OTHERBOOKSBYNATHANJAMAIL
TheSalesLeadersPlaybookTheSalesProfessionals
PlaybookTheSalesLeadersGamePlan
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Tomyson,Anthony,whocan’tbelievethat
companiesactuallypaymeformyadvice;hehasbeengettingmyadviceforthepasteightyearsandcan’tpaymeenoughtostop.
Andtomythreeprincesses:Nyla,whoiselevengoingonthirtyandisalways
takingcareofhermomandlittlesisters,andPaigeand
Savannah,whodon’treallyunderstandwhatDaddoes,andwhentheyareoldenoughtorealizestill
probablywon’tunderstandwhatDaddoes.
ItalkaboutyouallineveryspeechIgive,becauseyouaremyeverything.Ilove
youverymuch.
CONTENTS
Other Books by NathanJamail
Title Page
Copyright
Dedication
First Pitch
PART ONE:Understand thePrinciples ofCoachingThe Five CrucialDifferences BetweenManaging andCoaching
PART TWO: Be aCoachCHAPTER 1Mandate Skill Practice andPlayer Development
CHAPTER 2Give Game Balls and MVPs: Recognize Teams andIndividuals
CHAPTER 3Have Quarterly Game Plansand Peer Presentations
CHAPTER 4Set Logical, Not Realistic,Goals
CHAPTER 5Take Responsibility forMotivation and Morale
CHAPTER 6“Build Your Bench”: Recruit theBest Players
CHAPTER 7Make Tough Decisions
CHAPTER 8Treat the Victim Disease
CHAPTER 9Avoid the Biggest ManagementTraps
PART THREE:Create a CoachingCultureCHAPTER 10The Desire to Win
CHAPTER 11A Culture of Accountability
CHAPTER 12Get on the Field
Post-Game Wrap-Up
Acknowledgments
MFIRST PITCH
yson’sLittleLeagueteamlostitsfirstgame
sobadthattheumpirescalledthegameunderthe“mercyrule.”Thisrule,alsoknownasthe“slaughterrule,”isinvokedwhenoneteamhasaninsurmountablelead;itprotectstheemotional
stabilityofthechildren,parents,andcoachoftheteamgettingskunked.
Iwasthecoach.Thesecondgame,wegot
acoupleofrunsbutstilllost.Wewonthethirdgame.Afterourwin,Igotthekidstogetheroutsidethedugout.Withtheirparentslookingon,Iaskedthemiftheyfeltbetterthisweekwhenwewonthanthepreviousweekswhenwe
lost.Theyallsaidyes.“See,itdoesmatterifyouwinorlose,”Itoldthem.
Insports,winningandlosingmatters.Itmatters.Itdoesn’tmatterifyouaredealingwithkidsorcolleagues:Noteam,period,cangoontoafieldexpectingtolosethegame.Anditisacoach’sjobtoinstillthismind-setintheteam—amind-setthatmakestheteam
believeitcanwineverygameandthusplayeverygametowin.ButasItoldmyLittleLeaguekids,“Winningisnotjustaboutresults”;theirdesiretowinasateamwasmuchmoreimportantthantheresultofthegame.Afterall,sometimesteamswinjustforshowingup,andloseeventhoughtheydoeverythingright.Theimportantthingistohaveawinningattitude—
tolosewithconfidenceandwinwithmodesty.
EverythingIsaidtomyson’sLittleLeagueteamhastheessentialingredientsforsuccessforanycoach:
Makingtheteammembersbelievein
themselvesMandatingthattheentireteamworktogetherPushingtheteamtoachievesuccessEncouraging
awinningattitudeCreatingateamculturethatsupportsallthesethings
Thinkaboutit:Thepeoplewhohelpedmakeyou
successfulinsports,school,oranypartofyourlifethatrequiredyourbestperformanceweretheoneswhoconstantlychallengedyou,inspiredyou,droveyou,anddidn’ttakelessthanthebestyoucouldbe—andtheywererighttodoso.Ourgoalasbusinessleadersshouldbetodothesamewithourpeople.Butmosttimes,wejustdon’t.
That’sbecausemostbusinessesdon’thavecoachingculturesandleaderswhoarecoaches;theyhavemanagementculturesandleaderswhoaremanagers.Coachescannotthriveinmanagementculturesthatexpectitsleaderstopayattentiontoindividualsmorethantotheteam,handleproblemsreactively,focusonreformingthepoorest
performers,avoidconflict,andmostlyjuststepbackandletpeopledotheirjobs.Acoachingcultureexpectstheexactoppositeofitsleaders:tobelievetheteamismoreimportantthantheresultsofanindividual,getinvolvedbeforeactionisneeded,focusonthetopperformerswhodeservetheirattention,embraceconflict,andalwaysgetonthefieldandpractice
withtheteam.Thesearethemissing
elementsinbusinessandbusinessleadershiptoday:culturesthatsupportatransformationofmanagersintocoachesandhelpthemdeveloptheskillstodoso.WhatifItoldmyLittleLeagueboystoworkasateamandplaywithawinningattitudebutdidn’tpracticeduringtheweekor
scrimmagegamesituations?Wemightneverhavewonagame.It’snotenoughtotalkaboutit.Thesameistrueinbusiness:Wecan’tsimplysaywewantourleaderstocoachtheirteams;weneedtoshowthemhowtobecoaches.Butfortoolong,thebusinessworldhaslackedaclearandeffectiveinstructionontheskills,disciplines,andexecutabletasksnecessaryto
turnleadersintocoaches.That’snodifferentfromsaying,“Iwantmyaccountanttobeanengineer,butI’mnotgoingtoteachherhowtobecomeone.”Thisiswhythefirstpartsofmybookfocusonunderstandingthedifferencesbetweenmanagingandcoachingandthendevelopingthefundamentalskills—frompracticingtomakingtough
decisionstomotivation—thatleadersneedtocreateandcoachdynamic,motivated,high-functioningteams.OnceIcoverthoseskills,thelastpartofthebookshowsleaderswhattheyneedtodotochangethecultureoftheirdepartmentorbusinessforsupportingandsustainingtheirtransformationfrommanagertocoach.
Soundsgreat,right?So
whyaren’ttheremorecoachesandcoachingculturesinbusiness?Isitjusttheabsenceofabooklikethis?No.It’sbecausecoachingishard.Coachingdoesn’tjusthappen.Coachingtakestimeandconstantefforttomakeitthecoreofabusiness’sleadershipprinciples.Coachingdoesnotworkifitisoptional.Theselessons
mustbeimplementedandmademandatory.Wecan’tsimplytryandfitcoachingintoourdays.Itneverfits.Considerthefirstcoachingactivitieswewillcoverinthisbook:practicingandscrimmaging.Professionalbusinessteams,unlikeanyprofessionalsportsteams,rarelypractice.Why?It’snotbecausewedon’tknowthatpracticeisessentialtoa
team’ssuccess.Butpracticingtakestimetosetupandweeksandmonthsofconstantworktoachievegreatresults.Howcanwepossiblysqueezeitintoalistalreadyoverflowingwithhigh-prioritytasks?There’sjustnotime!Buteveryonesaysthat.Wemaybebusy,butarewebeingproductive?
Coachingmakesusproductive,butthat
productivitycanbehardtowaitforwhenwealwaysfeelweneedsomeresultsnow,now,NOW!That’sanotherbigobstacletocreatingcoachesandcoachingcultures:Thereislittleinstantgratificationincoaching.Gratificationcomesinachievingbetterresultsmonthsdowntheroad.WhenIshowbusinessleadershowtopracticeandscrimmage,
theyneverleavetheroomsaying,“Genius!”Butwhiletheoverallresultstaketime,thechangeintheteam’smoralejustfrompayingattentiontothemandinstillingawinningattitudehappensmuch,muchfaster.
Truthis,there’sabiggerreasonweresistthechangesneededtoturnmanagersintocoaches:We’reafraidofwhatwemightfind.We’rescared
thatwhenwebegintocoachourpeople,wewillfindoutthatthosepeoplearenotasgoodaswethought.Thatdoesn’tonlymakeusscared,itmakesusselfish.Wedon’twanttodealwithandtakeresponsibilityforalltheinevitableworkandconflictthatcomesfromthischange.Nobodylikesmakingthetoughdecisionscoachesneedtomaketomovepeopleupor
outoftheorganization.Instead,wesaythingslike“IfIhavetogetridofthatguy,IwillhavetoconfronthimdirectlyandthendoallhisworkwhileIworktoreplacehim,andIdon’twanttodoit.”It’smucheasiertoignoretheproblemandhopeitgoesaway.Yetitneverdoes.
AndIknowthisnotbecauseIwritebooksaboutit,butbecauseIhavelivedit
myself.IlearnedallIknowaboutcoachingasaneverydaybusinessperson,probablyjustlikeyou.Beforestartingmyownsmallbusinessesandbecomingaconsultantfordozensoflargeandsmallcompaniesnationwide,IspentmorethantwodecadesleadingteamsincorporateAmericaandwasanexecutivesalesdirectorforaFortune500company.I
haveseenthesameleadershipproblemstoptobottomineveryoneofthem.
I’mthelastperson,however,whowillsayallthisknowledgeandexperiencemakesmesmarterthananyoneelse.IwasaC-student,soI’mnotalwaysthesharpesttoolintheshed.Ican’tpickoutmyownclothes,hairstyle,orfurniture.Yetnoneofthathas
anyeffectonwhetherI—oranyone—canbeagoodcoach.Coaches,insportsandbusiness,oftendonothave(orneverhad)theskillsoftheirbest“players.”CoachinghaslittletodowithGod-giventalent,andpastperformanceisnoindicatorofwhethersomeonecanbeaneffectiveleader,letaloneagreatcoach.Thisiswhyitistherarestarathleteor
Coachinghas todo withbeliefmorethanbrilliance,
smartestpersonintheroomwhobecomesorevenwantstobecomeacoach.
Tobecomeacoachmeanschallengingeverythingyouthinkanddoasaleadertoday.Andthat’swhatIwantthisbook
andwithattitudeasmuchasaptitude.
todo.Iwanttocontradicttheprinciplesofmanagementculturesyouhavebeenhearingandusingforyearsandconfrontthethingsyouhavedoneinthepastandbelievetoberight.WhatIdon’twant
todoismakethewordshardtofollow.Thefactis,Ihavealotofhalf-readbusinessbooksonmybookshelfwrittenbypeoplewhohavenoideawhatmy“world”islike.Iwantedtowritealeadershipbookthatpeoplelikememightactuallyfinishandfeelthat—finally—thereisabookthatspeaks“our”language.
Todothis,Iwrotethe
booksimilartothewayIspeakfromthestage,approachingconceptsfromdifferentanglesandwithdifferentpurposes.Ithenrepeatthecoreideasforreinforcementsothereisnoneedtomemorizethemasyouread.Inaddition,youwillnotfindalotofinternationalresearchorglobaltheoriesinthisbook.Ileavethosetothewonksand
scholars.Instead,Iusereal-lifeexamplesfrommybusinessesandfamily,thecompaniesIworkedfor,andtheleadersandorganizationsIcoach.Asyouprobablyguessed,Ialsousealotofsportsanalogies,butIdon’tusethembecauseIamanathleteortomakethisa“man’sbook.”IusesportsanalogiesbecauseIrunmybusinesseslikewinning
sportsteamsinwhichskilldevelopmentandeffectivecoachingmakestheteambetter.Theprinciplesandactivitiesarethesame—femaleormale—andaredescribedinsimpleXandOdiagramsatthestartofeachchaptersoyoucanseethe“play”coming.
Beforewegetstartedwithyourleadershiptransformation,letmegive
youonelastthought.Mostofushaveheardthephrase“workonyourbusinessinsteadofinyourbusiness,”butIwanttogiveyouacoachingtwistonit:Workonyourpeople,notforyourpeople.That’sabigkeytothisbook’sworkingforyou.Iwillshowyouthekeycoachingactivitiesandculturalrules,butmysharingthemwillnotbeenoughif
youwanttocontinuethetransformationofindividualsandoverallculturetoawinning,top-performingteam.Regardlessoftheirtitle,department,company,orindustry,Ibelieveleadersarepaidtopayattentionto,develop,andmotivatetheirpeopleandteamstoperformbetter.Workingwithadiversegroupofclients,notonlyinsalesdepartmentsbut
alsoinengineeringandoperations,hastaughtmethatthecoachingprinciplesItalkedaboutinmyfirstbook,TheSalesLeadersPlaybook,areuniversallyapplicableandgomuchdeeperthanIimagined.Sure,companiescanbesuccessfulandhavefunctionalcultureswithleaderswhoarenotcoaches,butthebestteamsarethosethatarecoached—not
managed,coached—whichiswhythisbookstartswithcoveringthedifferencesbetweenthetwo.
Enoughofthisalready—let’splayball!
PARTONEUnderstand thePrinciples ofCoaching
THE FIVECRUCIALDIFFERENCESBETWEENMANAGINGANDCOACHINGStop thinking like a
I
manager and startthinking like a coach.
wastalkingtomydad,who
isalsoabusinesspartnerofmine,aboutanemployeeatoneofourdrycleaners.Shehadabadattitude.
“Whatdoyouplantodoabouther?”Iasked.
“Nothingreally,”hesaid,“becauseweneedhertorunthestore.Sheknowsthebusinessbetterthantheothers.”
“Soifshequittomorrow,wouldweshutdownthe
store?”Mydadchuckledand
said,“Heck,no.”Hethenmentionedthatwhenshecalled,hecringedatseeinghernumber.Hedidn’tlikegoingtovisitthestorewhenshewastherebecauseitwassucha“beatdown”(that’sTexanfor“misery”).
“Dad,ifyoucan’tstandthispersonbecauseshehasabadattitude,andyouarethe
Mostcompanieshaveleaderswhoaremanagers
boss,imaginewhathercoworkersthinkor,evenworse,ourclients.”
Liketoomanybusinessownersandleaders,mydadwasavoidingdealingwiththispersonforallthewrongreasons.He
inmanagementcultures.
saidhehadtalkedtoheraboutherattitudeandhadevenwrittenherupforit.Whathereallyneededtodowasdealwithheronceandforall,buthenevertookthatfinalstepbecausehestillbelievedheneededher.Iencouragedhimtohaveonelastmeetingwithhertomake
herimmediatelychangeherattitudeorknowwewouldimmediatelytakethestepstoterminateher.Hefinallydid,andtheemployeedecidedshewouldbeabetterfitoutsidetheorganization.Didthestorecloseassheleft,takingallourdrycleanerexperiencewithher?Ofcoursenot.Thestorestayedopen,myfatherputinplaceanewmanagerwiththerightattitude,and
businessimproved—bothoutsideandinside.Infact,severalemployeesandclientscametomyfathersoonafterandsaid,“Finally!Whattookyousolong?”
Innotdealingwiththisbademployee,myfather,likesomanybusinessleaders,violatedtwoofthefiveessentialcoachingprinciplesthatdemonstratetwoofthecrucialdifferencesbetween
managingandcoaching:Noindividualismoreimportantthantheteam,andneveravoidconflict.Thenagain,mostbusinessesandtheirleaders,especiallywhenthingsaren’tgoingpoorly,don’tdealwithproblemsliketheseoranyothersthatmaylurkbelowthesurface.Theexpression“highwatercoversallrocks”comestomind.Butwhenthingsgetrough—when
thewaterrecedesandtherocksappear—mostleadershavelittleideahowtoacteffectively,pulltheirpeopletogether,andcoachthemasateamtoperformbetter.Theyworkinmanagementcultureswhereleadingmeanssteppingbackandlettingpeopledotheirjobs,forbetterorworse.Noneedtorocktheboatnow.Itwillbehightideagainsoon,right?Maybenot.
MostcompaniesNEEDleaderswhoarecoachesincoachingcultures.
ThisisamajorreasonIcallthemanagement-culturementalityfundamentallycorrupt.Hiregoodpeopleandletthemdotheirjobs?That’salinehandeddown
fromoutdatedbusinessbooksmorethanagenerationold.Leaderstodayneedtogetinvolvedandcoachtheirteamstosuccess,ratherthanmanagethemtomediocrity.Today’sbusinessisn’tsomuchabouttoday’seconomyasitisabouttoday’sleadership:Whoistakingresponsibilitytoactuallylead?Technologyandthe
competitionmovefasterthaneverbefore,andleadersneedtoimplementasystemforimprovementandchallengetheirteamstocompeteatthespeedofbusinesstoday.Simplymanagingpeopleandrelyingonthemtodevelopthemselvesisnotenoughanymore.I’mnotsayingthosemanagementcultureswerewrongforyesterday’sbusinessorthattheycan’t
worktoday;theyjustdon’tgiveleadersthebestchancetosucceedthewaycoachingculturesdo.Yetmostleadersdon’tunderstandwhatitmeanstocoach,thedifferencesbetweenmanagingandcoaching,orbeforeallthat,whatitmeanstobeagreatleader.
The
Greatleadersaren’tnecessarilygreatcoaches,butgreatcoachesaregreat
leaders.
Characteristics ofGreat Leaders
Greatleadersareethical,compassionate,andhumble.Theyaregreatstudentsandconstantlystrivetolearnmore.Theyareempatheticbutnotsympathetic,show
resolveinthetoughesttimes,andbelievetheycangetsomethingoutofeverybody,neverdismissinganyoneoutright.Greatleadersarestronganddecisivewithoutbeingarrogant.Theyneverusefeartomaketheteamfallinline,orusebravadotocompensateforafearofbeingvulnerable.Instead,theyusevulnerabilityandhumilitytogainrespectwhile
stillexudingconfidence.Greatleadersalways
believeinthemselvesandtheirteams—that’showtheygettheteams’individualmemberstosacrificeforthegoodofthoseteams.Theteamsknowtheseleadersmakethembetterandthusstrivetopleasethem.Asaresult,greatleadershavealoyal—evenblind—followership.Inshort,their
teamsloveandtrustthemandtheirvision.Buttheabilitytocreateavisionalonedoesnotmakeagreatleader—theabilitytohaveit,communicateit,andgetpeopletoactonitdoes.Whencompanieswantpeopletocommunicatetheirvisionsormissions,theyputthemoncards,coffeemugs,posters,andnewsletters.Greatleadersknowthatstuffgoesonlyso
Coachingdoesn’t
far.Theyknowtheymustgettheirteamstodomorethanreadthosewords.Theymustgetthemtobelieveinthosewordsandmakethempartoftheteam’severydayvocabularywithouteverthinkingaboutit.
GreatLeaders
changewho weare asleaders;itchangeswhatwe do.
versusGreatCoaches
Thedifferencesbetweengreatleadersandgreatleaderswhoarecoacheslieintheiractivitiesandactions.Leaderswhodon’t
dotheproactiveactivitiesandactionsofcoachingcoveredinPartTwoofthisbookarenotcoaches.Leaderswhochoosetositbackanddeveloptheirpeoplethroughreactivemanagementactivitiesdesignedtomaintainthestatusquoarenotcoaching.Theymayhavethepotentialtobeacoachbutnotiftheycontinuetositback,refusetogetmore
deeplyandproactivelyinvolvedwiththeirpeople,andsaythingslike“Myemployeesdon’twantmetellingthemhowtodotheirjob,andIdon’twanttodothat!”Unfortunately,thislineisjustoneoftheexcusesleadersmakefornottakingthetimetocoach.
Fortherecord,leaderswhoarecoachesaremoreengagedwiththeirteams,but
theyarenotalwaysintheiremployees’faces,gettinginthewayforthesakeofgettinginvolvedandmicromanagingeverythingallthetime(althoughmicromanagingisacoachingtoolandcanbeapproachedpositively,aswewillseelateron).Coachesjustdon’tfearinvolvementastheymakesureemployeesdoingtheir“thing”arealignedwiththe
team’s“thing.”Yetunderstandingthisandsayingyou’rereadytolearnandimplementtheskillsnecessarytocoachwon’tmeanmuchifyoudon’tunderstandthedifferencesbetweenmanagingandcoaching.Turningmanagersintocoachesbeginsnotwithactionandactivitiesbutwithacceptingthefundamentaldifferencesbetween
managingandcoaching.
