A Word From the Coach
Posted by: Clinton Koker on 6/22/2009 2:16:32 PM
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“No matter how you total success in the coaching profession, it all comes down to a single factor – talent. There may be a hundred great coaches of whom you have never heard in basketball, football, or any sport who will probably never receive the acclaim they deserve simply because they have not been blessed with the talent. Although not every coach can win consistently with talent, no coach can win without it.” - John Wooden.
What made John Wooden so successful was not just the talent (players and coaches) on his teams, but his own ability to create the right kind of environment for those talents to flourish. Great talents need great managers if they are to be turned into positive results.
The Los Angeles Lakers had world-class talent on their team for several years prior to hiring Phil Jackson as their coach. However, they could not win the championship. They had great talent but produced only slightly above-average results. In Phil Jackson’s first year as coach, the Lakers won the NBA Championship. They repeated the championship in his second year and third years! Next year he will be going for number four!
By the way, Phil Jackson is the same coach who blended the talents of players as different as Michael Jordan and Dennis Rodman to create a world-class championship team in Chicago for five straight years.
What Phil Jackson and John Wooden did to develop world-class teams was to focus on and continue to develop their players’ strengths. One of the biggest mistakes managers make is helping employees “fix their weaknesses,” especially if that weakness has little to do with the job. Instead of building on their natural talents (their strengths), we attempt to change their behavior, often at the expense of their natural talents. The following letter from an employee (name changed) demonstrates my point:
“I remembered how awful it used to feel when I couldn’t make things “work” at work. I always felt I had some strong talents in the area of communicating with high-level customers, but the focus of my relationship with my manager was always on my non-talents. My non-talents became the do or die factor. I never fit. Managers who hired me for my independence and perseverance always tried to “manage” (or control me), and were in charge of my livelihood. It was such a sore point in my heart when I met you. I did not feel successful at what I spent my time doing. It made me sad and scared about my ability to provide for my kids. More education could not help me overcome this dilemma.
“Now I have a future with hope. I am successful at what I do. I love my hard work. I love coming to work. I never mind putting in time. I think my work is significant and is making a real difference in companies. I think my opinions count. You really practice what you preach and I am so grateful. I don’t have to feel bad about my strengths, or be
defined by my weaknesses. You do hold me accountable, but my non-talents are not what you want me focusing on the majority of the time. In a way you have set me free.
“Thank you Sam, you have made a real difference in my life.”
Focus on your employee’s natural talents and you will be much more successful.
An excellent book to read on this subject is “First, Break all the Rules” by Marcus Buckingham and Curt Coffman.
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Clinton Koker is CEO of Koker Goodwin & Associates, a firm specializing in performance based employee compensation programs. He can be reached at 800 897-3308 or Clinton@KGAssociates.com.