The Sport Culture Index
The innerlogic Sport Culture Index (SCI) is an evidence-based assessment platform that quantifies culture data in sport environments. The assessment leverages several validated psychometric scales and empirically validated concepts from sport and organizational psychology.
The culture data reporting is done through a 360-review process, which includes the perceptions of every team member or organization member (athletes, coaches, support staff, etc.).
Much like a financial statement, the SCI audits a team’s environment. It provides a detailed breakdown of twelve key culture indicators, organized into two dimensions: people factors (i.e., areas critical to supporting human beings) and performance factors (i.e., areas vital to collective excellence).
The Unit of Analysis
Culture is the psychological climate created inside a team or organization, as well as the impacts of that climate on both people and performance. A more colloquial definition is “the way we do things around here.” This is precisely what the SCI is analyzing, the environment. Culture data is constantly being created and received by all team or organization members. Therefore, the assessment does not target individuals but rather the collective. Some key questions we help groups answer with the SCI are:
1. Are there sub-cultures, groups of individuals, or smaller teams struggling culturally within the bigger organization?
2. Are people in different roles and backgrounds experiencing the culture differently?
3. Are there specific culture data factors more correlated with performance outcomes than others?
Consistent Findings
Based on our work in sport over the past few years, here are some key findings that tend to ring true in most cases:
1. Measuring culture requires vulnerability from leadership. Naturally, the first time you do anything, there is some uncertainty. This has been true for just about everyone who uses our platform. The beauty in this is that coaches and sport leaders are pushing past their comfort zones to improve their environment. Those willing to do so have realized a massive reward on the other end. What’s in the way, is the way.
2. You will reveal both strengths and gaps. There is always a healthy combination of sentiments within the report that highlights strengths and how to optimize further and leverage those aspects and gaps that need improvement.
3. There is a concrete path forward. From every culture data set we have seen to date, there were always tangible growth opportunities to target and act upon. The best part: we provide an end-to-end action planning toolkit to store and track the success of your culture strategies.
4. Culture change is a process, not an event. Change takes time, but some quick wins are available simply by acknowledging the feedback received and sharing that with those who provided it, allowing them to feel heard. Beyond this, culture-shifting should not be viewed as an acute event or workshop but rather an ongoing, iterative process of daily improvements based on intentional attitude and behavioural change.
5. Engaging all stakeholders elevates the process. By including all team members (i.e., 360-degree feedback), you begin the process of true empowerment. This alone is an impactful culture data strategy. Because, at the end of the day, the health of a culture is determined by the many diverse perspectives and impacted by experiences within it.
About the author
Kevin Duffie, Chief Revenue Officer at innerlogic.
Kevin has a Master’s of Education in Leadership from Acadia University. His Master’s degree included Program and Leadership Development for non-profit organizations. Before joining innerlogic as their Chief Revenue Officer, he was a full-time university basketball coach for 14 years. He has led teams representing Nova Scotia nationally and Canada internationally.
