Book Notes from 'You Win in the Locker Room First' By Jon Gordon and Mike Smith
Communicate
- When there is a void in
communication, negativity will fill it.
- Fill the void with great
communication.
- The Most Important Thing a
Coach Can Do
- Doc Rivers: Head Coach LA
Clippers - what was the most important thing he does as a head coach.
- I communicate with my team.
Not just collectively as a team but individually.
- I have to know where each
person is in order to lead them where I need them to be.
- Since I communicate often
with them, I know who is struggling with a personal issues.
- I know who needs
encouragement.
- I know who needs to be
challenged.
- Communication is the
foundation of every great relationship.
- Communication builds trust,
trust generates commitment. Commitment fosters teamwork, and teamwork
delivers results.
- Relationships are the
foundation upon which winning teams are built and communication begins
the relationship developing process.
- One on One Communication
- Get feedback on why the
Falcons had struggled with consistency
- Met with every member of the
team over a three week period.
- I realize it's not easy to
consistently have one-on-one communication with everyone in the
organization.
- The key is to meet with your
leadership team and the people you lead directly.
- Make sure that they are
communicating well with the people they lead
- If everyone does this
throughout the organization, relationships, teamwork, and performance
will improve dramatically.
- Listening Enhances
Communication
- People often think of
communication as talking, but for me it's all about listening
- The best communicators is
the person who has the ability to listen, process the information, and
use it to make decisions that are in the best interest of the team and
organization.
- When you listen and hear
what your team members are saying, you open the lines of communication
and develop a team that is 'all in'
- Your team feels heard and
buys in to your leadership because they know and feel that they are part
of the process of building and sustaining success.
- One of the keys to listening
and communicating is to ask the right people - the right questions.
- What's the Temperature Today
- To be the most effective
leader possible - you have to know the temperature of the building
- Talking about the pulse of
the team and the energy of the building.
- Having an accurate
assessment of the mood of the building at all times will allow you to
make the best decisions for your team or organization.
- By asking what the
temperature was I not only learned more about the team but I also engaged
different people throughout the organization and reinforced the fact that
they were part of the process of being the best organization possible.
- As a leader you can't just
speak to other leaders who have a similar vantage point as you.
- You have to engage people
who are closest to the potential challenges facing your organization.
- Leading by Walking Around
- A big part of taking the
temperature of the building is leading by walking around.
- The most effective leaders
are the ones who are mobile and visible throughout the building - not
just in the office.
- You lead by leaving a
footprint in every area of the building.
- Trips to the training room
to visit with players receiving treatment.
- Visits to the weight room
were of equal importance.
- This was just another way
to strengthen the culture and communication in the organization.
- The cafeteria is another
opportunity to have conversations with the players in a different
setting.
- Spent a lot of time in the
locker room.
- Able to feel the pulse of
the team and learn who is connecting and what potential issues are
arising.
- Communicating the Message.
- A big part of every coach's
job is to share key messages, themes and principles with your team
- Critical to make sure that
you drive the message home the first time you present it.
- Want to make sure you
reinforce the themes and messages over and over again - almost until they
become annoying to the players.
- You want these themes and
messages at the forefront of the thoughts of every player, coach, and
member of the organization for the entire season.
- It is also essential that
your leadership team also share and reinforce the same messages with the
team.
- Every leader in the
organization must be echoing the same beliefs and sharing the same
message, especially the mentors and leaders in the locker room.
- You know that the message
was accepted by the team when you hear it being talked about in the
locker room, on the practice field, in the cafeteria, the training room
and to the media.
- When the message becomes
something that you are hearing from the players over and over again in
the media - then you know that they have bought in and are all in.
- The Power of an Outside Voice
- Also key to have outside
voices reinforce the messages and themes that you are sharing.
- We brought you here to
reinforce our message - our folks get tired of hearing us say it, but
when it comes from an outside voice it's new, fresh and exciting.
- The more times they hear it,
from different people, in different ways and styles, the more it will
resonate.
- The Enemies of Great
Communication
- The enemies that prevent us
from communicating well.
- Busyness and stress that
sabotage your communication.
- The key is to be aware that
these enemies exist, take a deep breath, slow down and make communication
an priority.
- Communication Must Lead to
Collaboration.
- When staff members and
players are included, they take ownership of the process.
- I became increasingly
convinced that it's not just communication that helps a team be
successful, but rather the collaboration that follows.
- Communication without
collaboration can lead to underperformance.
- Collaborative teams and
organizations are also much better prepared to deal with ever-changing
dynamics that are caused by both internal and external factors.
For more information about me and Polaris Solutions follow me on Twitter at @gevjen