Culture reviews and research
Bluestone Edge has been engaged in projects, reviews and research for sport, government and NGO clients. Our reviews have been on a range of topics important to sport such as performance enhancing drugs, women in leadership positions and the impact of alcohol in sport.
Reviewing culture is of particular importance at those times when organisations face a cultural dilemma, or even worse, a ‘cultural crisis’. As confronting as it might be, reviewing culture at these challenging times, allows organisations to maximise the learning embedded in a crisis. Addressing undesirable behaviours or those cultural elements that do not support sustained high-performance in a proactive and person-centric way, reduces the probability of these behaviours recurring.
As part of our culture reviews Bluestone Edge:
- Uses ethnographic research (the study of culture from an individual perspective) to conduct a thorough analysis of your current culture
- Does a thematic analysis of the data from multiple perspectives and presents a series of findings that illuminate the underlying dynamics which give rise to undesirable behaviours and/or outcomes
- Designs practical recommendations to directly address those findings that are impacting on culture, performance and brand.
Culture, ethics, performance psychology and leadership
Bluestone Edge provides quality consultancy services in culture, ethics, performance psychology and leadership, especially, but not exclusively for sporting organisations.
In basic terms, we might describe culture as an integrated pattern of human knowledge, belief and behaviour that depends upon our capacity to give meaning to symbols, for symbolic thought and our capacity for social learning; culture is something that happens between people. We might also see it as the set of shared attitudes, values, goals and practices that characterises an institution, organisation or group. A culture of excellence happens when those characteristics that are demonstrated day in and day out enable and inspire everyone in an organisation to not only do their best, but to do what is right even when it is not easy. What an organisation resists, and what it rewards, will drive culture.
Relationships are at the heart of culture. However, relationships can be volatile and unpredictable and are very much part of a live system – they don’t usually remain static and unchanging where growth, change and ambition are involved. Bluestone Edge has experience in facilitating the repair of relationships between stakeholder groups and individuals that are in a state of ‘rupture’ and conflict.
When an organisation is driven by ethical leadership, it is more likely to express its culture clearly and it will be more obvious to people internally and externally ‘who you are’. This understanding will allow you to have the freedom, discipline and commitment that you need to perform at your absolute peak.
Over the contracted period, Bluestone Edge supports our clients to develop a culture that:
- Is aligned to the Purpose and Vision of their organisation
- Is driven by performance, but done in a way that is sustainable to both the individual and the organisation
- Has a clear set of standards and accountabilities in terms of cultural, performance and behavioural expectations
- Places a value on energy and well-being
- Best represents and epitomises your brand to both internal and external stakeholders
High performance leadership coaching
The eternal debate of leadership is whether a leader is born or made. Either way, every now and then a leader will benefit from a ‘recalibration’ of who they are and why they do what they do.
At Bluestone Edge we use high-performance leadership coaching to assist leaders in this recalibration process as well as to align them to the purpose and vision of their organisation. We also use the latest tools in psychological profiling to identify strengths and areas of opportunity related to a leader’s use of power in order to create a unique developmental program for the leader.
At Bluestone Edge we believe that leadership has a few non-negotiable characteristics, namely that leadership is a service one offers to others; leadership doesn’t exist without action; and leadership is characterised by the ability and willingness to influence people. It is a question of skill, character and of circumstance.
At Bluestone Edge, we believe sport is an important place for ethical leadership, not least because it is so visible in our society. Sport gives us a forum to practice leadership directly, and it offers a metaphor for us to see and understand the force of leadership more broadly.
Bluestone Edge provides high-performance leadership coaching that:
- Develops leadership attributes that are based on a leader’s individual strengths and internal frame of reference
- Increases the capacity of leaders to think through ethical challenges
- Supports leaders in the effective use of their power
- Develops a leader’s ability to manage and facilitate challenging organisational and team dynamics
- Helps leaders to clarify the function of their role, therefore increasing the effectiveness of where and how they invest their time and energy
Leading for Psychological Safety
Psychological safety is a key determinant of the success organisations and teams have in creating high-performance cultures.
When there is psychological safety present, team members are able to speak freely and take moderate risks – both strategically and in terms of their relationships; innovation and creativity are championed, even though there may not always be a guarantee of success; and perhaps most importantly, having difficult conversations about cultural expectations, performance management and the challenges of diversity and inclusion are seen as acceptable, perhaps even the norm. Psychological safety means that interpersonal tensions and conflicts can be proactively addressed and resolved, rather than them going “underground” and manifesting as passive-aggressive behaviours. In addition, organisations with higher levels of psychological safety have better retention of talent. As a result teams are more stable, thereby deepening the trust and connections between team members; recruitment costs are minimised; and there is greater retention of industry specific expertise and intellectual property.
Leading for Psychological Safety is a Bluestone Edge program with a unique focus on supporting leaders in addressing those aspects of their own psychology that undermine their ability to model, defend and uphold a psychologically safe culture. Our blog discusses the principles and dynamics of why this approach to leadership development is a critical aspect of any initiative with the outcome of increasing psychological safety.
Leading for Psychological Safety is delivered through four half-day modules. Each module focuses on developing greater capability to lead and deliver an essential aspect of high-performance, whilst simultaneously exploring the leader’s psychological and thinking approach in how they take up that aspect of their role.
Module One: Leading for Psychological Safety by enhancing teamwork and collaboration
Module Two: Leading for Psychological Safety by leaning into difficult conversations
Module Three: Leading for Psychological Safety through performance management
Module Four: Leading for Psychological Safety by understanding dynamics of diversity and inclusion
Contact us today to find out how we can work with your organisation