You Get What You Tolerate—But What Are You Willing to Tolerate For Now?

It’s easy to look at your team and see a huge list of behaviors that need improvement: more effort, better preparation, tucked-in shirts, tidy locker-rooms, saying thank you, or less complaining. The list goes on and on.

The problem is, you can’t fix everything at once. Trying to enforce dozens of new standards simultaneously guarantees you’ll enforce none of them.

To gain clarity and build your culture systematically, categorize behaviors into three distinct areas:

1. Coach Standards (Non-Negotiables)

These are the 3–4 behaviors you, as the coach, will never sacrifice or compromise. They reflect your core philosophy. These behaviors are almost always enforced. Be sure to check out the module on establishing your Non-Negotiables!

2. Team Standards

These are the behaviors we co-create as a team, including the players in the process. Once set, you strive for them together. They define what the team demands of itself. The process is to first establish (teach), then support (encourage), and finally reinforce and enforce the standards. Check out the Team Manifesto Module for how to establish these!

3. Someday Standards

This is a crucial category, but rarely clear in our heads. Think of it like this, just like your team’s skills and IQ, their character and habits will evolve over time. These are the behaviors that are standards for someday—it might take three months or three years until the culture is built up and the right players are on the bus.

It is important to acknowledge these behaviors, choose to tolerate them for now, and trust the process of building your culture.

Your Reflection:

So, as you look at your team today:

1. What behaviors are you willing to tolerate at this point in your season?
2. What changes will need to happen within your team (e.g., trust, maturity, buy-in) before you can move a "Someday Standard" into a "Team Standard"?