Building a Positive Team Culture: Expectations & Affirmations

with Geoff Carlston,
Epic Journey Leadership - Founder & Director;
Ohio University Head Volleyball Coach from 2021 to 2025;
2020 Kermit Blosser Ohio Athletics Hall of Fame inductee;
Ohio State University Head Coach from 2008 to 2019;
Back-to-Back-to-Back Sweet 16 appearances (2014-16);
Ohio University Head Volleyball Coach from 2003 to 2007;
5x Consecutive MAC Conference Championships;
4x Mid-American Conference (MAC) Coach of the Year;
2x AVCA Mideast Region Coach of the Year;

Geoff Carlston details the kind of feedback reinforced in his program to encourage behaviors that create positive team culture. By implementing some of Carlston's techniques, you will be able to develop the expectations necessary to form the kind of culture in your program that leads to increased success.

Every play in volleyball has its own life. Learning to recognize the process within the point, and each other's role within that process, is paramount to creating a positive team culture. Learn how to identify the little things that each player does to help ensure the success of each play, and, learn why it's important to recognize them.

Identify Culture "Ninjas" On Your Team to Build Accountability

Carlston shares a drill that he has implemented with great results to 'score' positive behaviors. He chooses "culture ninjas," prior to each point, and evaluates the 'ninjas' based on certain criteria:

• Was there eye contact?
• Was there physical contact?
• Were they aggressive?
• Was there a "we" mentality?

Feedback is given to the 'ninja' at the play's conclusion, and points are awarded based on whether the player demonstrated positive culture-building behaviors. This helps quantify some of the mental and emotional parts of the game through identifiable actions. Carlston also describes ways the drill can be modified based on your team's unique needs.

Develop a "Next Play" Mentality

Getting rid of the negative attention brought on by a "my bad" approach to mistakes is critical to developing a positive team culture. Carlston explains how becoming consumed by your own shortcomings only brings unwanted attention to the mistake, rather than focusing your attention on making a successful next play. He gives cues and positive verbiage that is designed to instill confidence in yourself and your teammates, rather than focusing on the fact that a mistake just occurred. By shifting paradigms away from "my bad," and towards "we will be successful," the success becomes the focus, as does the team.

Coach Carlston delivers a powerful presentation on the importance of the mental and emotional parts of the game. Technique and X's and O's are critical, but, the culture of a program ultimately plays a vital role in its success or failure. This video captures the standards, expectations and affirmations used daily by one of the most successful coaches in the country, and can be valuable for programs of any size.

Produced at the 2016 AVCA Annual Convention in Columbus, OH.

58 minutes. 2017.