In retirement, I am getting more and more into listening to podcasts. I had the opportunity to listen to Scot Podsednik on White Sox Talk. The way the White Sox are going, you would not expect it to be the place to listen to a conversation about the "winning formula," but it turned out to be.
Podsednik had an interesting perspective on winning. He had been part of the 2005 World Champion team, but had also been part of the some bad teams in different cities during his career. His perspective is that the best way to learn what it takes to win, is to be part of losing team and part of winning teams. In his mind, when you see the contrast, you realize what the critical ingredients are to winning.
He talked about three key ingredients for winning teams. The following is my analysis of his three ingredients:
CHOICES- On winning teams, when players wake up, they start making choices purposely to be prepared for their next game or next challenge. Their performance and their team's performance are of central importance to them as an individual. They don't wait until game time to "turn it on," or "want to win." In morning they choose to eat food that prepares their body, they choose to watch film, they choose to share a motivational quote with teammates, and they choose to get to practice early. Winners are constantly make choices to make them better players.
SACRIFICE- On winning teams, players show their teammates that they are willing to put the team first. If they are not in the lineup or not starting, they are still supportive of the team. According to Podsednik a crucial ingredient of a championship team is that the "stars" must show the team that the team comes first. When the star puts the team first, it is easy for everyone to put the team first. When the star is worried about their stats, it becomes a team where ME is bigger than we.
LEADERSHIP- Podsednik talked about the importance of players stepping up to be leaders, whether it is verbally or by example. But his primary focus was on the importance of the coach or manager's leadership, and the players having a "culture of wanting to be coached." He described places he had played where the players did not want to be coached. If the coach tried to coach them, the player's reaction was that the coach didn't like them. On losing teams, the players set up defenses to protect themselves from being coached.
On winning teams, the coach and the players accept a paradigm of how effective leadership works:
Expectations- An effective leader sets out clear expectations of what is expected. It can be simple things about what you wear to games, the time you arrive for games/practices, or having your shirt tucked in. Or it can be more detailed expectations related to play such as technical fouls, turnovers, not blocking out. Good coaches outline their expectations but more importantly good players want to have expectations outlined.
Accountability- When players do not meet expectations, they must be held accountable. The coach must be willing to let players know when they have not met expectations. If a player has skipped class, if they have been emotionally out of control in a game, or if they have been pouty on the bench- two things MUST happen. The coach MUST hold them accountable by letting them know they are not meeting expectations, and the players MUST want the coach to hold them accountable. "Do you as a player want the coach to help you become better?"
Consequences- When a player fails to meet the team's expectations and the coach holds them accountable by telling them their mistake, there is one last ingredient of championship teams. On championship teams- the coach is willing and must give player's consequences when they don't meet team expectations. Maybe initially it is just a conversation but if it is always just a conversation, the expectations a no longer expectations. At a certain point if all that happens is conversation, the "expectations become merely suggestions." On championship teams, players WANT there to be consequences if they or a teammate is emotionally out of control, skipping class, or being pouty.
AN EXAMPLE- Bo Ryan was an example of a coach who had very high expectations when it came to not turning the ball over. This expectation was important enough to him that if ANY PLAYER turned the ball over, Ryan immediately subbed them out of the game. The players knew that was an expectation, and they knew they could rely on the consequences. He didn't do this just when he was mad, just with certain players, or only in certain games- he was consistent with this consequence. Obviously this was an extreme, but this was Bo Ryan.
MY CONCLUSION- On championship teams, players are willing to not only think about the team but are willing to make sure their actions put the team first. On championship teams, players want high expectations, players want to be held accountable, and players want to receive consequences. For a player to not want high expectations, not to want to be held accountable, and not to understand the value of consequences-- if for a player to not want to be coached and not win championships!
No comments:
Post a Comment