Today on the Run Culture podcast, I share stories with my good mate, Zacca Newman (Founder of Run2PB online coaching) on the ‘magic’ of fostering ‘good culture’ in the teams that you are involved in. What is ‘good culture’? Well, It’s that unbridled energy you feel, when surrounded by a cohesive group of people, that trust each other, are vulnerable together and are all working in the same direction. In terms of performance, culture isn’t mentioned enough in the running world… so often we talk about the physical and psychological components but what about the social dynamics of a group… “ Why do certain organizations become greater than the sum of their parts while other groups fall short?” “Give a good idea to a mediocre team, and they’ll find a way to screw it up. Give a mediocre idea to a good team, and they’ll find a way to make it better. The goal needs to be to get the team right, get them moving in the right direction, and get them to see where they are making mistakes and where they are succeeding.” In other words, I want more people to appreciate that establishing and working on maintaining good culture amongst the run groups you are in, when it comes to performance, is just as and (in some cases 'more' important) than the 'talent' you possess or the wiz bang ‘technology’ or ‘training schedule’ you are doing. Some view running as an individual sport but really it can be so much more than this. My entire life has been entwined with running and I attribute much of this to the fun and cohesive running groups I have been apart of over the years. They have taught me so much, I have grown as a person with them and as a result forged everlasting friendships/laughs and many special memories. Building a more cohesive, knowledgeable and joyous running ‘culture’ has been a driving purpose of everything I try to do, with my running blog/podcast/physiotherapy and coaching. Thanks once again for the stories 'old man Zacca', you could tell this topic meant a bit to you as well! If you want to hear more from Zacca Newman follow him at Run2PB on socials and be sure to tune in to the 'Better with Running' Podcast.