TheFiveCrucialWays
ManagingDiffersfrom
Coaching
1. Beliefintheteam:Coachesbelieveinateamcultureandtheneed
tobeconnectedtothatteamconstantlysoeveryoneperformsbetter.Managersfocus
onindividualsandthendisconnecttoletthem“justdotheirjobs.”
2. Conflict
management:Coachesmakeuseofconflicttomoveteammembersupinthe
organizationorout.Managerstrytoavoidconflict.
3. Involvement:Coachesgetinvolvedbefore
actionisneeded(topreventproblemsfromdeveloping).Managersreactandgetinvolved
onlywhentheyareneeded(whenthereisaproblemandoftentoo
late).4. Employee
focus:Coachesfocusontopperformers(thosewhodeserveattention).Managers
focusonpoorperformers(thosewhoneedattention).
5. Teambuilding:Coachesarealways
practicingandscrimmagingtomaketheirteamsbetter.Managersrarelypractice.
Nowlet’stranslatethesedifferencesintothefiveessentialprinciplesofcoachingeverycoachmustfollow.
TheFiveEssentialPrinciples
ofCoaching
1. Maketheteammoreimportantthananyindividual.
2. Don’t
avoidconflict—useit!
3. Actbeforearesponseisneeded.
4. Payattention
totopperformersandfocusonmakingmoreofthem.
5. MandateEVERYBODYto
practice.
EveryoneoftheseprinciplesinformsthecoachingactivitychaptersinPartTwoofthisbook.Skillpractice,makingtoughdecisions,rewardsandrecognitions,buildingyourbench,gameplans,setting
goals,peerpresentations...allofthemrequirecoachestoappreciatetheimportanceoftheseprinciples.Solet’stakethetimetodiscusstheminalittlemoredepth,especiallythefirstone,whichwillbethebiggestshockformostleaderswhoaremanagers.
Coaching Principle
#1Make the team moreimportant than anyindividual
Thinkaboutthosestarathleteswhowereoraregreatplayersbuthavebadattitudesthatalienatetheirteammates,coaches,owners,andfans.Theirtalentmaybeundeniable,butsoistheirunlikability.Theyput
themselvesaboveeveryone,anddespiteputtingupsomebignumbersandoccasionallyplayinginchampionshipgames,theyrarelyleadtheirteamstotheultimatevictory.Mostoftheseplayers,despitetheirGod-giventalentandgaudystats,eventuallydestroytheteam’schemistry,andunlessboundbyalong-termcontracttheirteamsnowregret,thoseteamsrelease
them,againandagain.Sure,theyusuallysignsomewhereelse.Otherteamsandcoachestrytoworkwiththem,thinkingtheresultstheygeneratemayoffsetanypersonalproblems.Maybetheseplayersmature.Maybetheyfindthecoacheswhocanturnthemaround.Butusuallythoseplayersaren’taboutcontributingtothesuccessofanyonebuthimselforherself
andareeventuallyletgoagain.
Inbusiness,wehavethesamesuperstarswithgoodresultsandbadattitudes.Problemis,wedon’tusuallyfirepeoplelikethatorevenconfrontthem;weleavethemalone.Evenwhentheirresultsdeclineabit.Evenwhentheteamcan’tstandthem.Evenwhenwecan’tstandthem.Weisolatethemsotheycan
“dotheirjob”andnotannoytheteam.Weeffectivelysaytothem,“Hey,youdon’tplayverywellwithothers,butyoumakememoney,soI’mgoingtoletyoudoyourthing,keepyouawayfromtheteam,andnotpushyoutodoanythingoutsideyourcomfortzone.Carryon!”Alotoftimes,weactuallytrytogivethesepeoplemoreresponsibilityasa“reward.”
That’slikerewardinganirresponsiblechild:Mykidkeepsslackingonhisresponsibilities,soI’mgoingtoteachhimhowtoberesponsiblebylettinghimbabysithislittlesister.Notagoodplan.
Theseemployees,likethoseproblemstarathletes,needtobecoacheduporcoachedoutforthegoodoftheteamregardlessoftheir
individualresults.I’mnotsayingthoseresultsarenotimportant.I’msayingtheexactopposite.Resultsaresoimportantthattothinkthatonepersonwithabadattitudeistheonlyonewhocanachievethoseresults,thatthoseresultscannotbebetter,andthatthoseresultsarecontributedinacompletelypositivemannerisamistake.
Askyourselfthis
question:Isthispersonwiththebadattitudereallygeneratingtheresultsthatheorshecouldbegeneratingorareyouacceptingthemsoyoudon’thavetodealwithhimorher?Leadersmaythinktheyarehelpingpeoplewithbadattitudesbybeing“nice”andnotfiringthem.Butwe’reactuallybeingself-serving;wehaveauthoritytoactbut
don’twanttotaketheriskoflosingtherevenuestreamortheperceivedsuccess.We’realsobeingcrueltoeveryoneelseontheteambymakingthemsufferfortheresultsofoneindividual.Heck,wedon’tlikethem;imaginewhateveryoneelsethinks.
Howmuchhaveweactuallylookedintotheresultsofthosegoodperformerswiththebad
attitudes?Weassumethatbecausepeoplegenerateproductiveresults,itisbecauseofsomethingonlytheycando.Thus,weassumetheyarevaluable.Butweusuallydon’tknowforsure.Wesee10percentgrowthandthink,Great!butneverconsiderthatreplacingthepersonmightgenerateevenmoregrowth.Often,itturnsout,theyareproductivein
spiteofthemselves.Maybeitistheterritorytheycover,thedemandfortheproductorservicetheyworkon,thekindofprojectstheygetassigned,aparticularwhaleofaclient,oraresponsibilitythatissogreatthattheytakecreditforitbecausetheyhavetheclosestconnection.Andareweevenconsideringhowthispersonaffectstheteam?Aretheycausingotherpeople
It is theresultsthatmatter—theresults
ontheteamtoperformless?Itisnotjustaboutresultsbuttheenergythatyouandtheteamfeelfromthem.
Knowingthis,whydoleaderskeeppeoplewithbadattitudessimplybecauseoftheresults?Lazinessisa
of theteam.
bigfactor;ittakesworktodealwiththesepeople.Butabigpartofitisfearoftheconflictthatcomesfrommakingthesetoughdecisions(aswewillseeinthenextprincipleinthischapter).Itisalsofearofwhatwillhappenwhenthesepeopleleave:HowwillIreplacethoseresults?(The
answerisinChapter6:“BuildYourBench.”)WhatifImakeamistakeandtheyareasgoodasIthink?Buttheyneverare.
We’llcoverthisinmoredepthlater,butfornowknow—andIhavenotfoundanyonetodisputemeonthis—Ihaveneverseenapersonwithabadattitudeandgoodresultsleaveacompanyandtheoverallresultssufferlong-
term.Infact,whenacompanylosesthatperson,theoverallresults,productivity,andeffectivenessoftheteamusuallyincreaselong-term.IalwaystellprospectiveclientsthatIbelieveoneofthegreatestmistakesabusinesscanmakeistobaseashort-termdecisiononalong-termneedordesire.Inmostcases,thefearofthelossismuch
greaterthantheactualloss.Ihadthishappenwitha
Fortune100technologyclientwhosevicepresidentofengineerswasnotniceandwasalwaysnegative.Hequestionedandbuckedeverychangehisbossesaskedhimtoimplement.Whenaskedtodopeerreviews,herefused.Whentheybroughtmeintotalktohimaboutcoaching,hesaid,“Myemployeesdon’t
needcoaching.Theyareengineersandjustneedtodotheirjobs.”AstheVPresistedcoachingagainandagain,Itoldmyclientthatheshouldbeginlookingfortheman’sreplacement.Heagreedbutwastooafraidtotakeaction.“Nathan,youdon’tunderstand,”hesaid.“He’srespectedinthecommunityandtheindustry.Heactuallywriteslawsfor
ourindustry.Hetestifiestolocalgovernmentsonwhatshouldandshouldnotbearegulationinourindustry.He’sinvaluable.”
Buthewasn’tinvaluable.Hewasjustsomeonewithabadattitude.Hewastheonlyonetootinghishorn.Iaskedmyclientiftheyhadactuallyseenhimwritethoselawsorhadspokentothepeoplehetestifiedfor.Washemaking
hiscontributionsbiggerthantheyactuallyweretoprotecthimselffrombeingmorecloselyexaminedandhisbossesfromdiscoveringhewasjustsmokeandmirrors?Afterall,hispeersdidn’tlikehim,hisbossesdidn’tlikehim,andIwassurethatifmyclienttookthetimetoactuallyspeaktothepeoplehesaidhedidallthisworkfor,theywouldsaythey
didn’tlikehimmucheither.That’swhateventuallyhappenedwhenmyclientdugdeeper.Hefinallyfacedhisvicepresidentandmovedhimoutofthatpositionandeventuallyoutofthecompany,withnoregrets.Hetellsme,“Eversincethatpersonleft,theteamhasbeensomuchbetterandeveryonehassteppedup.”That’sbecausehewasstifling
everyoneelseandbringingthemdown.
Now,beforeyoustarttosay,“Iagree,Nathan,butattitudeissubjective,andHRwon’tletmedealwithpeopleforthingslikethatunlessthosebadattitudescreateahostileworkplace,”letmesaythatthisisnottrue.Let’sdispelthatmythrightnow:Wecanlegallyfiresomeoneforhavingabadattitude
becauseabadattitudeisbadperformance.Employeesdon’tneedtoberacist,sexist,oranyother“ist”andcreatehostileworkenvironmentsforleaderstoact.Wejustneedtobeclearaboutwhatthebadattitudeis,communicateittotheemployee,anddocumentitwithverbalandwrittenwarnings.IfireddozensofpeoplewithgoodresultsbutbadattitudeswhenIwasin
corporateAmerica,andIrarelyhadanHRissue,becauseImadesuretheemployeesknewtheyneededtostepuporstepout,andIdocumentedeverything.
HRdoesn’twantacompany’sleaderstokeepbadpeople;theyjustwantthoseleaderstobebetterpreparedwhenwedealwiththosepeople.Infact,mostcompanieshavewritten
processesfordealingwithbadattitudes.(Ifyoursdoesn’t,asimpleGooglesearchfor“firinganemployeewithabadattitude”willgeneratehundredsofreliableresultsfromavarietyofindustriesandexperts.)Still,weloveusingHRandlegalasanexcuseforwhywecannotholdeveryoneaccountablefortheirattitudes,sowejustdon’tdo
it.Thatiswhysomanyemployeesmaynotevenknowtheyhaveabadattitude.Thisisaproblemwithleadership,nottheemployee.Becausethemanagerhasnevertoldthemtheyhaveabadattitudenordocumentedit,theydon’twanttostartdealingwithitnow.It’snotworththefight.
Iwilladmitthatdocumentingbadattitudes
canbehardtodo—youcanfeelitbutstruggletoputitintowords.Itiseasierwhenthatpersonisa“Life-Sucker”oranyofthemostcommontypesthatwewilldiscussinmoredetailinChapter7,butthebestplacetostartistowriteitdowneverytimesomeonedoessomethingorsayssomethingthatmakesyoucringeorjustfeeldisappointed.Andaskthese
questionsabouteverypersononyourteam:
Whenyouarearoundthem,dotheymakeyoufeelgood,bad,orindifferent?
Dotheywanttocommittotheteamordotheyjustseemcontenttohaveajob?Dotheywantto
improveandmaketheteambetteroraretheycomfortablewiththestatusquo?
Ibelieveanyonewho
doesn’tmakeusfeelgood,wanttobeapartoftheteam,andimprovetomakethatteamandourcompaniesbetterhasabadattitude.That’sright,it’snotjustthejerksandnegativepeopleliketheoneatmytechnologyclientwhoclearlyhavebadattitudes.Itcanbeapersonspinninghiswheels,withnohungertodobetter,complacentaboutgenerating
okayresults,andsendingasignaltotheteamthatthisisokayiftheydoittoo.Coachesmustsitdownwithpeoplelikethisandaskiftheyreallywanttobewiththecompany.Thesearerequiredconversations.
Soit’snotjusttheworstattitudesandpoorestperformerswhoaffecttheteamandacoach’sabilitytoleadthatteam.Itcanbethe
employeewhohasbeenwithyoufortenyears,isniceenough,knowsyourbusinessandindustry,contributesasmallamounttothebottomlinebutdoesn’tcontributeawholelottotheteam,andjustwantstobeleftalonetodohisorherjob.Mostofusseethatpersonasloyal.Whyupsetsomeonewhoisn’tlosingyoumoneyandhasbeenwithyoualongtime?
Sorry,thatpersonistenured,notloyal,andisn’tateamplayer.That’sakeymanagementmisperception.Stoppayingthemandseehowloyaltheyare.Loyaltycannotbebasedontimeserved.Loyaltymustbebasedongrowthandcontributiontotheteam.Ifanemployeehasbeenwithyoufortenyears,contributestothesuccessoftheteam,and
Complacencycan bejust asdangerousto the
stillgivesyoueverythingheorshehasgot,thenthatemployeeisloyal.Anyoneelseisjustcollectingpaychecks.
Yes,everyonecontributesintheirownwayinalldepartmentsanddivisionsandacrossany
team’smoraleasnegativity.
team.Everyteamhasplayerswithdifferent
responsibilities.Therefore,Idobelievethat,incoaching,wemusttreatpeopledifferently,becauseeveryonehasdifferentstrengthsandweaknesses.WhatI’mtalking
abouthereiswhenleadersdosomethingcoachesneverdoinsports:Acceptteammemberswho,regardlessoftitleorresponsibility,areclearlynotorarenolongerthebestpeoplefortheirjobs.Todefineteamcontribution,answerthefollowingquestionsabouteveryonewhoworksforyou,notwithstandingtheirtenure:
Dothepeopleineachpositiondelivertheabsolutebestresultstheycanandthusmakethe
teambetterasaresult?Ateverylevelofthecompanyorteam,doyourpeopleperformatthe
topoftheirgameoraretheymakingexcusesforwhytheyaren’t?Arethepeopleyouhavethe
bestpeopleorareyouacceptingresultsbecauseofhowlongsomeonehasbeendoinga
job?Areyourpeopleadaptingtonewtechnologiesandwaysofdoingbusinessordoingitthe
waytheyusedtobecause“that’sthewaywe’vealwaysdoneit”?Dootherteam
membershavetodomoreforwhatonepersonisnotdoing?
Insports,whenplayerswinduponthewrongsideoftheanswerstothesequestions,theyretireorthey
getcut.Theymaygiveittheirall,butsometimesthatisjustnotenough.Itdoesn’tmeantheyneedtoleavethesport,buttheydoneedtoleavethefield.Theymightbecomebackupsorutilityplayersontheiroranotherteamforafewyears,butiftheycan’tcompeteatthehighestlevel,theygetbackuppay.
IncorporateAmerica,thatshocksus.Backuppay
formymostseniorpeople?No,yourtop-performingpeopleshouldbegettingtop-performingpayregardlessoftheirageorexperience.I’mtalkingaboutpeoplewhomaynotbelongintheirpositionsanymoreandatthesalariestheyareusedtobecausetheyarenotcontributingtotheteamthewaytheyshould.Itdoesn’thavetobesomeonewhohas
beentherealongtime.Ajobthatrequirestravelorlonghoursmayhavesuitedsomeonewhowasyoungandsinglewhenyouhiredthembutnow,afewyearslater,theyaremarriedwithkidsandthepressureandresponsibilitiesaretoomuch.Perhapstherearerolesinwhichpeoplecandelivertheresultsyouexpect,whetheritisresearchanddevelopment
orpolicywritingorsomethingelsethatworksfortheteam,butnotinthepositiontheywereoriginally.Theycancontributemoretotheteaminthatnewrole.Theyjustcan’texpecttogetpaidthesameway.
That’showcoachesputtheirteamsoveranyindividual.Ifsomeoneisnotfullycontributingtotheteam—nomatterhowexperienced
theyare—tellthem.Youcansay,“Listen,youareoneofmytopguys.You’vebeenherealongtime.ButIneedyoutohelpmeachieveourgoalsandhelptheteamfocusonpractice,commitment,andteamworkorelseweneedtofindabetterfitforyououtsidetheorganization.”Leaderscanconfrontthesituationandcoachthatpersonoutofitorcoachhim
outofthecompany.Itmightjustbeforthebetteroftheemployeetoo.Sportsteamsandbusinessesarefilledwithstoriesofskilledpeoplewholetabadorwrongattitudegetthebestofthembutthenthrivedwithachangeofscenery.
Problemis,allofthisiseasiersaidthandone,andchancesarethatthispersonyouconfrontisgoingto
disagreewithyou.That’swhycoacheslearntoembraceconflict.
Coaching Principle#2Don’t avoid conflict—use it!
MostleadersImeetsaytheyunderstandtheimportanceofhavinggood
attitudesontheirteam.ItellthemIbelievethatagoodteamattitudeismandatory,notimportant,andtheyagree.ThenIaskthemiftheyhavethatpersonwejustdescribedontheirteam,someonewhomakesthemdecentmoneybuthasabadattitude.Almostallofthemdo.SoItellthem,“Thentomorrowconfrontthatpersonandfirehimorher.”
“Whoa,I’mnotwillingto
gothatfar!”theysay.Whynotconfrontthese
people?It’snotbecausewedon’tknowthatpersonisaproblem.It’snotbecausewethinkfiringistheonlysolution;thismightturnaround,onceweconfrontthem.It’sbecausemanyleadersavoidthisandanyconflict.ThebestcoachesIeverhadnevershiedawayfromconflict,especially
whenitcametomyperformanceandattitude.Withoutbeingabusive,theygotthatfingerinmyfaceandchallengedmetodobetter.TheytoldmewhenImademistakes.Theyheldmeaccountableanddidn’tletmegetawaywithanything.Andtheymademebetterbecauseofit.
I’mnotsaying
It’seasy tobe abadparent,a badcoach,or abadleader.
conflictisevereasy,butlookonthebrightside:Leadersatleastknowthatnoneofthisshouldcomeasasurprisetothepersonwiththeproblemorbadattitude,if
onlybecausetheyhavedocumentedeverything,asoutlinedinthefinalcoachingprinciple.Intruth,rightthere,theconflicthasbegun.Theyhaveaskedforthecommitmenttotheteam.Theymightdiscoverthattherearetemporarypersonalissuescausingtheproblemsorthattherehasbeenanirreversibledeclineinskills.Whateveritis,startand
continuetohavethedifficultconversations.Speakrespectfully,clearly,andmostimportant,directly,butbewillingtogetinapoorperformer’sfaceandsay,“Hey,thatsucksanditneedstochange”or“Listen,wehavetriedtomakethisworkandIamsorry,butitjusthasnotworked....”
Forexample,Jimhasbeeninthesalesdepartment
atoneofmymajortechnologyclientsforsevenyears.Forthefirstfiveyears,hisnumbersplacedhiminthetop15percent.Butlastyear,hedroppeddowntothemiddle,andthisyear,hecontinuedtodrop.Jimisniceanddoesn’treallymakewaves,buthisresultsareclearlydownandhisdriveseemsgone.Isay“seems”becausethat’sallmyclient
knowsforsure.Jimmaybeathorninhismanager’sspreadsheet,buthismanagerignoredJimwhenhewasatopperformerandnowwaiteduntilJimwasreallyindeclinetoevencontemplateconfrontinghim.ThatleavesmyclientthreeoptionsfordealingwithJim,inorderofleasttomostdifficult:
1. Keep
ignoringhim(andhopehe’llrecoverhismojoorjustgoaway).
