When you look at the Super Bowl Champion New England
Patriots performance last year, what are some of the things that stand out? Was
it Tom Brady’s performance? Was it the defensive unit for NE that allowed them
to get to the final game? The secret weapon for NE or any top performing unit
is the simple fact that…
Coaching matters! Bill Belichick is arguably one of the most
controversial figures in the NFL but no one denies he is an effective coach.
Would the same team of players being coached by me for example, produce the
same results? I like to think maybe but the point is that the coach and
coaching can make the difference on any team. It doesn’t have to be a sports team;
it can be your team.
What makes people effective coaches?
Dedication: Great
coaches dedicate their time and energy learning and refining, and learning and
refining, and learning again. This doesn’t mean they change their coaching
techniques, it simply means they evaluate the circumstances, communicate the
game plan, and demonstrate the behavior they believe will achieve the best
results. The great coach knows that they are the example so they must be at the
top of their game at all times.
Communication:
Great coaches communicate the why to their teams. Players, employees often need
to hear the “why this behavior change will help you” in order to get buy in on
the idea. Great coaches understand that not every player responds the same way
to their message so they customize the way they deliver the message to each
individual.
Validation: Great
coaches validate that the message they are trying to get across is getting
through. They don’t just simply say “did you get that Brady” they say, “Brady
tell me/show me what I just said.” Validation ensures you are on the same page
with your team.
Drills: Tom Brady
is arguably one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time but does Tom Brady get
to sit out practice drills? Never. Practice drills are the role play for the
big game. Practice drills give the coach an understanding of whether or not the
behavior you want to change or encourage is getting across. You drill until the
team or individual is executing the behavior to a level that will improve
performance.
Follow up: Even
when you have communicated, validated, and role played, the great coach
observes and follows up on the behavior. If the individual is executing
flawlessly we recognize the behavior, and if they are not we do a quick check
with them to find out why they are not and fix it.
The people on our front lines need constant coaching. If you
have agents that are not being coached at least once a week you can never
expect to get to the Super Bowl. We need to make sure our supervisors are the
Bill Belichick of the center and know how to execute an effective coaching
session with their teams.
The skill to be a great coach can be trained and there are
proven methods that produce significantly improved results. I do this for a
living and train supervisors to become effective coaches. If you spend the time
training up your supervisors to coach effectively you may reach the “Super
Bowl” in your industry. Good Luck!
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