance. Inherent within this framework is the recognition that we are all accountable for being the best version of ourselves as consistently as possible and supporting those around us to do the same. An integral component to establishing the desired culture is each individual taking the responsibility to be at their best and to acknowledge when adjustments are necessary. It is also understood within this culture that it is the process of becoming the best version of our self that is most valued rather than any specific external outcome. As such each member of the culture is similarly involved in a process of continuous development and growth. An important aspect to this process is the ability to honestly evaluate our current state as well as the state of those around us so that appropriate and constructive adjustments and adaptations can be made. When we are able to successfully achieve the desired culture, we are optimized towards not only continuous growth and improvement within a supportive environment, but also the ability to honestly assess the current situation and make necessary adjustments.
It is also important to note that culture is not static. Once we achieve the optimal culture, it is imperative that we continue to invest time and effort in maintaining that culture. As can be understood from the discussion above, the ideal culture emerges when all members of the team are similarly engaged in the pursuit of strengthening their anchored and grounded states, improving nervous system flexibility, and continuously developing and growing. If members of the team lose their focus on these attributes, it is possible that the culture of the overall team will deteriorate. In such situations, which amongst teams in particular of larger number is inevitable, it is essential that we return to the process of restoring and re-building culture through the common attempt to strengthen anchored and grounded states and improve nervous system flexibility.
In situations in which the culture deteriorates, it is often associated with shifts into activated, attacking, anxious, overwhelmed, and shutdown states. As discussed throughout this article series, such state shifts cannot be managed through mind-based skills alone. Rather, the utilization of body-based skills to first shift towards anchored and grounded states followed by a reintroduction of mind-based skills is necessary. With this understanding in mind, an important strategy to utilize in situations in which the culture has deteriorated is to first utilize body-based skills to allow all members of the team to shift back towards anchored and grounded states and then re-introduce mind-based skills.
Establishing and maintaining the optimal culture for the pursuit of health, wellbeing, and sustainable high performance is an essential component of the Practices of the Healthcare Athlete. The strategies discussed above can be utilized to accomplish this important endeavor. It is important to recognize as discussed above that once we have established the desired culture it will not remain static. Rather, it requires ongoing work and effort in order to maintain it.
To learn more, including about biologically complementary coaching for healthcare professionals and others in high demand domains, please visit www.darindavidson.com.
Dr. Darin Davidson partners with Learner+, a CME/CE reflective learning platform for healthcare providers. For the opportunity to reflect on this article and earn CME/CE credits, Launch here. Check out all past articles which are also eligible for reflections and CME/CE credits.
For downloadable, actionable strategies and tactics to leverage biology in the pursuit of health, wellbeing, and sustainable high performance, visit the resource store, Launch here. Chapters are arranged by topic so those of interest can be selected and each are also eligible for reflections and CME/CE credits through Learner+.