2. Firehim.
3. Coach
himbacktothetop.
MostleaderswhohavebeenmintedinmanagementcultureschooseoptiononeindealingwithJim:thepathofleastresistance.Whenthingsgetreallybad,theymightturntooptiontwo.Butnotehowcoachingisevenharderthanfiringsomeone.
It’shard to
Coachingtakesmoretimeandconflictbeyondthedisciplinaryandterminationconversations.Holdingpeopleaccountabletakestime.Beingthepersonwho’schallengingotherstodobetterallthetimetakestime.
Inthiscase,assumingJimcouldstillbeatopperformer,
makeup forit.
myclientchosetocoachhim.Sheaskedhimtorecommithisenergytotheteam.Shefirmly,butrespectfullyandcalmly,pointedoutthatJim’sperformanceinthelasttwoyearshadreallydeclined.Sheaskedhimtherightquestionstoseeifhewasawareofthe
problemandcapableofcommittingtotheteam.Shelistenedtohisresponsebutwascarefultonoteifheacceptedresponsibilityorsimplyblamedanyoneoranythinghecould,usingthemeetingasaplatformforcomplainingabouther,thecompany,theindustry,theworld,hismother....Intheend,shetoldJimhergoalwastogethisperformanceback
towhereitwas,anditneededtobethereorwellonitswayinsixtydays.Ifaftersixtydayshewasnotabletogetthere,shewouldhelpJimfindabetterfitinoroutsidethecompany,whereeveryonecouldbehappier.MyclientwantedtobelieveJimcouldreachthetopagain,sotheofferwasgenuine,andsheofferedhimtheattentionandaccesstoherthatshenow
gavetoothertopperformers(seeCoachingPrinciple#4).Nomatterwhat,though,Jim’sperformancecouldnowbeaccuratelygaugedtoseeifhecouldkeephiseyeonthegoal,improvehisskills,andstrivetocommittobepartofatop-performingteam.
Diditwork?No.Jimrealizedhewasnolongeragreatfitfortheteamandfoundanotherjob,andmy
client,whowasworkinghardontransitioningfrommanagertocoach,quicklyworkedtofindtherightreplacement.WithJim,aswithatalentedprofessionalathletewhoisstuckinarutafteryearswiththesameteam,alltheattentionnowmaynotmakehimanyhappierorreversetheproblem.Maybeithadnothingtodowithmyclient
inthefirstplace;Jimhadsomepersonalproblemsthatwereputtinghiminarut,andtherewasnothingshecoulddoaboutit.AchangeofteamsandcoachesmightbejustwhatJim,likethatathlete,neededtoshakethingsoffandseeacareerresurgence.
Youdon’thavetobeinsalestorecognizea“Jim”inyourdepartmentorbusiness.
Youdon’tneednumbersandspreadsheetstomeasureabadattitudeordecliningskills.Butifyoucan’ttakethenecessarystepsandseethepowerofconflictthroughcoaching,yourJimwillneverchange.
Coaching Principle#3
Act before a response isneeded
Dealingwithbadperformanceorattitudesandembracingconflictcanbearealcultureshockformanagerslearningtobecomecoaches.Butthat’stheconsequenceofleadinginthewaywehavebeenleading:Wedon’tapproachproblemshead-on.Wehopethey’llgo
away,makingexcuseafterexcusefornothandlingthem.Yettheynevergoaway.Thegoodnewsisthatcoachingactivitieslikescrimmaging,quarterlygameplansthatactuallygetimplemented,andpeerpresentations,whichwecoverinPartTwoofthisplaybook,allhelpleaderstorecognizeanddealwithproblemsbeforetheybecomebiggerproblemsoreven
problemsatall.AtSprint,Itooktheidea
ofaquarterlygameplanevenfurther:Iheldmandatoryquarterlyfull-daytrainingsessionsformyteamofmanagerswhoransalesteamsacrossSouthernCalifornia.Thiswasn’tjustNathanUniversity.Themeetingsweredesignedasmassiveinteractivelearningexperiencescoveringa
varietyoftopicstohelpusbetterunderstandthebusinessbehindouractivitiesandtoperformbetterasateam.Thetopicsweren’tjustsalesbasedeither.ThemanagersworkedinsmallgroupsandcoveredeverythingfromlearningtherolesoffinanceandhumanresourcestoshowinghowtoreadaP&Lstatement(sotheteamcouldunderstandhowprofitand
lossareactuallycalculatedforthebusinessthenexttimetheywantedtotakeaclienttolunchorrunaspecialpromotion).Wedidpresentationskillbreakoutsandpracticedday-to-daysituationslikeovercomingobjectionsandgreetingcustomers.Everyquarter,wewoulddecidewhichtopicstochangeandwhichtokeep,dependingonwhatwasmost
Managersreact.Coachesgetinvolved.
importanttothebusinessandneededthemostimprovement.
Whatmadethesemeetingsgreatwasthelevelofinvolvementtheyrequiredfrommyentireteamandme.The
meetingsweremywaytogetmyteamconnectedandlearningregularly.Theyforcedustoimproveonamorefrequentschedulethantheusualannualmeetingcycleofmostcompanies.Wewouldeffectivelykick-startthenextquarter,makeitbetterbytakingwhatwestruggledwiththepreviousquarterandworkingonittogether.The
learningwentbeyondquarterlytoo:Mymanagerswouldtakewhattheylearnedanduseitintheirweeklymeetingswiththeirteams.
Atfirst,mybosswasdubious.“Jamail,”hesaid,“howcanyouaffordtotakeyourpeopleoutofthemarketforeighthourseveryquarter?”Itoldhim,“I’dratherhaveamotivatedandconnectedteamforeighty-
ninedaysofaninety-dayquarterthananunmotivatedanddisconnectedteamforninetydays.Iwanttoputyouandmeinapositiontobesuccessfulbypreparingthemtobesuccessful.”
Ialsocouldaffordtodoitbecausethecostwasimmaterialtothereward.Mybossinitiallylookedatthesemeetingsintermsofstraightdollarcosts—thefactthatmy
managerialteamwasoutofthefieldforfourdaysayearplustravel,hotel,andacheapspacetoholdtheevent.(Iusedthemeetingroomsatabowlingalleyinexchangeforfivehundreddollars’worthofbowlingandfoodafterward.)ButIsawthecostbenefitintermsofeliminatingmanymoreunproductivefielddaysandbadinteractionsbecauseoftheworkbeingdoneat
thesemeetings.Everyquarter,mymanagerswererefreshed,focused,andmotivated,andIhadabettersenseofhoweachofthemwasdoingandwherefutureproblemsmightlie.Allthisledtosignificantbenefits:Wewentfrombeingtheworstmarketinthecountrytothenumberonemarketineighteenmonths.
What’sthat?Youlove
thisconcept,butyoudon’thavetimetogetsoinvolved?You’retoobusydealingwithalltheseproblemsandputtingoutthefiresyourpeoplesetandyoustillneedtoaccomplishyourowngoals?Well,ifyouregularlycoachyourpeopleonhowtostopsettingfires,youwon’thaveasmanyfirestoputout,andthatmeansmoretimeforeverythingonyourlist.
Anddon’tthinkforamomentthatjustbecauseyoudon’tleadsalesteamsasIdid,actionsandactivitieslikethesemeetingswon’tworkforyourdepartmentorindustry.Canyoureallylookinthemirrorandsaythatbecauseyou’realeaderofacreativeorengineeringteam,thereisnothingyourteamcanworkontogethertomakethembetter?Leadersofany
Goingthroughaperson’s
kindofteambenefitfromregularinteractionsthathelppushtheteamforwardandaddresswhatistocomeratherthansimplyrehashingwhathasbeen.
performancepostmortemis likeanautopsy:Thatbody isdead.
Rehashingwhathasbeenisonlyfeedback,whichwe
askforandgiveconstantlyasleaders,fromthesmallesttasks(howwethoughtameetingwent)tothelargestevents(performancereviews).Thisiswhyleaderstypicallyconsiderfeedbackcoaching.Butfeedbackisonlypartofcoaching,anditwillnothelpcoachesactbeforearesponseisneeded.That’sbecauseallfeedbackisreactiveandfocusesonthe
past.Thisdoesnotmeanfeedbackisunimportant.Offeringfeedbackregularlyisourchanceasleaderstotellouremployeesone-on-oneallthegoodthingstheydidandtoofferafewhelpfulpointstoponderandsuggestionsforimprovement.Leadersusuallyfeelprettygoodaboutthosemeetings,butitisnosubstituteforthelargeractivitiesofcoaching.
Feedbackcanalsocreateproblemsifitisdoneonlywhenthingsgowrongandanypositivefeedbackbecomesjustacrapsandwichbeforethebeatdownstarts.IhaveleadersatalltheorganizationsIworkwithtellmetheygetinvolvedonlywhentheirteamshaveaproblemorcan’tdosomething.Thatmeanseverytimethatleadergetsinvolved,
itisanegative.Whentheteamseestheleadercoming,theythink,“Uh-oh.Whatdidwedowrong?”Wecan’tcoachsomeonewhoviewsourinvolvementasanegativereaction.Whenaleader’sinvolvementisaconsequenceofanemployeenotdoingwell,theleader,nottheemployee,hasviolatedthisprincipleofcoaching.
Theactivitiesofcoaching
thatsupporttheseprinciples,suchasthequarterlymeetings,needtohappeninadditiontoandbeforefeedback,beforeperformancereviewsonpresentationsandevents,beforesomeonepicksupthephoneanddestroysevenonebusinessrelationship,beforeproblemshappen.Ifthissoundslikecontrollingormicromanaging,thatisnot
theintention—rather,itisapositivewaytobestowattentionontheteamandmakeeveryonebetterbygettinginvolved(seeChapter11).Andourbestpeopledeservethatextraattention.
Coaching Principle#4Pay attention to top
performers and focus onmaking more of them
WhenanNFLteamhasthenumberonedraftpick,theteamdoesn’tjusthandthekidajerseyandsay,“SeeyouonSunday.”Thecoach’sjobistotakethattoptalentandmoldhimintosomethingbetter.Thisisequallytruewithtop-performingveteransinsportswhoarelookingfor
afreshstart.TakePeytonManning.HewasalreadyoneofthegreatestquarterbacksintheNFL,butwhenhejoinedtheDenverBroncos,hiscoach’sjobwastopushhimtobebetter,andManning’sjobwastocommittotheteamandgivethemhisall.TheynearlymadeittotheSuperBowlhisfirstseasonthere.
IfPeytonManningwere
anemployeeinalmostanybusiness,hismanagerwouldhavehiredhimforbigmoneyandthen...justlefthimalone.Theywouldprobablytrainhimonthebasicsofthenewteamanditssystems,andthenthrowhimonthefieldto“dohisthing.”Howisthatfairtothepersonwhoisbringingyouallthisgreatness?Ifyouarethetopguyputtinginfiftytosixty
hoursaweekandyou’regettingleftalone,you’regettingrobbed.Youbringallthisenergyandpassiontothejobandwhatyougetinreturnistobeleftaloneandignored?Howisanyonehelpingyougetfromwhereyouaretowhereyouwanttogo?Howcanaleaderexpectyoutohelptheteamgettowhereitneedstogo?
Thisisamajorreason
leadersstruggleinbusiness:Theydoeverythingtheoppositeofwhatcoachesdotomaketheirteamsgreat.Inthiscase,theydon’tfocusonthetop.Iknowthisnotionfliesinthefaceofconventionalwisdom,butitreinforceswhyIthinkthedumbestpieceofbusinessadviceis“Hiregreatpeopleandletthemdotheirjob.”That’sthereasonbusinesses
leavetheirtopplayersalone.Infact,itisseenasanachievementinmanycompaniesthatpeoplegetsogoodatwhattheydothattheirbossesleavethemalone.
Coachesinbusinessshouldfocustheirenergymoreonthetopjustascoachesinsportsfocusmostonthefirststring.Thesecond-andthird-stringplayersalwaysknowtheycan
becomepartofthefirststringiftheycommittotheteam,workhard,strivetodomoretoearntheiropportunities,andcatchthecoach’sattentionbydeliveringbiggerresults.Acoach’sbiggestproblemisnotwhenthethird-stringplayers,whoarebustingtheirtails,complainaboutnotgettingenoughtime.Theproblemiswhenthethird-stringplayersdon’t
Managersspendtoomuchtimewiththepeoplewho
evencare.Everyone
whohearsmesaythisrespondsthatitmakessensetothem.Theyleavemypresentationspumpedandready.Butateighto’clockMonday
needtheattentioninsteadofthosewhodeservetheattention.
morning,it’sbacktoputtingoutfiresandtryingtofixtheproblemsoftheweakestemployeeswhilelettingthetoppeoplehandleeverythingthemselves.
Theseleaderstellmeagainandagain,“IfIcouldgetridofmyproblemsfirst,Icouldspendtimewithmypeople.ButIcan’tgetridofmyproblems,soIcan’tspendtimewithmypeople.So,therefore,they’renotgettingbetter....”Thisisallaself-fulfillingprophecy.Myadviceisletthebuildingsburn,man.Sometimeswehavetosacrifice.AtPearl
Harbor,thetriagenursesfamouslymarkedpatientswithlipstickwithanFfor“fatallywounded,”meaningtherewasnothingthedoctorscoulddo;thepatientwilldienomatterwhat.Inbusiness,wetendtodotheopposite—trytofixwhatcan’tbesavedandignorethetopperformers.
WhenpeopletellmethissoundslikeIplayfavorites
andspendallmytimewithsuch-and-suchtoppeople,Idon’tdenyit.Iadmititcreatessomeconflictintheranks,whichIembrace,asyouknow.ButIamhonestaboutwhatIamdoing.ItelltheteamthatIspendtimewiththepeoplewhoaretopperformers,havegreatattitudes,andmakemealotofmoney.Ialsoletthemknowthatiftheycommitto
theteam,I’llcommittotheminthesameway.Ialwaysgavemynewandbestpeopleattentionearlyandfast.TheydeservedthatattentionbeyondtrainingbecauseIdecidedtobringthemontotheteam.Igavethemaccesstomycalendarandexpectedthemtobookit.IgavethemeverythingI’vegot,toseeiftheycouldgettothefirststring,orIwouldgetthem
out.Hirefast,firefaster,Ialwayssay.
Mygoalwastomakemyinvolvementarewardfordoingwellratherthanaconsequenceofdoingsomethingwrong.ButIalsoknewmytopperformerswouldgetonmycalendaronlyiftheyperceivedmeassomeonewhocouldhelpthemdobetter.Iftheyperceivedmeassomeone
who’sjustgoingtojudgethemandbringthemdown,notaddvalueorhelpmakethedeals,work,orskillsbetter,theywouldnotwanttobeinvolvedwithme.AFortune100financialcompanyIworkwithstruggledwiththissituationwhentheirleadershipteamwantedtheircorporateliaisonstogoonappointmentswiththeir
agentsandhelpgeneratebetterdeals.Noneoftheagentsaskedthemtogo.Now,ifyouwereanagentandyouknewtakingme,yourliaison,onacallwithyouwouldleadtoyourclosingmoredealsandmakingmoremoney,howmanycallswouldyouwantmetogoon?Allofthem.Then,unlesstheagentsaresoinsecurethattheycan’thave
anyoneelsearoundwhentheygoonappointments,thereasontheydon’twantmearoundisthattheydon’tthinkI’mgoodenoughtotake.
Ican’ttellyouwhoyourtopperformersare,orwhatthespecificcriteriashouldbetomeasureyourpeople,butIcantellyouthateverycompany,largeorsmall,andeverydepartmentinanybusinessinanyindustryhas
atleastatopandabottom.Leadersneedtoidentifythemsotheycandecidehowtoapproachtheactivitiesforthoseteammembers.Iftheleaderislikeme,inasalesleadershippositionoranumbers-baseddepartment,youmightthinkthiskindofrankingiseasier:Justlookatthenumbers.Butthebiggestmistakewecanmakeasleadersoftheseteamsisto
use“thescoreboard”asthesolecriterionforrankingemployees.Greatsportscoachesdon’tsay,“Well,wewontwenty-onetonothingandwe’resix-and-oh,soitdoesn’tmatterthatmyquarterbackhasthrownonetouchdownandtwentyinterceptions;he’sthemostimportantposition,sohe’smynumberoneplayer.”Thatquarterback’scoachisnot
onlygoingtofocusonwhatthequarterbackdidn’tdoinpracticeactivitiesbutalsostartlookingforsomeonewhomightmoveuporintothatposition.
Thinkyoudon’thaveabottom—thatallyourpeoplearegood?Askyourself,astheteamleader,ifyourbossoryourmostimportantclientsaidyouwerethesameaseveryoneonyourteam,
wouldyoufeelcomplimented,insulted,orrippedoff?AlmosteveryoneIhaveworkedwithsaystheywouldfeelinsultedorrippedoff.Theybelieve,rightorwrong,theyarebetterthansomeoftheirpeers.Don’tyouthinkyouremployeesthinkthesamething?Sohowdoyouknowwhereyouremployeesrankifyoudon’thaveanynumberstoputon
thescoreboard?
Askyourbestclientsorcustomers.Askotheremployeesatthecompany.
Askyourself,who’sthepersonyougotowhenyouneedtogetsomethingdone?Ask
yourself,ifyou’vegotXnumberofteammembersandcantakeonlyoneofthemwith
youtoanewjobortostartanewcompany,whowoulditbe?Ifyoucouldtakeonly
two,whowouldtheybe?Three?Knowingwhatyouknowtoday,whowouldyounot
hiretomorrow?
Answeringthesequestionswillgiveleaderstheirtop,middle,andbottomandaclearpathtorankingthewholeteam.Coachesthenknowwhoisonthefirststringandwhoisonthethirdstring—whothestartersareandwhotheroleplayersare—andcangetthemallready
tocoachaccordingly.That’swhyarankingisonlythefirstpartofthecoachingequationandwhythecoachingprinciples,skills,andculturearesoimportant.Theprincipleskeepusgrounded,thecultureprovidesthetimetocreatecoachingactivities,andthetimeallowscoachestopursuethoseactivitiesasateam.
Intheend,formanynew
coachesinbusiness,thehardestpartofobeyingtherankingprincipleislearningwhattodowiththemiddle.Duringbreaksinworkshops,leadersregularlycomeuptomeandsay,“Ilovehowyoutalkaboutthetopandthebottom,butmytopperformersarefine.I’mmoreconcernedaboutthemiddle.Ihavetomovethepeopleinthemiddle.”
Itellthem,“Don’tfocussomuchonthemiddle.Makethemwanttobetopperformers.Tomovethemiddle,focusonthetopperformers,removethebottom,andmakethemiddledesiretobepartofthetopbecausethat’swheretheattentionandactionare!”
Doesthismeanfirethelowest-paidemployeesandpayattentiontothehighest-
paidones?No.Therearetop,middle,andbottompeopleinanydepartmentanddivision,fromcustomerservicetomarketingtoengineeringtoaccounting.Leadersthroughoutacompanyshouldthinkoftheirmiddlepeopleasmetalandtheirtopandbottompeopleasmagnets.Makesurethetophasthemostmagnetsandthat’swherethemiddlewill
gravitate.Sayaleaderhasten
employees—twointhetop,sixinthemiddle,andtwointhebottom.Conventionalwisdomtellsthatleadertoleavethetoptwopeoplealoneandworkwiththemiddleasiftheyarethetop.Thatmiddleiscomfortable,approachable,andseeminglyfixable.Itisalsothestraightestpathtomediocre
Theway tomovethemiddleup is tochop
performancefortheteam.Itiseasyandsafetomanagetothemiddle.
Sure,youneedmoretopperformers—butnotattheexpenseofyourcurrenttopperformers.Ifbeinginthetopmeans
off thebottomandgrowthe top.
gettingnoattention,thosetopperformerswilleitherlooktogosomewhereelseor,maybeevenworse,refusetoworkashard.Now,ifthetopperformersdon’tcare,andthemiddleissocomfortable,whywouldanyoneleavethe
middle?Whywouldanyoneinthemiddlewanttomoveup?Theycanworklesshardandgetalltheattentiontheyneed—eveniftheyfalloffabit,nooneevergetsfiredanyhow.Pushthetoptogrow.Anddon’tjustignorethebottom.Removeitandwatchthemiddlewanttomoveintherightdirection.
ThisiswhyIsaythe80-20ruleisaterriblethingto
abidebyincoaching.The80-20rule,ortheParetoprinciple,datesbackto1897andtheItalianeconomistVilfredoPareto,whofoundthat80percentofmostnations’wealthwascontrolledbyjust20percentofthepopulation.Othereconomistssoonstartednoticingthesameunequalpatternselsewhere;justafewcausesaccountedformost
effects.Today,the80-20rulehasbecomeshorthandforsaying20percentofwhateveryouaremeasuringisresponsiblefor80percentofyourresults,suchas20percentofyourcustomersareresponsiblefor80percentofyourprofits.Theideaisthatafewthingsaredisproportionatelyresponsibleformostresultsoreffects.
Tome,theParetoprincipleisnotarule;itisaresultandanotherself-fulfillingprophecycausedbyinactionbymanagersinmanagementcultures.Ifthetop20percentofafootballteamproduces80percentoftheresults,thatteamwillneverbethebest.Theywillbe,atmost,goodandverylikelyaverage.Thesameiseventruerinbusiness:The
top20percentoftheteamcannotproduce80percentoftheresultsandhavethemanagersimplyleavethemalone.Ourtop-performingpeopleneedtoknowthattheymustkeepperformingandimprovingtheirskillstokeeptheirjobsandthatwearewatchingandgivingthemthetools.Thetopperformersshouldbethefirstonesonthepracticefieldworkingwith
thecoachesandinspiringthenewhires,themiddle,andeventheothertopperformerstotakethemon.Otherwise,thetop20percentisnevergoingtogrowanybigger,andthemiddlewillhavenoreasontoaspiretobeinthetop.
Coaching Principle
#5Mandate EVERYBODY topractice
Ihaveneverheardanyonesay,“Let’smanagethisteamtothetop!”Leadersdonotmanagetogrow.Theymanagetomaintain.Whenyouaremanaging,you’renotinterestedindevelopingtheteamandmakingeveryonestronger;you’reinterestedin
managingthebusinesssoyoucanmakemoremoneyandincreaseprofits.
Insports,teamsachievethesepeaklevelsbypracticing.Acoachsays,“Wearegoingtopracticeallweek,everyweek,beforethegame.”Professionalathletespractice90percentoftheirtime.Butinbusiness,teamsdonotpracticeatall.Howandwhattopracticeiswhat
wewillcoverinChapter1.WhatIwantyoutounderstandnowiswhywedon’tpractice:Ourleadersdonotdemanditfromusbecausetheydon’tseeitasimportantorvaluable.Sure,wetrainnewhiresandthenmaybeonceayearwedosomekindofteam“training”ornewproductdevelopment,orweretrainpeopleonexistingofficeprotocolsor
usingnewsystems.Don’tconfusethistrainingwithcoaching.Trainingsarelike“newyear,newyou”approachestoexerciseanddieting:Theyhappenandthentheyaregone.
Inbusiness,acoachmustsayallthetime,“We’vegotabigjobaheadofus,andtodoit,weareallgoingtoprepareandhoneourskills.”Icallthiskindofpractice
“scrimmaging.”Scrimmagingisaboutpreparingtoplaythegame.Scrimmagingisabouttryingsomethingout,improvingskills,discoveringnewpossibilities.Iftheteamstinkswhenscrimmaging,that’sfine.Bettertofindoutbefore“gametime”whatskillsneedimprovementandwhichplayersneedmorehelp.Theteamlearnshowtoworkbettertogether.
Sohow,exactly,dowefindthetimetodothisscrimmagingwhileweareonthejobanddoingourjob?Afterall,officesarenotpracticefields.Practiceiswhatanathleteispaidfortogetreadyforthegames,butworkisn’tpractice;workisalways“gameday.”Butit’snot.Here’stherealtruth:Mostpeoplethinktheygetpaidtodowhatevertaskthey
aredoing.Thisisjustaconvenientexcusefornotfindingthetimeforsomethingnew,suchascoaching.
Ofcourse,wecan’tpractice90percentofthetimeastheydoinsports,butareyoureallysayingthatyourworkwouldnotbenefitfrompracticingsomethingyouneedtodojust5percentofthetime?Fivepercentofa
forty-hourworkweekmeansfindingtwohoursaweektotakeanessentialsteptowardbeingacoach.Andyes,Idobelievewegetpaidtopracticeasleadersinbusinessbecausepracticeiscrucialtopersonalandteamdevelopment.Idon’tcarewhatyourtitleorindustryis.Idon’tcareifyouarealeaderinhumanresources,sales,finance,nursing,socialwork,
design,engineering,oranyotherareayoucanthinkof:Leadersgetpaidtodeveloptheirpeople,andiftheyarenotdoingit,thentheymaynotunderstandtheirjobdescription.
NevermindthatalmosteveryoneIknowbelievesthatwhenyoupracticesomething,yougetbetteratit—maybenotperfectbutabsolutelybetter.Infact,whenwehear
aboutathletesskippingorslackingoffinpractice,wesaytheydon’tcareandwegetangrywiththem.Wecallthemarrogant.Idon’tknowifIwouldsaywearebeingarrogantasbusinessleaderswhenwedon’tpractice,butwhenitcomestoourbusinesses,sayingwedon’thavetimeforitconfuseshavingknowledgeofwhattodowithhavingthebestskills,
Coachesneverthinkthey
themostconfidence,andbecomingbetteratwhatwedo.Knowledgeinandofitselfisn’tpower;itiswhatwedowithknowledgethatmakesitpowerful.
Thesalesrepsatoneofthelargestbuildingproductsmanufacturingcompaniesin
know itall, anddon’texpecttheirteamstoknow italleither.
NorthAmericausedtogetfewerthan5percentoftheirreferralsfromtradeshows,andthedivisionalpresidentatthetimewantedtoknowwhy.So
heflewalltherepsintotownforanationaltradeshowanightearlytochangethingsup.Heflewmeinandwemetwiththerepsatthehotelandtoldthemweweregoingtopracticewhattosaywhensomeonewalksintotheboothattheshowthenextday.
“That’sstupid;weknowhowtodothis,”theyallsaidbeforecondescendinglyagreeingtothetask.
Notsurprisingly,theirperformancewasawful.Theywerestammering,usingcannedlines,andgivingwronginformation.Whenwepointedthatouttothem,theysaid,“Thisisn’treal.”Ofcourseitisn’t.ButusuallytheonlytimeIhear“it’snotreal”isasanexcuseforpoorperformance.Iftheycan’tdoitinpracticeanddon’thavetherightapproach,rapport,
andinformation,howcantheydoitrightwhenitcounts?Thedivisionalpresidentsatthemdownandwalkedthemthroughtherightwaytoapproachapotentialcustomerandtoprovidethecorrectinformation.Fromthere,therepsstartedtoprepareandpracticewithrealpurpose.
Coachesknowtheyneedtomaketheirteams
scrimmageasifeverythingisrealandtopracticelikeweplaysothatwhenwegettherealchancetoplay,wemaximizeeveryopportunitywecan.Asforthebuildingproductsmanufacturingcompany,therepsgotthemessageandfortwohourstheypracticedandgotprettygood.Thenextdayatthetradeshow,theygotmoreleadsandmorereferralsthan
theyeverhad.Today,theypracticethenightbeforetradeshowsandtheweeksleadinguptothem,andnowgetthelion’sshareoftheirreferralsattheevents.
Whatthiscompanylearnedisthat,withoutpracticing,youdobusinessasusual—notbetter.Whenemployeesdotheirjobsbutdon’tpractice,theyalsodothosejobsonthesafeside.
Theydon’ttakechances.Theydon’tpushthemselves.Greatcoachesinbusinessknowpracticinghelpsteamslearnandimprovequickly.That’swhymandatingpracticeforeveryoneisbothanessentialcoachingprincipleandthefirstactivityinbecomingacoach.
PARTTWOBe a Coach
Chapter 1MANDATESKILLPRACTICEANDPLAYERDEVELOPMENT
Business skills needdevelopment andimprovement just asmuch as athleticskills do.
Howmanytimeshaveyouwalkeduptothe
frontdeskofahotelorrestaurant,madeeyecontactwithanemployee,andsaid,
“Howareyoutoday?”andheorshereplies,“WelcometoSuch-and-SuchPlace”?
Huh?HowaboutyouanswerthequestionIasked?Unfortunately,Ican’tsaythissurprisesmewhenithappens.Iwasgivingapresentationtoaclientinthehospitalityindustryandaskedtheaudience,“Howmanypeopleactuallypracticewithyourpeopleonhowtosayhello?I
meaneveryonefromthefrontdeskdowntoyourhousekeepers?”Fewhandswentup.Yetthesearepeopleinthebusinessofbeinghospitable.
Weliketosay,“It’slittlethingsthatmatter.”Iagree.Andhowyougreetsomeoneisalittlethingthatmatters.Itisthestartofarelationship.Nexttimeyou’reatyour,orany,office,makeanoteof
thegreetingorthelackthereof.Ifindnotoneintenpeoplewhocanevensayhelloright.ButifIwentintoanybusiness,notjustinhospitality,andsaid,“Wearegoingtopracticeeveryonesayinghello,”they’dsayI’mnuts.
Anyskillinbusinesscanbeimprovedanddevelopedwithpractice.Weknowthisbecausewesayitallthetime
—atleastoutsideouroffices.Ifcoacheswanttheirteamsandplayerstogetbetteratasport(oramusicalinstrumentforthosenon–sportsplayersoutthere),whatdowetellthemtodo?Practice!Ifourkidsneedtogetbettergrades,whatdowetellthemtodo?Study!Weshouldtakeourownadviceasbusinessleaders.Professionalathletesstudyroutinesandplaysand
practicethem90percentofthetime,butinbusiness,leadersandtheirteamspracticewhattheyneedtodolessthan1percentofthetime.ThisissimplyindefensibleandviolatestheessentialcoachingprinciplethatEVERYBODYmustpractice.
Letmeaskyouthis:Doyouthinkyourteamwantstoworkfor
Businesspeoplenotpracticingfor“gamesituations”are nodifferentfromathleteswho do
someone,giveeverythingthey’vegot,andtheninreturngetcompensatedandbeleftalone?Orwouldtheyratherworkforsomeonewhochallenges
notpractice:Bothareunprepared.
them,strivestomakethembetterbydevelopingskillsbeyondtheircurrentcapabilities,andhelpsthemachievetheirpersonalandprofessionalgoals,andthecompany’sgoalsaswell?Putitanotherway:Wouldn’tyouratherhaveateamofthat
secondgroupofpeople?That’sthekindofpersonIwantworkingformetoo.
The Differencebetween Practiceand Training
Insports,thecoach’sjobistomakeeveryonebetterinordertoputthebestteamon
thefield.Todothis,coachesmandatepracticeandgetonthefieldwiththeirteamseverydayastheypractice,workingwiththemontheskillstheyneedingeneralandspecificallyfortheupcominggames.Thisshouldbethesameforcoachesinbusinessasskilldevelopmentisimperativeforputtingthebestteam“onthefield.”Yettoooften,businessleaders
thinkproductandindustryknowledgecanreplaceskilldevelopment.Wemaylivebytherulethatknowledgeispower,butweforgetthathowwellweuseourknowledgedeterminessuccess.
Inotherwords,weequateaperson’sexperienceortenurewithhavingtheskillsweneedtosucceed.Buttenureandexperiencecanleadtocomplacencyasoften
astheydobetterment.They’renosubstitutefordevelopingskillsthroughpractice—nottrainingbutpractice.Practiceiswhatwedoonaregularbasistohelpusdevelopwhatwealreadyknowandgetbetteratdoingourjobs.Trainingiswhatathletesdoinweightroomsandconditioningdrillstogetinthebestpossibleshapeforpracticesandgames.Training
iswhatwedoinbusinesswhenweareteachingemployeesnewjobs,systems,products,ortools.Inbusiness,wetendtodothetrainingthingprettywell,butwefallshortonthepracticeside.
Simplyput,leadersmustmakeskillpracticemandatoryforeveryone.Noexcuses.Andjustasforsportsteams,anessentialpart
ofpracticeisscrimmaging.Scrimmagesaresafeplaceswherewecanbeterribleasweworkthingsoutwithoutfearofjudgment.Infact,Iwantedmyteamstosuckandtolearnfromthat.Scrimmagingalsoallowscoachesandteamstotrysomethingdifferentwithoutjudgmentorconsequences—togetoutofourcomfortzonesandstopplayingitsafe.
Oftenwekeepdoingthesamethingwehavebeendoingforyears,notbecauseitisrightbutbecauseitiswhatweknow.Butstayingcomfortableisstayingcomplacent;itistodwellcontentedlyinmediocrity.
ScrimmagingStarts with “Hello”
Scrimmagingworksinallindustriesandforallpositions,anditisapositiveexperienceevenifyouaredealingwithanegativesubject.Planningtowriteupanemployee?Scrimmagethat.Asleaders,oneofthemostdifficultpartsofourjobsisdealingwithlowperformers.Sopeerscrimmageyourconversationaheadoftime.Discuss
possiblescenariosandscrimmagethosescenarios.Afterscrimmagingtheconversationwithapeer,therealonemightnotbeanyeasier,butitwillabsolutelybemoresuccessfulandeffective.Youwon’tstumbleandstammerattheemployee’squestionsandendupwithato-dolistforhelpingtheminsteadofputtingyouremployeeonthe
spottotakeaction.Scrimmaging
conversationslikethesehelpsusavoidthetrapsofthosesituationsandimprovesthemandtheskillsneededtohandlethem.Andthescrimmagescanbeasbasicaspreparingforthatfirstgreetingassomeonewalksintoyouroffice,store,ordepartment.Theimportantthingistokeepitrealand
focusoneverydayimportantskills.
Here’sasamplelistofthingsyoucouldscrimmagetohelpstartyourowncoachinglistforyourselfandyourteam,manyofwhichwecoverinlaterchapters:
Communicatingwithotherteams
AddressingconflictCustomerservice/TalkingtoacustomerNeversayingnoTransferringtherightenergywhen
speakingtosomeone(sothatpersonfeelspositiveenergyfromthestart)Identifyingand
dealingwithproblemsSettinggoalsOne-on-onesWritingSellingPresentingAskingpurposefulbusiness
questionsUnderstandingandreviewingaprofitandlossstatementGettingteambuy-inMotivatingothersGetting
outofabadmoodDealingwithdifficultpeople
Thekeythingtorememberasyoumakeyourownscrimmagelististhatsuccesscomesfromfocusingonthemostimportantskills
foryourteam,notfromhowmanydifferentskillsyouworkon.Startwithanindividualskillortwoandscrimmageiteveryweek.Attendtothebasicsfirst—theskillseveryoneneedsanduses.Thisiswhatcoachesdoinsports.Forexample,inbaseball,theentireteamworksconstantlyontheskillsthatmakethemgreat:hitting,fieldinggrounders,catching
flyballs,throwing,andrunning.Theydon’tpracticethesethingsbecausetheydon’tknowhoworbecausegamesituationskillsareunimportant.Theypracticethembecausetheyknow,tobethebesttheycanbe,theymustpracticethebasicsallthetime.
Leaderswhogettheirteamstoscrimmagebeforetheydosomethingbig,such
asmajorpresentationsorclientcalls,canalsoidentifyanddealwithanymistakesthathaveunfortunateconsequences.Amajorindustrialdistributor,oneofthelargestcompaniesofitskindinthecountry,realizedthepowerofpracticewhentheystruggledtoanswerthequestion,“Whyus?”Whywouldsomeonechoosethemovertheirbiggest
competitors,thelargestofwhichtheycouldnevercompetewithonpricealone?Tofindouthowtheywerecurrentlyansweringthisquestion,Ihadthemscrimmagecustomercallswithoneanotherandme.WhatIheardwaseveryplatitudeinthebook:Wehavegreatcustomerservice.Wecare.Wewillbetherewhenwesay.Wedeliver
underbudgetandontime....Youcouldmakeplatitudewallpaperofthisstuff.ThesesoundedlikethecannedanswerspeoplegivemeinjobinterviewswhenIaskthemwhytheywanttoworkforme:“I’mapeopleperson,dedicated,loyal,hardworking,andgiveeverythingIgot.”Noonesays,“I’manunmotivatedjerkandaliarandacheat
who’llbelateallthetime.”Practicingwas
uncomfortablefortheseconstructionguys.Theyfounditannoyingandweren’tafraidtovoicetheirdispleasure.Buttheirleadersforcedthemtokeepgoing.Afterafewweeksofhonesteffort,theteamstartedtolistentooneanother,heardtheproblemsIdid,andrealizedtheirobstacles
weren’tovercomebyplatitudesorevenbypricingbutspecificallybywhattheyofferedbetterthananyoneelse:attention.Theteamthusstoppedtryingtocompeteonprice,ditchedthecannedlinesabouthowmuchtheycaredabouttheircustomers,andstartedofferingdetailsonthekindofcustomerattentiontheyofferedthatthebigboyscouldn’t.Theytalkedabout
goingonappointmentcallstohelpcontractorssellmoreroofs(andthusbuymoreproductfromthecompany)asabenefitoftheirexperienceandexpertise.Soon,theywereabletotakewhattheylearnedinthesescrimmagesandwalkintomeetingswithcontractorstoarticulatethis.Theresultwasoneofthebestyearsthecompanyeverhad.Today,thoseconstruction
Practiceleadstobetterresults
guysdotheirpracticingontheirownandkeeprefiningitbasedonwhattheircustomersneedandontheneedsofthemarket.
IpracticewhatIpreachtoo.Inthecourseofscrimmagingphonecallstopotentialcustomers,I
—period.
discoveredoneofmyemployee’sgreatestproblemswasgettingpastthemomentsomeonesaidtheywerenotinterestedincoachingandtraining.Hisresponsewas“I’mnotfamiliarwithmanycompaniesthataresuccessfulthatarenotinterestedintraining.”Healsotoldthem
hewas“surprised”bytheirresponse.WhenItoldhimhowhisresponsemademefeel(whichwasn’tgood)inthescrimmage,hewaspretty“surprised”himself.Itmayhavesoundedtohimlikeagreatwaytoovercomeobjections,butwhenhesaidit,Ifeltinsulted.Ifeltasthoughhewaspickingafightbychallengingme,anditwascreatingunnecessaryconflict
(pickingafightlikethisisnevergood,becauseyoucanwinthefightbutstilllosethebusiness).Afterregularpractice,heisnowcompletelynaturalandrelaxed.Hesays,“Igetit.”Herelatestothemandeventalksabouthisowncoachingexperience.Heworkshiswayintoletthemagreetosendthemourinformationandasksthemsimplytobeopen-
mindedaboutitwhentheygetit—amuchmoreproductiveapproachthatturnedseveralnosintoyeses.
Whilethoseexamplesofscrimmagingaresalesandcustomerbased,leadersineverydepartmentandindustryshouldknowthathowwepresentisasimportantaswhatisbeingpresented.Infact,howtopresentisoneofthemost
basicandessentialskillstoscrimmage,andyoucandoityourself.IfirstdidthisatSprintbeforedeliveringoperation,or“ops,”reviewswhentheC-suite(theCMO,CFO,CEO,etal.)cametotown.Liketheotherdivisionleaders,Ipreparedmypresentationandstudiedmynotes,butIalsorealizedthatthedeliveryofmyopsreviewwasjustasimportantasmy
content—maybeevenmoreimportant.So,inthedaysleadinguptomypresentation,Isetupmycameraandrecordedit.Then,Iwouldwatchitnotonlytoseehowitfelttoseemepresentbutalsototakenotesaboutmyperformance:WherewasIstrongandweak?WheredidIlookfake?WheredidIgetlostorstumbleovermywords?And
letmetellyousomething.Itmightbeawkwardfunwatchingyourselfpracticeapresentationonce,butitismiserablethesecondtimeandbeyond—andpowerful.OnceIstoppedfeelinggoofyandworryingaboutwhatIlookedlike,itwasunbelievablehowawareIbecameofeverythingIsaid.Isawthetruevalue,andeveryopsreviewIdeliveredwent
well.Recordingyourselfwitha
cameraisthebestwaytoscrimmageapresentationbecauseyoucanseeyourbodylanguageaswellashearyourwords.Butadigitalvoicerecorderisbetterthannothing.Ifitfeelsstrangedoingthat,reachouttoafriendortwoandoffertobuythemlunchiftheylistentoyoupresentastheyeatand
giveyoudirectedfeedbackafter.WhenIworkedalone,Iwouldpracticemymostimportantpresentationsaloneandinfrontofmywife,kids,andmother-in-lawandtellthemwhattolookfor:DoIscreamoremotetoomuch?Doesmyvoiceinflectionsoundokay?AmIspeakingtoofast?Tothisday,thenightbeforeIdoaspeech,Iaminmyroomgoingthrough
thestoriesthatarenewaswellasthoseIhavedeliveredtoaudiencesdozensoftimes.IdothisnotbecauseIdonotknowthembutbecauseIwanttodeliverthemperfectlyandmakesureeverythingIsaystillsoundsfreshandrelevanttomebeforeIstepontothestage.
Thatsaid,scrimmagingpresentationsoranythingelsetakestimetoachievethebest
results,andbusinessleadersalwaystellmethey’retoobusyputtingoutfires,returninge-mails,makingclientcalls,andattendingmeetingstoscrimmageastheydoinsports.Afterall,coachesofsportsteamsandtheirplayersarepaidtopracticeandcoach,right?That’snotonlyanexcusebutalsountrue.Mostcoachesinsportswouldarguetheyhave
justasmanydistractionsaswedoinbusiness;theyjustbelievetherearenoexcusesformissingpractice.SodomyclientsatoneofthelargestproductmanufacturersintheUnitedStates.Theyhaveeventakentheirpracticingprogramsonlineandmandatedweeklyscrimmagesonthingslikepitchingonthephone.Asaresult,theteamshave
engagedtheprogramsevenfurther,oftendoingskillsscrimmagingbeyondtheweeklysessions.Someteamshaveseentheirresultsdouble,andallofthemhavelearnedthat,astheykeepgettingbetteratwhattheydobypracticing,theygetmoreefficientwiththeirtimetoo.
The Biggest Enemy
of Practice Is “WeJust Hate Doing It”
Igetwhypracticeishard:Welovethe“game”butnotthepreparation.MaybethemostfunI’veeverhadinsportsismanagingmykid’sbaseballgames.Ilovedthegames.Ongameday,Iwasuptwohoursearlytohavemyrostersreadyandthinkaboutallthein-game
possibilities.ButIhateddoingthepractices.Ihatedplanningthem,sendingoutgrounderaftergrounder,explainingthedrills,andrepeatingthemtimeaftertime.Practicewasoftenboring,forthekidsandforme.Iwasthecoach.Ihadtogo.ButtheonlyreasonthosekidsshoweduptopracticeisbecauseImadethem.Businessisnodifferent.
Drillingtheskillsandthenworkingoverandoveragaincanbereallyboring.Remindingsomeoneoverandoveragainhowyousay“Hello”?Thatcanbelikenailsonachalkboard.Andhereiswhatmakesitmoremiserable:Itisthecoach’sjobtomakeitlivelyandfun—andithastokeepbeingfunafterthefirst,sixth,andhundredthweek.
Truthis,nooneshouldstoppracticinguntiltheyretireornolongerdesiretobethebesttheycanbe.Thosewhodismissitasunimportanteitherhatedoingit,don’tunderstanditsvalue,oraretooarroganttounderstanditsimportance.Anyonewhowantstoseeaperfect,ifextreme,exampleofthisarroganceinactionneedsonlytogoogle“AllenIverson
Practice”andwatchtheformerNBAstar’s2002post-gamecommentsonpractice.Iverson,oneofthemostprolificscorersinNBAhistory,hadledthe76erstotheNBAFinalsin2001.Thistiradehappenedaboutayearlater,aftertheteamlostinthefirstroundoftheplay-offsandIverson’scoachhadcriticizedhimforhurtingtheteambymissingpractices.
Iversonisbothconfusedandfrustratedbythereporters’wholelineofquestioningaboutthemissedpractices.
“I’msupposedtobethefranchiseplayerandwe’retalkingaboutpractice,”Iversonrants.“Notagame,we’retalkingaboutpractice....Howsillyisthat?IknowI’msupposedtobethere.IknowI’msupposedtoleadby
example....We’retalkingaboutpractice.Weain’ttalkingaboutthegame.We’retalkingaboutpractice....We’renottalkingabouttheactualgamewhenitmatters.We’retalkingaboutpractice....HowthehellcanImakemyteammatesbetterbypracticing?”
Trustme,Iamnottakinganyofthisoutofcontextto
proveapoint.Butpleasedon’tgothrowingstonesatIversonwithoutlookingatyourteamandyourselffirst.Iversonwasasupremelytalentedbasketballplayer.Howmanyofourbestplayersdoweletslideandnotholdaccountableformissingmeetingsorforthinkingcertaintasksarebeneaththem?Howmanypeoplewhoworkforus—notourworst,
Withoutpractice,allskills
ourbest—ifweaskedthemtoscrimmagesomething,wouldrolltheireyesandsaythatwascrazyanddismissitasunimportant?Areyourollingyoureyesnow?
Nobodyisthatgood.Thisisplainandsimplearrogance—maybenotasextremeas
start tofall off—fortheplayerand theteam.
Iverson’sbutstillarrogance.Wewouldneverletourkidsgetawaywiththatathomeoronthefield.ImaginebeingacoachofaLittleLeagueteamandoneofyourbestplayerscomesuptoyouhalfwaythroughthe
seasonandsays,“Coach,Ialreadyknowallthesedrillsandskills,andIdon’twanttocometopracticeanymore.I’lljustgotothegames.”Whatwouldhappenifyouallowedthat?Yourteamwouldgetworse.Youwouldbenchthekid.Idon’tevenwanttothinkhowIwouldreactifacoachtoldmeitwasmykid.Itshouldbethesameinbusiness.
Coaches MakePracticing Excitingand Fun
BusinessleadersshoulddowithpracticewhatEmerilusedtosay:“Takeitupanotch.”Makeitfastandenergetic.I’vedone“firescrimmaging”withentireteamstokeepthingsmovingquickly.Notreadyforthat?Here’sonewayIdoitatmy
workshops:IpickpeopleoutoftheaudiencetodoaquickscrimmagewithmeasifIwereaclient.Istopthemaftertwominutesandmakethemdoitagain.Istopthemafteroneminuteandsaydoitagain.Then,Istopthemandsay,“Whydon’tyouchangeitupanddosomethingcrazy,maybesomethingyouarethinkingaboutdoingbutwouldneversayinareal
meeting?”Thenwedoitagainforoneminuteandthenagain,andeverytime,thepersongetsmoreandmoreconfident.Theaudienceseesthis,justlikeyourteamwill.Andweallhavefun.
ThisworksevenwhenIpickthesurliest-lookingpersonintheroom.IwasataneventforaFortune100clientofmine,andIspottedhimrightaway:amiddle-
agedguyinhipglasseskickingbackwithaposturethatsaidTooCoolforSchool.Hecouldn’tcarelessaboutwhatIwassaying,andhehadanamelikeAceorsomethingthatwentperfectlywithhisposture.Acewastoocooltoscrimmage.ButsometimestheAcescanbeturnedintoaces.Sometimestheyaresurlyonlybecausetheywantattentionthattheyhavenever
beengivenasatopperformer.Iusuallyhavetoworkhardertogetthescrimmagegoing,buttheAceswhoaren’tasseswilleventuallystepupinfrontoftheirteams.Andwhentheydo,scrimmagingbecomesevenmorepowerful,becauseAcecannowhelpmaketheteamacestoo.
Justrememberyourcoachingprinciples:
Everyonehastogotopractice,butfocusmostonthetopperformers.Thinkaboutit.Ifyoucanimproveyourbesttwoemployees,howmuchwilltheentireteam’sresultsgoup?Whilegreatcoachesknowthatalltheirplayerswillgetbetterthroughpractice,andeveryonemustparticipate,gettingtheirtopperformerstopracticefirstanddomore
supportsacultureinwhichotherteammembersstrivetoearntherightformoretimewiththem.Doingtheopposite—spendingthemosttimewiththosewhoarestruggling—institutesthebeliefthatoncepeoplegettoacertainlevel,theynolongerhavetopractice.Bettertospendthemosttimewithtopperformersandhaveeveryonetryingtobeintheir
position.Theexceptiontothisrule
isthenewhire.AswewillcoverinmoredepthinChapter6,leaderscannotthrowtheirnewhiresor“rookies”onthebenchwiththethirdstring.Theyhavetogivethemattentionandpracticewiththemasiftheyaretopperformerstodecidequicklyiftheyaregoingtomakeit.Theydeserveyour
attentionbecauseyou’vedecidedtobringthemontotheteam.Givethemeverythingyou’vegottoseeiftheygotothefirststringorthebench.
Yeah, We Used toPractice. . . .
Andonceyou’vegotthisentirepracticethinggoing?
Keepitgoing.Evenwhenwegetstartedpracticing,wecaneventuallygettiredofitandthink,“Hey,we’vedonethisforeightweeksandeveryonehasstartedgettingalittlebetter.Solet’sstop.”Butthoseeightweeksof“better”werebecauseofeightweeksofpractice.OfthehundredsofcompaniesIhaveworkedwithonimplementingapracticeandskill
developmentprogram,everyoneofthemseesandbelievesinthebenefitofskilldevelopment.But,sadly,lessthanhalfofthoseclientsmaintainitonaconsistentbasis.Theydon’tstopbecausetheydon’tbelieveinit;theystopbecauseitishardwork,time-consuming,andnotinstantlygratifying.
Forexample,ifaleaderhassevendirectreportsand
shewantstoimplementaweeklypracticemeeting(inplaceofastaffmeeting)withone-on-onecoachingsessionsforeachmember,she’slookingatanadditionaleighthourstofitintoherweek.Doesshehavethoseeighthoursjustlyingaround?Probablynot.Butshestillneedstofindthetimeandprioritizepracticeabovealmosteverythingelse.Can
youthinkofanything—whetherabusinessskill,sport,orhobby—that,ifyouspentfiftyhoursayearworkingwithacoachon,youwouldn’tbebetterat?
Yes,coachingandskilldevelopmentareredundant.Yes,practicingthesameskilloverandoverisnotnewandexciting.Yes,itistime-consuming.Yes,itisfrustratingnottosee
immediateprogressorevenfailure.Yes,itrequiresconflictandwe’drathertellpeople“Thatwasgood”insteadof“Here’showyoucanmakeitbetter.”
Butthenexttimeateammemberischallengedtousethatdevelopingskillandismoresuccessful,itiscompletelyexhilarating.Thehardertheskillwedevelop,thestrongertheresult,andas
wemasterskills,theybecomelesshardtopractice.Ayearlater,Iguarantee,yourteamwillbebetterthantheywere,notjustolder.
Takeaways:SkillPracticeandPlayer
Development
Coachesmustmandate
practiceandunderstandthedifferencebetweenpracticeandtraining.Whatmakesabusinesspersona
greatassetisnotexperiencebutskill.Scrimmagingisthekeytosuccessfulpractices.Takethe
advicewegivekidsinsports:“Practicelikeyouplay.”Keepscrimmagingfun,stayfocused(especially
ontopperformers),anddon’tgiveintotheurgetostop.
Chapter 2GIVEGAMEBALLSANDMVPS: RECOGNIZE
TEAMSANDINDIVIDUALSNot everybody getsor deserves a gameball in business.There are notrophies forparticipation.
AsImentionedatthestartofthisbook,Ihavebeen
fortunate(orcrazy)enoughtocoachmyson’sLittleLeaguebaseballteams.AndwhileI
mayknowathingortwoaboutcoachingandteambuilding,Iamnoexpertonthefinerpointsofbaseball.SomeofthosekidshadmuchbetterskillsthanI.Butabaseballcoachdoesn’tneedtheskillstofieldagrounderorswingabatbetterthantheteam,justtheskillsnecessarytomaketheteamgreat.Still,thetricksofthistradewerenotinmycoachingrepertoire.
KnowingIneededtoknowwhatIdidn’tknow,Iwenttobaseballcoachingclinicseveryyear.There,Irelearnedalessonfromthebusinessworldinbaseballterms:Coachingisnotjustabouttheball.Itismostly,andmostimportantly,aboutinstillingbeliefsintheteamandguidingthosebeliefsintosuccessfulaction.
Followingthatclinic,I
resolvedtousemytimeasacoachtoteachtheboysaboutlife,namelythatwhattheybelieveinandhowtheyactwillaffectthemnow,duringtheseason,andevenwhentheybecomeadults.IalsomadesuretheparentsoftheboysIcoachedhadaclearunderstandingthatthiswashowIwasgoingtocoachtheirkids.So,beforeeveryseason,Ihadtheplayersand
parentsovertomyhometodiscussmyteam“rules”fortheupcomingseason.TherulemostparentsstruggledwithwasoneInowrepeatconstantlyasabusinessleader:Noteveryonewillreceiveagameball,andsomepeoplemayreceivemorethanoneduringtheseason.
Awards and
Recognition MustBe Earned
Whetheritisbaseballorbusiness,unearnedawardsandrecognitiononlyservetostiflemotivationoftopperformerswhoreceivenothingspecialfortheirexcellence.Meanwhile,thosewhoreceiveunearnedawardsandrecognitionknowthey’rebeingundeservedly
acknowledgedor,worse,thinkwhattheyaredoingdeservesacknowledgment!Thisisnotjustunfairnessperpetratedbyseeminglybeingfairbutafailureofthecoachtopusheveryonetodotheirbest.Inmorethanfiveseasonsofcoaching,Istayedtruetomyword,andnoteverykidreceivedagameball.Butdidthatleadtomutinyintheranks?The
exactopposite:Everyteammemberwasproudofthosewhoearnedrecognitionandstrovetoearnagameballthemselves.
Today,thereareagrowingnumberofbooksthatbackupthisapproach.AsAshleyMerryman,coauthorofTopDog:TheScienceofWinningandLosing,wroteinTheNewYorkTimes:“Whetheryour
kidlovesLittleLeagueorgymnastics,asktheprogramorganizersthis:‘Whichkidsgetawards?’Iftheansweris,‘Everybodygetsatrophy,’findanotherprogram.”Ofcourse,coachesshouldalwaystrytofindatruesuccessfromeveryplayerandacknowledgethosesuccesses,buteachplayerstillhastoearnthebiggerrecognition.Iwantedmy
LittleLeagueboystoknowthatagameballisspecial.Businessleadersshouldobeythesameprinciple:Everyonedeservesachanceandrespect,buteverybodymustearnthe“gameball.”Theproblemis,toomanyleadersandorganizationsnowdowhatthosemisguidedyouthsportsleaguesdo—sacrificerewardingthosewhodeservecreditforexcellingsoasnot
toupsetthosewhodon’t.Icouldnotdisagreemorewiththisapproach.Ialso100percentdisagreethatcompetitionisunhealthy.IcoachmyLittleLeaguekidstobetheirbestandplaytowineverygamewithhumilityandgreatsportsmanship.Wewinwithmodestyandlosewithconfidence.Thisishowcoachesmustleadtheirteamsinbusiness.
Competitionis goodandhealthywhendoneright.
Simplyput,leadersmustappreciateeverymemberoftheirteamfortheireffortandcontributionswhilealsorecognizingthespecificachievements
ofthebestperformersfortheirexcellence.Sodon’tworryaboutleavingpeopleoutwhenawardinggameballs.Thisrecognitionofsuccessshowsyourgratitudeandhelpspushpeopletogreatness.Anddespitewhattheymightsay,mosteverybodywants,needs,andlikestoberecognizedandappreciatedregularly.Inmyexperience,evenpeoplewho
saytheydon’twantappreciation,orhaveatoughtimeacceptingit,desireitdeepdown.Mostpeoplewhosaytheydon’tneedrecognition,onlytheirpaycheck,areusuallybeinghumble,feelingbadforsomeoneelseontheteam,orlying;everyoneelseisjustbeingselfish.Sayingitmightalsobeasignofanythingfromalackofconfidencetoa
badattitudethatneedstobeconfronted.
IndividualRecognition Is Stillabout the Team
Recognizinganyteammemberwhodoesgreatthingsorachievessmallvictoriesbecomesunhealthy
onlywhenaleaderusesittoputdownothermembersorwhenitbecomesthedefiningmomentwithintheteam.Itisabalancingact,butit’snotterriblydifficult.Recognitionandrewardneedtoacknowledgeaperson’sperformanceandreinforcewitheveryonethatthepersonisstillpartofateam.Thisisespeciallytruewhenthemembersofateamwork
remotelyorontheroadandareusuallyoutofsight.It’salltooeasyforthoseteammemberstofeeldistantanddisconnected.Recognitionandappreciationfromthecoachhelpstiethemtothegroupandpulltheteamtogether.
Forexample,atthegymwhereIworkout,wecheereveryonetofinishstrong.Theonesfinishinglastgetthe
mostcheerstokeepthempressingforward,andthetopfinishersgetrecognitiononthe“leaderboard.”Thecheersareourwayofshowingappreciationforallwithoutdiminishingthesuccessofthetopperformers.Thelarge-scaleequivalentofthisinbusinessmightbeofferingayear-endtriporcelebrationforthosewhofinishaheadoftheteam’s
individualannualgoals.Ifdonerightandinahealthyway,onceyourtopperformersearnthatincentive,theyarestillyourleaders,buttheyhavenodisincentivetohelpingtheirteammatesgetintothespotlightand,asaresult,thoseleadersfeellessisolatedandtheteamwinsbig.
Buttheseprogramsdonotneedtoinvolveexpensive
orlavishgifts.Therearemanysmallgestureswithpracticallyzerocostthatcanfairlyrecognizeandappreciateanentireteamwithoutalienatingthetoporignoringthebottomperformers.Inmyfirstbook,ItoldthestoryoftheKingPinaward,whichconsistedofpassingabowlingpinawardfromwinnertowinnereveryweek.Therewardhadno
monetaryvalue;itwasbasedinprideandpersonalachievement.Aclientofminehasafantasticmethodforrecognizinghistopperformersandthesuccessesofallteammembers:abell.WhenIfirstvisitedhim,Inoticedthebell,butIdidn’tthinktoaskaboutituntilafterafewvisits.Hetoldmethatwhensomeoneontheteamdidsomethinggreat,
suchassetanelusiveappointment,closeasale,orrunasuccessfulevent,theteammemberwouldringthebell,whichsoundedthroughouttheoffice.Itoldhimhowawesomethatwas,andhetoldmethatitgaveeachpersonwhoringsitahugesenseofaccomplishmentaswellasrecognitionandcelebrationamonghisorherpeers.Italso
motivatedeveryone.Untilitdidn’t.
Keep the Bell, Firethe Employee
IwassoexcitedformyclientatthetimethatIfailedtorealizewhyIhadn’taskedaboutthebelluntiloneofmylatervisits:IneverhearditringwhenIwasthere.When
Iaskedhimaboutthis,hesighedandtoldmetheyhadstoppedusingitrecentlybecausetheteammemberswhohadn’trungthebellinquiteawhilewerefeeling“leftoutandignored.”Myclient’sintentionwasgood(nottohurthisemployees),butasaresult,heremovedsomethinggreatandcreatedabiggerproblem.
“Letmegetthisstraight,”
Isaid.“Youstoppedlettingthosewhoweredoingagreatjobandstrivingforsuccessringthebellandcelebratetheirsuccessesbecauseyoudidn’twanttohurtthepeoplewhofailedtohaveonesuccessworthshoutingabout?”
Myclientnodded.“Hereistheproblem,”Icontinued.“Peoplewhoresentthesuccessofotherswillnever
The
havesuccessthemselves.Youcan’thavepeopleonyourteamwhoresenttherecognitionandsuccessofothers.Youcan’thavepeopleonyourteamwhouselackofrecognitionasanexcusetofeelbadaboutthemselvesratherthantryingharder.”
WhatItriedtoexplaintomyclientthatday
rightrecognitioncreateshealthyenergy.
isessentialtothesuccessofanyrewardorrecognitionfrombelltoblowouttrip:Healthycompetitioncomesfrommembersoftheteamviewingothers’successesasamotivator—tolearnfromthemandachieve.Itisnotniceorsmartto
punishthosewhogiveyourteameverythingtheyhavetobe“nice”tothosewhodon’t.Whoareyoureallybeingniceto?Acknowledgingeveryoneissimplyamisguidedandselfishavoidanceofconflictbytheleader.
Have the RightSystem and Keep It
RealIhaveapassionfor
recognizingpeople,butmoretimesthannot,Igetbusyandforgettorecognizethoseteammemberswhodeserveit.Thus,likeanycoach,Ineedsystemstoshowappreciationandacknowledgesuccesses.Butatthesametime,IhavetobesureIdon’tmakethose
systemssoforcedthattheybecomeinsincere.Theyhavetobesustainedbutheartfeltandinformal.
Iemphasizenonformalitybecausesooftenwhenanorganizationdevisesaformaladhocprograminwhichrecognitionisparforthecourse,suchasaCOUPONFORBEINGCAUGHTDOINGSOMETHINGRIGHT,itgenerallymakestheentireprocess
seemdisingenuousanddislikedbyeveryone.Recognitioncannotbeforcedonpeople.Agenuinesenseofappreciationandnotaforcedactiontranslatestotheteam’sdoingsomethingbecausetheywantto,notbecausetheyhaveto.That’swhyformal,less-than-genuinerecognitionprogramsfadequickly.That’swhyagenuinethank-yougoesalotfurther
thanan“onthespot”giftcardthatispartofaforcedprogram.
Thebiggerproblemofforcedformalsystemsisthatthememoryofthembecomesabarriertofuturegenuinerecognition.Teammembersbecomeapprehensiveofanythingnew,includingongoingchangestotheorganizationalculturethatleadersmakewhenchanging
frommanagerstocoaches.Whatistrueforouremployeesisalsotrueforus:Oursincerityhastobefelt,andsoithastobereal.Leaderscan’tappreciateandrecognizeteammembersbygoingthroughthemotions.Wehavetomeanitandwanttodoit.Ifeitheroftheseisabsent,ouremployeesknowit.
Yousee
If theintentis real,thenthevaluewill bereal:Genuinelycelebratethesmall
thisinbusinessallthetimeandfeelitthesecondyouwalkinthedoor.Onceagain,itallgoesbackto“Hello.”Youwalkintoastoreandhearan
victories.unenthusiasticvoicesaysomethinglike,“Hello,welcometotheDungeonofService.HowmayIhelpyou?”Thewordsmayberight,buttheenergyandbodylanguagetellustheemployeeisonlygoingthroughthemotions.Sometimesyouwanttograbthesepeople,shakethem,andsay,“You
shouldjustquit,becauseyouobviouslydon’tlikedoingthisjob!”Ihavebeenknowntodothiswithservicepeopleattimes(minusthegrabbingandshaking).Andyetemployeeslikethisarenotentirelytoblame,becausetheyhaveneverreceivedanygenuinerecognitionorsincerityfromtheirleadersandthuslackthepassionandenthusiasmtoshowitto
others.Iamnotsayingthat
formalrewardsystemsarebad.Therearetimeswhenhavingformalrewardsystems—employeeofthemonth,topplayerofthemonth,bestteamplayer,etc.—arewarrantedandeffective.Buttheyareeasiertoimplementonthesalesandcustomerservicesidesofbusiness.Whenitcomestofactory
workers,accounting,humanresources,creative,andoperationsroles,aformalrewardsystembecomesmoredifficulttomaintain,andtokeepeveryonemotivatedandsustainingitcanbedifficultwhentheenergyfades.So,ifyou’regoingthroughthemotionstopickthismonth’sMVP,itmightbemoreprudenttoditchtheformalsystem.
Build a GenuineRecognitionSystem andSustain It
Onceleadersarereadytoestablishgenuinesystemsforaweeklyormonthlyrecognitionprogram,itisessentialtheystartbydecidingwhattheywanttorecognizebeforetheyfigure
outwhattherewardis.Takethetimetothinkitthroughandcreateit,andthendon’tbeafraidtochangeitifitneedschanging.Thebestprogramwilldevelopovertime,butdon’twait,becauseitwillneverbeperfect.Theonlythingmoreexpensivethanrewardprogramsandmotivatingyourteamisdoingnothingatall.Keepinmind:Ourpeoplenevertellusthey
arediscontentorbored;theyshowusbyleaving.
Startbythinkingofthetasksyourmostsuccessfulteammemberdoesthatyoucouldacknowledge:
Whatachievementsstandoutamongyour
teammemberswhoroutinelygoaboveandbeyondthecallofduty?Listthem.What
actionsoftheirsmakeyourjobasleadereasier?Listthem.Makealistoftheactions
thatmostandmaybeallofthemembersofyourteamneedtodobetter.What
wouldhelptheteammembersbetterservepeoplebothinternalandexternaltotheorganization?
AtSprint,Iwasfortunateenoughtoworkwithagreatfinanceleader,CharlieMoore.CharliewasinchargeoftheregionalfinanceteamfortheSoutheast,andIwasinchargeoftheregion’ssalesteams.Charlie’sjobwasfarmorepowerfulthanmine.Histeamwasresponsibleforhelpingthecompanycreatethetoolsandmatrixtomeasureourbusinessand
findwaystomaximizeourcustomerexperiences,sales,andprofitsinwaysthatmadefinancialsense.ButCharlieknewauthoritydoesnotmakeyoupowerful;realpowercomeswiththeabilitytobevaluabletoothersandhelpinfluencetheirsuccess.Andhowherecognizedthepeoplewhoworkedforhimcertainlyinfluencedme.
Most
Rewardscanmeannothingif thecoachesareunclearaboutwhattheyare
financeandsalesrelationshipsaresummarizedas“thesalesteamsaretheretomakesales,andthefinanceteamsaretheretokeeptheminline.”Sales
recognizing.andfinancearealmostalwaysplacedinanadversarialrelationshipthatcreatesresentment—andIdidjokinglycallCharlie’steam“TheASS[AntiSalesSupport]Team.”Itwasallinfun,though,becauseCharlie’sformalrewardsystemwasanythingbutajokeandprovidedmewith
thefoundationIusetoguideleadersinsettinguptheirownformalsystems.
Tokeephisprocessasobjectiveaspossible,Charliefocusedonmeasurableachievements,thosehehadseenandthosehe’dlearnedaboutbyspeakingdirectlytopartnersandteamleaders.HereishowCharlieformedhisbasis.First,hedefinedtheattributesandactionsoftop
players:
GreatworkingrelationshipswithclientpartnersPartofthesolution,notpartofthe
problemHappilydoesthosetasksthatdon’tlooklikehisjobThinksoutsidethe
financeguidelinestoachievegreatandfinanciallysoundsuccessRemainshumblewhileoperating
withgreatconfidence
Thenhelistedtheactionseveryoneneededtodobetter:
Bevisibletoclientpartners(getoutofthe
office)BecomepartofthecreationprocesssotheirinvolvementisdesiredProactivelycallandmeet
withpartnersConstantlyworktohelptheirpartnersachievetheirgoals
Oncetheselistsweredone,Charliewasableto
outlinewhowouldberewardedandrecognizedeachmonth,andhisteamknewexactlywhattheyhadtodo.Charlieknewbeingagreatcoachmeantfocusingontheskillsandattributesoftopplayers,appreciatingeveryoneeveryday,andrecognizingexcellenceregularly,regardlessofthereward.Genuinerecognitionwasthepointbecausewhen
wecoachpeoplethisway,wearemakingthembetter.Whenwejustleadormanagepeople,wesometimesmakebusinessbetterandgivepeoplemoretenure,butwe’renotfocusedonthem,ontheirattributesandskills.Thinkingaboutwhatitmeanstowanttobeappreciatedcanthushelpusseethingsinadifferentway.
Remember: A JobMust Be More thana Paycheck
Intheend,coachesunderstandthemeaningofappreciationandhowpowerfulatoolitcanbe.
Afewyearsago,Iwastalkingtoagoodfriendofmineabouthisjob.Hetoldmehelikedhisjobokay,buthewasgrowingmoreand
moreboredwithit.Hemadegreatmoney,buthewasnotchallengedandfelthewasjustgoingthroughthemotions.Thefollowingyear,Icaughtupwithhimafterhiscompanywentthroughchanges,andtheactivitiesandrequirementsofhisjobhadchanged.Iaskedagainabouthisjob,andhesaid,“Iamworkingmytailoffandtraveling.Iamworking
harderandbeingchallengedmorethanever,butIdon’tmakeanymoremoney.”
Isaid,“Justayearago,youwereunhappyorboredbecauseyouwerenotdoingenough,andnowyoufeelyouaredoingtoomuch?”Iwasthinking,Whatwillmakethisboyhappy?Butmanyofusareexactlylikemyfriendintheworkplace—notsurewhatismissing,yetknowing
somethingismissing.Myfriendisasuperstaremployeeforalargetelecomcompany:hardworking,verypassionate,andalwayswillingtodowhatittakestohelphisteamandsupporthisleadershipandclients.Helovesthecompany,anditisagreatonetoworkfor.Butmyfriendworksremotelyandtravelstoseehisclients.Itisalonelyjobalotofthetime,away
fromtheteamandapartfromtheintimateinvolvementandsupportofthoseheworkswith.Hefeltunappreciatedandunconnectedtosomethingbigger.
Sinceremoteofficesandleadershipareawayoflifeinmostbusinesses,itismoreimportantthaneverthatwecompensateforthelackofateamenvironment.Concluding“itiswhatitis”
willgetusnowhere.Fortunately,myfriend’snewbosswasacoachandunderstoodthis.Heheardwhatmyfriendwanted:appreciation,respect,and,mostimportant,tobeincludedinsomethingbigger.Heknewmyfriend’sneedforallthiswouldneverbeoffsetbymoneyshort-termifhecontinuedtobeunhappylong-term.Andso,hemade
myfriendcomeintotheofficeandworkmorefromthere.
Myfriend,I’mgladtosay,nowloveshisjobmorethanever.Althoughheatfirstcomplainedofhavingtogototheofficeeverydayandnottravelingasmuch,heisbeingchallengedandhefeelsappreciatedandrecognizedforhiseffortsandsuccess,notonlybythebossand
companybutbyhisteamaswell.Leaderslikemyfriend’sbossknowtheymustnurturethosewhostriveforgreatachievementsanddemonstrateallofthegreatattributesofwinningteammembers:passion,desire,greatattitude,greatenergy,caring,andprideintheirwork.That’snotsomefeel-good,touchy-feelymumbojumbo;itisrealstuffthat
goesbeyondthepaycheck.
Takeaways:GameBallsandMVPs
Winningmatters:Don’tbeafraidtorecognizethosewho
winandtoappreciatethetopperformers.Rewardsandrecognitionshowappreciationforthosewhodo
greatthingsandmotivateotherstostriveforgreatthings.Don’thurtthosewho
giveyoueverythingtopleasethosewhogiveyouverylittle.Implementreward
andrecognitiontochangebehaviorpositivelyandsustainit—forleadersandtheteam.Be
genuineinyourappreciationandrecognition,ordon’tdoitatall.
Chapter 3HAVEQUARTERLYGAMEPLANSAND PEERPRESENTATIONS
Having a planversus having athought
Manyorganizationsandleaderssaytheyusesometypeofyearlyorquarterly
businessplan.Perhapsyouhaveoneyourselfinadeskdraweroronabookshelf.Chancesareyouhaven’tlookedatitsinceyoumadeit.Yeteveryfourthquarter,mostleadersdothesamething:Takelastyear’sbusinessplan,blowthedustoffofit,changethedateto
thefollowingyear,updatethenumbersinthegraphs,andcallitgood.Makeaplanforthenewyear?Check!
Sadly,somecompaniesarehappywiththis.Ihaveseentoomanyleadersandteamsattainconsistentlymediocreperformancesimplybynotusingtheirgameplansandupdatingthemquarterly.Imaginehowsuccessfultheywouldbeiftheyacted
deliberatelyandpurposefully.Theseplansareoneofthebesttoolscoacheshavetoholdtheirteamsaccountable.Butatleastthoseleaderswiththedustyplansareonebigstepfurtherinplanningthanthecountlessleadersouttherewho,ifyouaskedtoseetheirplan,wouldsmile,taptheirindexfingertotheirtemple,andsay,“Igotitrighthere.”Imaginehowsuccessfulthey
wouldbeiftheyactuallygotasfaraswritingthatplan.Let’sclearthisuprightnow:Whattheyhaveisathought,notaplan.They’rewingingit,gamblingonideasthathaven’tbeenfullyrealizedinthemostcompleteandeffectiveway.
Athoughtbecomesaplanwhenyouwriteitdown—whenyoucanseeit,critiqueit,putitintoaction,
andreviseitbasedonexperience.Leadersmightbedoingokayimplementingthethoughtstheyhavewithouttakingthetimetowritethemout,butthey’renotreachingtheirfullpotential,andneitheraretheirteams.They’renotseeingalloptionsandavenues.Youcan’tdothatwithathoughtoraplansittingonashelfforelevenmonthsoftheyear.Nocoach
can.Insports,ifacoachdoesnotprepareagameplan,writeitout,andupdateitthroughouttheseason,heisnotsettinguphisteamforsuccess.HaveyouseenthesizeofanNFLplaybook?Itqualifiesasweightliftingtome.Businessshouldbethesameway—maybenotinthesizeoftheplanbutinitsimportancetoleadersandtheirteams.Coachesmust
developandusetheseplans.Theyareessentialtoensuringthatteammembersregularlyrefocusandtomeasuringtheirsuccess.
Thinkofitthisway:Youusesomeschedulingsoftwareordeskcalendar,right?Youdon’ttrytoremembereveryappointment.Whenyougotomeetings,youtakenotestorememberthings,scribblequestionsyouwanttoask,
andmaybepostsomethingonsocialmediawhensomethinginspiresyou.Youwanttorememberit.Youkeeprecords.Youmakeuseofthewrittenwordwhenyou’reseriousaboutdocumenting,studying,andremembering.Yeah,youmightgettherebymovingfromthoughttoaction,butwritingitoutfirstmakesitvisibleandunderstandabletoeveryone,
revisable,andthusmuchmoreimprovable.
Write Down YourPlan
Atruegameplanneedsconsistentreviewing,adjustments,andupdates.Keepitopenonyourdesk,computer,orportabledevice.Mandateyourteam
doitaswell.Inspecttheirgameplanstoo:Makesurethey’reusingtheirsbyusingyours.
IamthefirstonetoadmitIdon’tlikedoingthis.Forme,writingplans—heck,writinganything—ranksrightuptherewithrootcanalsandcolonoscopies.Ilovetalking.Icantalkaboutleadershipcoachingallday,everyday,365daysayear.However,
evenIadmitthatmytalkingimproveswhenIwritedownideas,lookatthem,andpassthemontoothersforreview.WritingdownmyideasenablesmetobeintentionalaboutwhatIsayandwhatIdo.I’mnotwingingitfrommybrain.IknowwhereI’mgoingandhowI’mgoingtogettherebecauseI’veplannedmyroute...andthenIplanitagainandagain.
Withouta gameplan,allleadersend updoingisreacting.
Theenemyofaneffectivegameplanisthesetofexcusesleadersmakeasreasonswhycomposingadetailedgameplanwouldbeawasteofour
time:“IalreadydowhatIneedtodo”or“IhaveitonmyiPadto-dolist”or“I’vebeendoingthisjobfortwentyyears,soIknowallIneedtoknow.”Perhapsmyfavoriteexcuseis“Myschedulechangeseverydayandtoomuchtoplansofarahead.”Whenitcomestoourexcuses,wesoundnodifferentfromourkids.Iknowwhatwouldhappenif
myson’sschooldidnothaveasetschedulebutjusttoldhimtoattendEnglish,math,economics,andSpanishandmakesurehegrabbedlunch.Mysonisagreatkidandhewouldhaveeveryintentionofgoingtoclass,butchancesarehewouldmisseverythingbutlunch.Wehavetomakeourselvesovercometheequivalentasleaders.Weneedtoeitherplanouractions
andletothersreactorspendourtimeunplannedandgetlostreactingtoothers’actions.
Remember theDifference betweena Game Plan and a“Set of Results”
WhenIasktoseea
client’sbusinessplan,Iusuallygetalistofsales,budget,production,safety,andothergoals.These“plans”andtheresultstheyhopetoachievearenotgameplansbutsummariesofobjectives.Goalsandobjectivesshouldcompriseapartofanygameplan,buttheycannotbetheentiretyofthatplan.Thiswouldbetheequivalentofthecoachofa
footballteamtossingasidehisplaybookandsaying,“Wewanttoscorepointsandwinthegame.Wewanttokeepourplayershealthyandprotectthequarterbackandplaygreatdefenseandthuswinasmanyofthesegamesaswecanandmaketheplay-offs.Then,wewanttogototheSuperBowlandwin!”
“Okay,”theteamwouldsay.“Buthow?”That
“How?”isthequestionthegameplanissupposedtoanswer.Atruegameplannotestheactivitiesandplaysyouwillneedtoexecutetoreachyourobjectives.Ittellstheteamwhattheyaregoingtodotoachievetheirgoals,andhowandwhentheyaregoingtodoit.Here,forexample,arewhatacoupleofshortgameplansmightlooklikefora
plantmanager.
What:Walktheplantfloor.When:4timesperday(8A.M.,11A.M.,2P.M.,5
P.M.)How:Inspect,assistwhereneeded,pointoutsuperstars,interactwitheachteam
member,givedirectionasneeded.
What:Conductone-on-onemeetingswithteam
supervisors.When:Onceperweek(Setitonthecalendaratthebeginningofeachmonth.)How:
Duringmyweeklymeetings,discussperformanceoftheteams.Discussanyleadershiporpersonnel
issues.Spend10minutesonpersonalgrowth.
Now,arealgameplanforthisplantmanagershouldbemorein-depth,withmoredetailabouttheactivitiesthatincludetimeallocationsand
content,butatthesametime,itdoesnotneedtofillathree-ringbinderjustforshow.Itshouldbeamanageabledocumentthatisconsultedweekly,ifnotdaily.Ifprinted,itshouldbecoveredwithcoffeestainsandinkfromconstantmorningreview.
Mandate the Team
to Keep GamePlans Current andFocused
Aftercreatingagameplan,coachesmustkeepitinplayandupdated.Likesustainingskillpracticeandrecognitionprograms,thisisalwaysabiggerchallengethancreatingtheprogram.Thisiswhereleaderscanbringtheirteamsintohelp.I
havefoundthattheonlywayIhavebeenabletokeepmyplanrelevantandinplayisbyrequiringmyteamtodoit.Doingthisholdsthemaccountableandholdsmeaccountableaswell.Toomanyleadersdon’tmandatetheirpeopletodothisbecausethentheywouldhavetodoit—alegitimateconcernbutnotagoodone.
How,in
We willdo onlywhatwe areheldaccountableto do.
practice,doyoumandatetheuseofagameplan?Incorporateitinyourone-on-onemeetingswithyourteam.Useitonthedayyouplanyournextweek.Ifyouarethinkingthat
youdon’thavethetimetoreviewyourplaninpreparationforthenextmeeting,thenstartyourgameplanthere!Leadershipinmostbusinessesdoesnothaveadailystructure.Inmostcompanies,itisuptotheleadertocoordinatethekeyactivitiestocreateastructure.Sodothatandmakeitapartofthegameplan.Afterthat,addthe
specifictasksyouneedtobedoingtogrowyourbusinessandyourteam.
Recently,Iwasconductinga“preparationcall”withanewclientintheshippingandtransportationindustry.Ispendaboutanhouronthesecalls,askingeverythingabouttheirorganization,people,keyactivities,andgoals.Thatway,Icangetthebest
understandingoftheircultureandmakemypresentationcustomizedandrelevanttotheirspecificbusiness.Duringthisparticularcall,Iaskedmyclienttodescribetheperfectdayandweekofactivitiesforapersoninsuch-and-sucharole.“TellmeasifIwerearobotandIwoulddoexactlywhatyouwantandneedmetodotobethebestatthatposition,”Isaid.
Herewasheranswer:“YouwouldgoonfiveclientmeetingsaweekandconductfivemeetingswiththeGMinchargeofthoselocationsandmeetwiththenumberoneproducerofeachoffice.Next,Iwouldexpectyoutogoonfourjointcallswithourfieldagents.Iwouldalsoexpectthattheagentsviewyouasagreatenoughvaluetohaveinvitedyoutogotothese
meetingswiththem.Last,youwouldbeinyourofficedoingadministrativestuffonlyonedayperweek.Mostofyourtimewouldbeinthefieldwithyourteamandclients.”
“Perfect,”Isaid.“Nowtellmewhatishappeningintherealworld.”
“Wellthetoptenpercentofourteammembersaredoingtheseactivities,and
mostofthemaredoingmuchmore.Aboutfiftypercentarefulfillinghalfoftheseexpectations.Therestaredoingabouttenpercentoftheexpectedactivities.”
“Whyaremostofthemnotdoingwhatyouexpect?”Iasked.Thatwasthequestiontheywantedmetoanswer,butmycallhadalreadyrevealedwhatitwas.Whydoesanycompanylikethis
tolerateemployeeswhodonotdotheexpectedactivities?Theanswerisalackofaccountability.
Havingourteammemberscreate,use,andupdategameplansisagreatwaytoholdourteamsandusaccountabletothem.Hereisthebig-pictureviewofhowthisworksinmybusiness:
IgivemyteammembersexpectationsthatincludeallkeyactivitiesIbelieveareimperative
fortheirsuccess.Inmyexpectationsfortheteam,alongwithexpectedactivities,Ialsoprovideexpected
results.Theteammembersinturncreatetheirownpersonalgameplansforhowtheyare
goingtoexceedmyexpectations.Wereviewtheirgameplansandmakesureweboth
agreethatitmakessenseandwillgeneratethebestpossibleresults.(Bysayingwebothagree
meanswedon’tgobelowmyminimumexpectations,andtheplansarepushingthemoutside
theircomfortzone.)Oncewehaveagreedandallnecessarychangeshavebeenmade,itbecomes
ourlaw,ourpersonalcommitment,andtheoverallmaptooursuccess.
Mygameplansarethedocumentseachpersononmyteamwillbeheld
accountableforeveryday,week,month,quarter,andyear.Itisnowalsotheirdocument—onetheyhaveownershipofandnotonethatwasgiventothembycorporateorbymeplayingMoses.Theyhavecreatedandcommittedtodoingit.Thisisbasicbusinessethics—doingwhatyousayyouwilldo.SoallIamaskingofmyteammembersisthatthey
beethical.
Quarterly PlansMakeAccountabilityBetter at the Topand Bottom
Withoutfail,everytimemyteamandIdoourplans,mytopperformers,orsoonto
betopperformers,exceedmyexpectationsregardingactivitiesandresults.IfIaskthemtodofiveofsomething,theywillcommittoeightandthenperformten.IfIaskthemfor$1,000inrevenue,theywillcommitto$1,200andthenperformto$1,500.Logicalthinking,whichwewillcoverinthenextchapter,keepsgrowingandgrowing.
Andwithoutfail,every
timewedoourplans,mybottomperformerstrytojustifywhytheexpectationsregardingactivitiesandresultsareunrealisticortoohigh.Noneoftheirreasonsarebasedontheirownabilityorlackofdesire.Itisalwayssomeoneelse’sfaultorthecompany’sfault.Thismightrevealsomethingasseriousasalatentcaseofvictimdisease(seeChapter8)ora
lackofcommitment.Oritmighthelpleadersaddressaproblemwedidnotsee,suchasamisunderstandingofthegoalandthereasonsbehindthebusinessplan.Whateverthecausefortheexcuses,Ihavefounditbesttoaddressthemupfront.Thisway,theteammembershavetimetorethinktheircommitment,rethinktheirdesiretobeintheirposition,orrethinkwhat
theydidnotunderstandsotherearenomoremisunderstandingsonmypartortheirs.
Irememberreviewingoneofmyteammember’sbusinessplanswithhimanddiscussinghiscommittedactivityandresults.Hewasexperiencedandknowledgeableaboutthebusinessbutlackedasenseofurgencyanddesiretoget
betterandreallystriveformore.Hetoldmethatmyexpectationswereunrealisticandofferedseveralreasonswhy.Ilethimshareallofhisconcerns,perceivedobstacles,andexcuseswithme.Infact,Iacknowledgedthatmanyofhispointswerefairlyaccurate.Butwegetpaidtomakebusinesshappen,nottositbackandwaitforthingstohappen
becausethingsareoutofourcontrol.Isharedwithhimallofthereasonswhyandhowweneededtoovercometheobstacles—bothrealandmerelyperceived.IwantedhimtohearfrommethatIwasmoreconcernedwithhowherespondedthanwiththeissuesinhisresponse.SoItoldhimallofthis.
Isaid,“Mr.X,Iammostconcernedthatyoutruly
believetheseexpectationscannotbemet,givenourcurrentsituation,andthatyouareunwillingtodothefollowingexpectedactivitiesfromourplantoachieveourgoal.Irespectandappreciateyourhonestyandsharing,soIwanttomakesureIgiveyouthesameopennessandhonestyaswell.Attheendoftheday,wegetpaidtoovercomeobstaclesandnot
toacceptanyexcuses.Theseactivitieshavetobemetandtheresultswillfollow,butonlyiftheyaredonewiththepassionanddrivetogetthemdone.Iamconcernedthatyouwillbeunabletoacceptthisplanandleadyourteamwiththeseinitiatives.”
Then,Iturnedtothegameplanwehaddevelopedandcontinued,“Youarecorrectthattheseexpectations
arehardandwillrequirechangeandalargecommitment,andthatiswhatweneedfromeveryone,includingyou.Ineedyoutogothinkthroughthisgameplananddecideifthisissomethingyoucanbelieveinandchoosetodowithouthesitation.Ifnot,Iunderstandandrespectyourappraisalofthesituationandyourabilities.Withthatbeingsaid,
wemayneedtomakeadecisionaboutwhereyougonext.Iwouldbemorethanhappytofindabetterfitforyourattributesandskills,whetheritisinsidetheorganizationoroutsidetheorganization.”
Thenextday,Mr.Xcameintomyofficeandtoldmehewas“in”andwillingtodoeverythinghecouldtomeetmyexpectations.
Problemis,hethoughtthiswaswhatIwantedtohear.Itwasn’t.Iwantedtohearhimdeclarehiscommitmenttothegameplananddeliveronitandthenexceedmyexpectations.Withoutconsideringthegameplaninfrontofus,Mr.X’swordswereempty,whichiswhattoomanyleadershave—emptypagestoholdpeoplelikeMr.Xaccountableto.
Withtheplanonthetable,Mr.XandIbothknewhehadnorealintentionofimplementingit;webothknewhewouldneverbeaccountableforit.Withinsixweeks,Mr.Xsecuredapositionoutsidethecompanythatwouldbetterfithisgoalsandaspirations,andIwasabletoputanewpassionateandcommittedteammemberinhisplace.Inlessthansix
months,theteamwasontracktosetnewrecords.
Presenting PlansPeer to Peer, NotJust Coach toTeam, IncreasesAccountability
Justasteammatesneedtogetusedtoscrimmaging
skillsandactivities,Iamahugebelieverthatteamsalsoshouldpresenttheirbusinessplansinfrontoftheirpeersandcoacheswheneverpossible.So,oncecoachesandteamshavecreatedtheirgameplans,agreedtothegameplans,andtalkedabouttheimportanceofholdingteamsaccountableforthegameplans,itisthentimetodiscusspresentingthegame
plan.Therearelotsoflittlereasonsforthis,butthethreebiggestreasonsarethemostimportant:
GroupaccountabilitySharingbestpracticesDevelopingpresentationskills
Group accountabilityWhenwepresentinfront
ofourpeersandmakepersonalcommitments,wearemorelikelytodowhatwecommittedtodo.IencouragethegroupstogetinvolvedandeventocallBSwhentheyseeit—nottohumiliateorhurttheirpeersbuttohelpandchallengethemtobebetter.Thereisnohidingfromtheaccountabilityonce
theyarefinished,either.Myteammemberswhoparticipatedinquarterlypeerreviewsknewthat,inninetydays,wewouldbestandinginfrontofoneanotherexplaininghowwedidcomparedtoourcommitments.Thisnotonlyempowerstheteamtobeaccountabletooneanotherbutalsotakessomeoftheaccountabilitypressureoff
thecoach’sshouldersinthebestway.
Sharing best practicesItisonethingtoexceed
expectations;itisanothertolearnwhattheymeanoverthelongterm.Peer-to-peerpresentationsessionshavethepowertoshatterexpectationsofwhatcannotbedone,becauseteammembersnotonlyhearhowfellow
membersachievedwhatotherssaidcouldnotbedonebutalsohearaboutthebenefitsofdoingso.Thisleadstoencouragement,motivation,and,perhaps,thefuelofhealthycompetition,pushinglowerperformerstoreachthetop,andtopperformerstogetbetterandexceedexpectationsinordertostayahead.Thisiswhysharingbestpracticesis
usuallythemostboisterousandfavoritepartofeachperson’spresentation.Itgiveseveryoneachancetoshine,feelgood,andsharethingsthatareworking.
Developing presentationskills
Publicspeakingisoneofthegreatestfearsinbusinesstoday.Peer-to-peerpresentationsovercomethis
inawaythatgoesbeyondscrimmagingtobuildconfidenceandpersonalgrowthtoptobottom.Iwasworkingwithaclientconductingpeerreviewswhenoneofthemostexperiencedemployeeshadtheworstpresentation.Hiscontentandactivitiesweregreat,buthispresentationwasdry.Hisbodylanguagewassopoor,youwouldhave
thoughthehatedhisjob—yethespokeanddidsmallpresentationsinsideandoutsidetheorganizationonaregularbasis....Yikes!WhenIaskedmyclientifhewassurprisedbytheperson’spresentationskills,hesaid,“Yes,Iamshocked.Ithoughthewouldhavedonebetterthanthatsincehepresentsinhisjob.”
Overthenextseveral
months,duringone-on-onemeetingsandspecialtimesetaside,wescrimmagedthisemployee’spresentationskills.Thenextpresentation,ninetydayslater,showedincredibleimprovement.Hepreparedmoreanddidnotreadtheslides;instead,hetoldastoryandusedtheslidesasaguide.Hewasengagingandentertaining.Theconversationsaboutthis
employee’sperformancewereinitiallydifficult,butafterayearofpeerreviewsandongoingcoaching,thisemployeebelievedinhimselfandfeltmoreconfidentinwhathedoes—anditshowed.
Ofcourse,likemanythingsthataregoodforus,thereisacosttoconductingpeerreviewsofourgameplans.Peerreviews,liketheplansthemselves,sometimes
fallpreytothe“powerofthenew,”gainingtractionatfirstbutwanderingfromtheroadandfadingfromviewsoonafter.Theygetremovedfromthekeyactivitieslistbecausetheytaketime(assumingeachpersonhasuptoforty-fiveminutestopresent).Forcoachesandtheirteams,itcanbeabeatdowntositthereandlistentoeveryone’spresentation,butitisa
beneficialbeatdown.Trustme:Therewardsofeverybodyhavingarenewedfocuseverythreemonthsthroughpeer-to-peergameplanpresentationsmakeupforthecoupleofdaysinpreparationandthecoupleofdaysinpresenting.
Thinkofhowfastyourbusinesschanges—weekly,evendailyinsomecases.Are
quarterlyadjustmentsandupdatesreallytoofrequent?Isn’thavingagameplanthatismorethansomethingthatsitsinathree-ringbindergatheringdustonashelf,butinsteadraisestheaccountabilityleveloftheentireteam,goingtohelpyouwinbetterandmore?Everyteaminsportsneedsagameplantocompeteandwin.Remember:Creatingitisjust
thebeginning.Wemustuseitandpresentandshareitforoptimalresults.
Takeaways:QuarterlyGamePlansand
PeerPresentations
Theonlythingworsethanan
ignoredorbadgameplanisnogameplan—ifitisnotwrittendown,it’sathought,nota
plan.Gameplanscanbeatime-consumingbeatdown,sowhiletheyareextremelyimportant,theygetdone
onlywhenaleaderorcoachmandatesthem.Don’tstopreviewingyourplans,no
matterhowbusyyourteambecomesorhowrepetitivethereviews.Peerpresentationsare
tough,time-consuming,andsometimesinconvenient,buttherewardsareHUGEforpresentationskills,
focus,best-practicesharing,accountability,andsuccess.
Chapter 4SETLOGICAL,NOTREALISTIC,GOALSTake the power out
of the past and strivefor what can bedone, not what hasbeen done.
Whydothebestcoachesinsportsalwayshavetheconfidenceofthe
ownersandplayersthattheycanwin,andevenwinitalleveryyear—althoughtheydon’twinitalleveryyear?Becausenoonewinsitalleveryyear.Theydowinandlosechampionshipsandhavegreatoverallwon-lostrecords,butthatisirrelevant.Thebestcoachesdon’trest
ontheirpastlaurels.Theycelebratetheachievementandthenhavetheabilitytoforgetthepastanduseitforexperienceratherthanasaforecaster.Theyreevaluateeverythingeachseason,beginninganewwithrevisedgameplansandthelogicalbeliefthattheirteamscanbeattheotherteamseverytime.
Itdoesn’tmatterwhat
thosecoaches’teamslooklikeonpaperorthat“experts”inthemediaaretellingthemitisnotrealistic.Itisnotaboutsettingrealisticgoals.Itisaboutthinkinglogically.Beinglogicalsimplymeansthatgivenenoughtime,commitment,andskill,thatteamcouldwineverygameandwinitall.Hasitbeendoneinthemodernera?Onceortwice.Soisitpossible?
Yes.Andnow,evenifastarplayergetshurtandtheyloseagameormissthepost-season,thosecoaches’teamsstillhavewinningattitudesthatmakeforgreatteams,seasons,championships,dynasties,andwinningculturespeoplewanttoplayforandfanswanttoseeyearinandyearout.
Itshouldbenodifferentforleaderswhoarecoaches
inbusiness.Inbusiness,beinglogicalmeansbelievingthatsometeamorcompanyhastobenumberone,sowhynotmine?Leavetherealisticgoalsettingforfinanceandmakingbudgets.Beingrealisticalmosteverywhereelselimitsustothestandardsofpastachievements.Realisticgoalstooeasilykeepustiedtowhat’sbeendone.Theyareinhibitorsthat
leadtoplayingitsafe.Theysaythatdreamsareonlyrealwhenwearesleeping.Sooutthosedreamsgo.Logicalgoalspropelusintothefuture,andleadersmustpushtheirteamstodreambig,notjusttowinbuttoattainwhathasneverbeenattained—andtobelievetheycandothis.
Unfortunately,mostleadersaretaughttoset“realistic”
Arealistis onlyapessimistindenial.
goals,usingsomeversionoftheacronymSMART(Specific,Measurable,Attainable,Realistic,Timely)todefinewhatthosegoalsare.IevenusedSMART
goalsinmypreviousbook.Istillthinkitisausefulacronymforrealisticthinking,buttodaymySMARTgoalsforcoachesarealittlesmarter:Specific,Measurable,Attainablebyme,Relevant,andTimely.
ReplacingRealisticwithRelevantinSMARTiseasyenoughtounderstand.Iteliminatestherealisticmind-setbutremindsustokeepour
thinkingfrombeingimpossibleandirrelevanttoourbusiness.ButinthatsmallvariationofAttainabletoAttainablebyMeisanessentialdifferencebetweenrealisticandlogicalthinking—notconfusingattainablewithhavingbeenattained.Logicalgoalsettingchallengesustobethebestandbreakrecords.Ifcoachessetonlythegoalsfortheir
teamsthathavebeenattainedbyothers,recordswouldneverbebroken.UsainBolt,MichaelPhelps,andLindseyVonndon’tgototheOlympicsthinkingaboutjustwinningandmaintainingtheirsuccess.Theywanttobetheirbestandsetnewstandards.Obstaclesbedamned.Greatcoaches,players,andteamsalwaysbelievetheycanwineverygameintheregular
seasonregardlessofwhereandwhentheyareplaying,regardlessoftheweatherortheopponents.Whetherleadersareinchargeofseveralteamsacrossamultinationalcorporationorabusinessofone,sellingshoesorsheetmetal,leadingacreativeteamofdesignersorabrainycrewofengineers,yourbusinesscanlogicallybeontopofsomething,so
chasethelogicalgoals.
Action SpeaksLouder than Words
Webrushourteetheverymorningandeverynight(well,Ihopewealldo).Howcanwegetthiswaywithgoalsetting?Idon’tthinkanybodywoulddisagreethatsettinggoalsofanykindis
important.Infact,Ithinkmostofuswanttosetgoalsonadaily,weekly,quarterly,andannualbasis,butsomehow,orforonereasonoranother,wedon’tgetitdone.Howmanytimesdowehavetoreaditinabookuntilweactuallydoit?
Ispentmorethantwenty-fiveyearsincorporateAmerica.Ihaveownedfourcompanies.Iamthefatherof
fourchildren.Iteach,coach,andwritebooksaboutgoalsetting.AndyetIstillconsistentlyfindmyselfnotsettingandmanagingmygoals!Mybiggeststrugglesinlogicalgoalsettingarenolongeralackofknowledgeofhowtosetthemorthescalefromrealistictologicalbutthedisciplinetodoit.Infact,Iamgoingtostopwritingrightnowsowecanallset
threegoalsforthisweek.Iwillberightback.Pleasehold....
That’safirststeptomakinglogicalgoalsettingapriority:writingitdown.Now,scheduletimetodoit.Startbymakingitarecurringmeetingonyourcalendar,withanalerttoremindyouwhenitiscoming.That’sthenextstep,butitisnotgoingtobeenough.Weknowthat
justbecauseitisonourcalendardoesn’tmeanwewilldoit.Heck,justlookattheotherrecurringscheduledtaskswedon’tdoalready.Sohowdowekeepthisfrombeingacalendarcleanupiteminsixmonths?Havethedisciplinetokeeptheteamandyourselffocusedonthosegoalssoyoustarttoseetheresults.
Simplyput,theshort-
termpainofdoingsomethingthatisgoodforusisworthitifwegetthegreatresultsweneedfromdoingit.Itislikeexerciseanddieting.Weexerciseandstayondietsnotbecausewedon’twanttoeatcakebutbecauseweseethebenefitfromdoing(ornotdoing)thesethings.Usually,wealsohavesomelargergoalinmind.Thebiggerthatgoal,theharderweneedtowork
andstayfocusedonittomakeanydietwork:IsitrealisticthatIcanlosetwenty-fivepoundsbeforemycollegereunioninamontheventhoughIhaveneverdietedbefore?Probablynot,butitispossibleifIwanttodoit.Seeingthefirstpoundscomeoffinspiresme,buttherearestillweeksandpoundstogo,andkeepingthegoalallinmyheadisnot
helping.Hiringagreatpersonaltrainerwhosharesmygoalislikehavingacoachtopushme.TellingmyfriendswhatIamdoingprovidessupport,andasWeightWatchershasshown,havingacommunityaroundmethatisafterthesameorsimilargoalshelpsmeevenmoretosustaintheworknecessarytoachievemygoals.Thesamecanbesaid
forsettinglogicalgoalsforourteamsandourselvesasbusinessleaders.
Logical versusRealistic GoalSetting
Logicalgoalsettingisofcourseeasiertoarticulatewhenadepartmentorteamis
responsibleforormeasuressuccessinnumbers.Insales,let’ssaymycompany’sindustrywidetotalmarketshareis$100million.Mycompanyhasa10percentmarketshareor$10millioninsales.Mythreetopcompetitorshave$20millioninsalesora20percentmarketshare.Therealistinmesays,“Wedidtenmilliondollarsinsaleslastyear,andI
Makelogicalgoals
thinkthisyearwe’regoodtogrowtenpercent,twentypercentattheoutside,toelevenmilliondollarsforamarketshareincreaseofonetotwopercent.”Igotsleepyjustreadingthatsentence.
Thelogicalleaderinmesays,“Wedidtenmilliondollarslastyearandit
importantforeveryoneand itwill beimportantforeveryone.
isahundred-million-dollarindustry,andifthreeofmycompetitorscanhavetwentypercentmarketshare,thensocanwe,right?Sothereisnoreasonwecan’tdoubleoursales,because
they’rebuyingtheotherthirtymilliondollarsfromsomeoneelse.”Thatmaynotberealistic,butitislogical.Logically,Iknowthattheother90percentofthemarketisbuyingfromsomebodyelseand30percentisbuyingfromcompaniessmallerthanmycompany.Icanbelievethat,giventhenumberofopportunitiesandresourcesavailable,mycompany
shouldbeabletoincreasemarketshareto20percent,theonlyquestionsbeinghowandwhen.
Measurablenumbersdonothavetobedollarbased.InChapter5,ItalkaboutaleaderwhoisinchargeofsafetyatadozenplantsforamajormanufacturerandhowIusedthelogicalgoalofzeroaccidentsinaquartertomotivatehisteam.Most
companiessaytheywanttohavethebestcustomerservice,sohowaboutagoalofbeingnumberoneinserviceandreliabilityinyourindustryormarket?Remember:Numbersarenotjustaboutsales,andsalesaren’tonlyaboutsalesteams.Salesnumbersareaboutrevenue.Yeteverytimewethinkofrevenue,volume,profits,andgrowth,wethink,
“That’sjustaboutsales.”Butthat’snottrue.Revenue,growth,andsustainabilityareforleadersandteamsineverypartofacompany,whethertheyareincreative,editorial,marketing,engineering,technology,production,ordesign.
Trustme,thesalesdepartmentsdon’tthinktheycandoitwithouttheleadersofotherdepartmentsthinking
logicallytoo.Howelsewillabusinessinnovateoraddresstheneedsofthecustomers?Salespeopledon’tdesignandproducethephones,cars,computers,andkitchenequipmenttheyareselling.Theydon’tbuildthewebsitesandprogramthesoftware.Theymayanticipatewhattheircustomersneedandinnovatehowtheysell,buttheycan’tinnovatewhatthey
aresellingorsellwhatthemarketwillneedthreeorfiveyearsfromnow.Fiveyearsago,GPSdeviceswereeverywhereandsalespeopleweresellingthemlikecrazy.Notnow.Today,moreandmorepeopleusetheirphonesfornavigation,sopeopleatGarminbetterhavebeenthinkingmonthsandyearsbeforetodayaboutadaptinganddesigningwhatitcould
sellnextlesttheyenduplikeRIManditsBlackBerryandgetleftbehind.
The BiggestDifference betweenCrazy and GeniusIs Success
Youmightthinkmylogicalgoalsarecrazy,yet
whenIreachthosegoals(andsomeonecanbecausethelogicalispossible),passingtherealisticgoalinpursuitofmylogicalgoal,I’ma“genius.”Whatdoyouneedtobelogicalratherthanrealistic?Alittlecrazyandalotofbelief.Wasitrealisticin1994,whenBarnes&Nobleandotherchainsboomed,thatJeffBezoswantedtobuildthebiggest
bookstoreontheInternet?ShouldwetellourfinancemanagernottodreambigandlivebigandreachhergoalofbecomingaCFOsomeday?Myfriendisadrummerwhosaidallhislife,“I’mgoingtobeadrummerforoneofthebiggestbandsintheworld.”DoItellhim,“Dude,that’snotrealistic”or,whenIseehimworkingsohardtogetthere,encouragehisdreams?
(Bytheway,he’snowthedrummerforcountrysuperstarJasonAldean.)
Sure,itdoesn’thurttobealittlenaïveandnotknowthatsomethingcan’tbedoneorthatconventionalwisdomsayssomethingcan’tbedone.WhenIwroteanddecidedtoself-publishmyfirstbook,TheSalesLeadersPlaybook,in2008,Iwasexcitedtomakeitabestsellerbut
quicklyfoundoutthatwritingthebookwastheeasypart(whichissayingalotforme).Sellingitwasmuchharder.Still,Ididn’tknowthatorevencare.Withunbridledoptimism,Icalledbookstoresanddistributorsaroundthecountry,askingthemiftheywouldwanttosellmybooks.Iwasshockedtofindthattheydidnotreallycaretodoso.Theyapparentlydidn’t
hearmyegoscreamingatthemthewayitscreamedatme.
Icouldhavegivenup,butIdidn’t.Ihadcoachedmyselftowriteoutmygoalsandtostayfocusedonthem,andsinceItravelalot,oneofmygoalswastoseemybookinanairportbookstore.Aftermakingtoomanycallstocount,sendingouthundredsofbooks,andgettingmore
rejectionthanIdidfromgirlsduringmyhighschoolyears,itseemedthatitwouldn’thappen.ButIsoldieredon,determinedtoseemydreamcomealive.Ihavesincediscoveredthatmostpeopleinpublishingthinkthisisimpossiblewithoutbestsellerstatusorpayingforshelfspace,butbackthen,allIthoughtwas,Therearebooksinthosestoresthataren’t
bestsellersorbywell-knownauthors.Whynotmine?
Afterseveralmonthsandmanytries,ImetayoungmanstockingabookstoreandItoldhimwhoIwasandwhatIwantedtodo.Hehadgreatenergyandsaid,“MynameisRico,likeRicoSuave,”andwetalkedbriefly.Hetoldmethathewouldtalktohisbossandseewhathecoulddo.Ricodid
notdisappoint.Afterweeksofcommunications,meetings,andcalls,wewereabletogetmybookplacedintheDallas/FortWorthairport.Thepictureofthedisplayofmybookinthatfirstofmanyairportstoresstillsitsonmy“visionboard”inmyoffice,nottoremindmeofhowfarIhavecomebuttoinspiremetokeeppushingthelogicalbarhigher.Mynextgoalisto
sellamillionbooks.Peoplehave,youknow.Whynotme?
Don’t UseExperience toPredict the Future
Ourgoalsmustnotlimitus;theymustchallengeus.Butwecan’tfakeanyofit.
Wehavetobelievethatwehavetheabilitytowin—tobenumberoneorachievewhateverourlogicalgoalis.Leadersandtheirteamsmustforgetthepastandthenbelieveinthegoals,alignthemselveswiththosegoals,anddoalltheactivitiesfromscrimmagingtorecruitingthebestplayersandbeyondtogetthere.
WhenItookoverthe
SouthernCaliforniamarketforSprint,itwasamongitsworst-performingmarketsinthecountry.So,naturally,Itoldmyteamatthefirstmanagers’meetingthatourlogicalgoalwastobenumberoneinsalesanddecreaseourbudgetexpensestothelowestinthecountry.Itoldthemhow,togetthere,weweregoingtoimplementacoachingprogramandculture
Just
similartotheoneinthisbook.IexplainedhowIwouldworkwitheveryoneonscrimmagingandpeerpresentationsandcoachthemtoovercomeanyexistingobstaclesandtobelieveinournewbroadervisionforsuccess.
That’swhenonemanagerstoodupandsaid
becauseit hasneverbeendonedoesn’tmean itcan’tbedone.
somethinglike“Hey,youknowwhat,Igetit.Thewholebig-Texas-attitude-we’re-going-to-make-things-happen.But,Nathan,thatisnotpossible
here!”“Okay,why?”Iasked.“Thefactsarereal
simple,”hesaid.“Wehavetoomanystoresinthismarketandmorecompetitorsthanyouareusedto,andinmanycases,ourcompetitorsarebetterthanweare.Thereisjusttoomuchforthisteamtohandlealready.Wehaveneverbeennumberone,butwearepleasedwithwherewe
are.”Iliketocallthismanager
theSnowmanbecauseofthesnowjobhewastryingtosellme.Thiswasthemostcynical,pessimistickindofthinking,andwhatwasworse,hewasplayingmeforthefool.Hewasn’tbeingsarcastic.Hewasbeingmanipulative.HestartedwithabackhandedcomplimentaboutmyTexasattitude
workinginsmallermarkets,buthewastryingtodeflectmefromdiggingdeeper.Hedidn’twantmepushingtheteamtoovercomeanyobstacles.TheSnowmanwasnotabadperson,buthewasusingeveryobstacle,realisticthinking,andpastexperienceasexcusesforalackofachievement.TheSnowmanwassobusybelievingthatwewerewherewewere
supposedtobeinthemarketthatherefusedtobelieveanythingelsewaspossible,andthatpreventedhimfromholdinghimselforanyoneaccountable.Hebelieveditdidn’tmatterwhatwedid,andthatthesituationwasn’tgoingtochange,sowhytrytobebetter?
Ihadnointerestinmakingthis“okay”fortheSnowmanortheteam.So,in
thiscase,IcamebackhardattheSnowmanwithaspeechthatwaspartlyaboutthepowerofthinkinglogicallyandpartlyultimatum.Itookadeepbreath:“Thatattitudedoesnotworkforusanymore.Ifyouthinkitcan’tbedone,thenitcan’tbedone.Let’susetheexperienceofthepasttounderstandwhatourobstaclesare,butlet’spushourselvestoreach
biggergoals.Thenumberofstoresisimmaterial.Wehavealowmarketshare,andifpeoplearebuyingphonesbutnotbuyingourphones,weneedtofindoutwhy.Theissueisn’tthemarketorourcompetitors.Theissueisus.Weneedtofindawaytobebetter.Ifanyonedoesnotbelievewecanbethebest,thengoworkforthecompanythatis,becauseIwantto
If yourpeopleDON’T
workfortheteamthatwantstobethebest.Someonehastobenumberone,sowhynotus,together,asateam?Ifyoucan’tgetbehindthis,thecompanywillfindotherpeoplewhocan.”
TheSnowmanhadnosnowjobtoanswerthis.Neitherdidanyofthe
thinktheycanbeat“them,”thentheyshouldgo join“them.”
othermanagerswhorefusedtoalignwithourgoals.Ofcourse,Iwasn’tthisbluntwithallofthem,andIdidgiveallofthemtime.Ispentmonthstryingto
coachthemtobetopperformersandreachourlogicalgoal.Butintheend,weterminatedtheSnowmanandaboutthirtyothersintheoffice—30percentofmyteam—inthefirsteightmonths.
AndtheSnowmanwasprovenwrong.OncewefacedthetoughdecisiontogetridofpeopleliketheSnowmanandthevictimswhoblamed
everyonebutthemselvesfortheirlackofsuccessandwerenotgoingtochange,theothersbegantoseethepossibilityofwhatwecouldaccomplish.Theystartedtoseethemarketchange.Wedidn’tjustimprovesales,communication,andrelationshipsatthestores;weexpandedfromthirtylocalretailerstosixty.Everymonth,assalesincreased,the
team’sbeliefgotalittlestronger.Withineighteenmonthswe,asanentireteam,wereabletoachieveourgoalofbecomingnumberoneandbecomingoneofthecompany’smosteffectiveandefficientmarketsinthecountry.
NotonlydidlogicalthinkingturntheteamaroundatSprint;itmadetheworkfun.Theywereactually
volunteeringtopassoutdonutstocustomersatfourA.M.onthedayafterThanksgivingforthedoor-busterearlybirdspecials—andhavingablastdoingit.Theywereworkingtoprovesomethingandkeepwinning.
Asweachievedourgoals,oneofthemanagerscameuptomeandsaid,“NathanyouhavetobethemostunrealisticmanagerI
haveeverhad.ButIneverhaveachievedsomuchsuccess.”Hetoldmeheinitiallyresentedmeforbeingwhathesawasunrealistic.Hesaidhemightnotappreciateallthechangeorlikeitwhenitwashappening,butheappreciateditwhenitwasoverandwesawtheresultsofourhardwork.Doingyourbestisnevereasyandtakesyououtofyour
comfortzone.Yourjobasaleaderistoexpandyourteam’scomfortzone.Whenyouarewinning,itisthegreatestpainintheworld.
Can’t Pitch a StrikeUnless You ShowUp at the Game
MywifeandItellour
kidsnottoletanyonedeterminetheirsuccess.Wetellourkidsallthetimethattheycandoanythingtheywant.Whentheyaretryingtodosomethingandsay,“Ican’t,”mywifeorIwillimmediatelyrespond,“Youcandoanythingyousetyourmindtoifyoubelieveyoucananddothehardworktogetthere.”
Iknowwearenotan
anomaly.Mostparentstelltheirchildrenthisandtrulybelieveit.Yetwhenitcomestooursuccessesasadults,especiallyinbusiness,wedon’tbelieveit.AnditisnotjusttheSnowmenmakingexcuses,withcommentslike“Wecan’tdothatbecauseofourmarketplace.”Itispeoplewhojustdon’tbelievethattheyortheirbusinessescancompeteonahigherlevel
thantheyalreadyare.Wesay,“Wecan’tcompetewiththem”or“Ican’tchangeindustriesbecauseIamtooold”or“ThisisallIhaveeverdone....”
Allthefearoffailureortheworriesaboutsteeplearningcurvesorthehardworkitwilltaketogettogoalsthatwesayandbelieveourkidscanovercome,weusetodashourowndreams
asadultprofessionals.Sotowhomarewelying?Arewelyingtoourkidswhenwetellthemtheycandoanythingorarewelyingtoourselveswhenwesaywecan’t?Ihaveaskedthisquestionofliterallythousandsofbusinesspeople,and100percentofthetime,theysaythattheyarenotlyingtotheirkids—theyreallybelievetheycandoanythinginlife.
So,then,wearelyingtoourselveswhenwemakeexcusesforinactionorfornotdoinganybetterthanwealreadyare.Weconstantlytellourselvesandsayoutloud,“It’simpossible.”Well,toparaphraseafamouslinefromthemovieThePrincessBride:Wekeepusingthatwordbutitdoesnotmeanwhatwethinkitmeans.Infact,manythingswemake
excusesforinbusinessarepossible,andleaderswhowanttobecoachesmustpushtheirteamstounderstandwhatthisreallymeansandelevatetheirsuccessbeyondthepossibletoalevelthatmayhaveseemedimpossible.Theydothisbysettinggoalsthatarelogical,notjustrealistic.
Takeaways:
SetLogical,NotRealistic,Goals
Realisticgoalsarebasedonourpastandarelimitedbyourexperiences;
logicalgoalsarebasedonwhatcanbedonebasedontime,capacity,andcommitment.Makeit
importantanditwillbeimportant:Goalsettingisabenefit.Everyoneagrees,yetmostofuskeep
talkingaboutitanddon’tdoit,sojustdoit!Logicalthinkinganddreamingbigisnotjust
forkidsandsalesteamstryingtomaketheirnumbers—theyareforeveryleaderand
teamthatdesirestogetthemostoutofworkandlife!Webelieveourkidscanbe
anythingtheywanttobeinlifeandyetwethinkwecan’tchangecareersorbenumber
oneinbusinessbecausewehaven’tdoneitbefore.Whomarewelyingto?
Chapter 5TAKERESPONSIBILITYFORMOTIVATIONANDMORALE
Whateveryou’veheardaboutitbeinga
leader’sjobtomanage,notmotivate,isanotherlingeringlegacyofthemanagement
cultureandthebeliefthataleadershouldhiregreatpeopleandgetoutoftheirway.Aleadermightevensay,“It’stheirjobtomotivatethemselves.Ipaythemforthat.”Tothisandeveryotherexcuseleadersmakefornotmotivatingtheirteams—toeveryleaderwhosaysmotivationdoesnotworkorcan’tbesustained—Isay,“Baloney.”Nomatterwhat
anyonesays,itistheleaders’jobtomotivatetheirteams.
Insportsandinbusiness,itisthecoacheswhomustmakesuretheyhavemotivatedteamswhowanttowin.Don’tgetmewrong:Coachescan’tdoitall.Iwantmyteamstoinspireoneanother,andIexpectawillingnesstobemotivatedandsomeself-motivationtoo—butnotattheexpenseof
silencefromme.Iexpectandmandatethatleadersdothesame:Motivatetheirteamswithfocusanddiscipline,passionandbelief.Andwemustfindawaytodothis,notonceortwiceorwheneverweseeacool“teambonding”exercisetotryoutbutonadaily,weekly,andmonthlybasis,andthenstartalloveragain.
Motivation Leadsto Action
Howmanytimeshaveyouledaterrificmeetingtorallytheteaminwhicheveryonegetspumpedandunitesaroundtheplanorgoalsbeingset,onlytoseetheenergyfadebythenextweek?Thisissomeofthe“evidence”leadersusetosaythis“motivationstuff”
doesn’tworkorworksonlyforashorttimeandthenfadesaway.Butthat’sanexcuse.Motivationdoeswork;itworkslikefoodinourbodies.Thinkaboutthebestmealyoueverhadandhowhappyandfullyouwereafterward.Ifyoudidnoteatagainforthreedays,wouldyounotfeelhungry?Wouldyouthinkthat“foodstuff”didnotwork?Likefoodfor
Motivation
ourbodies,leadersmustrefueltheirteamswithmotivationandfindwaystofeedtheirteamsthisfueldaily.Buttheunfortunatetruthis,mostofuscan’t,don’t,andwon’tgetthismotivatedtomotivatebecausethejobisneverdone.
That’swhymotivationdoesn’twork:
is easytostart,hard tosustain.
Itneedsasystemtokeepitgoing—afocusedplanwithwhichleadersmustgetinvolved,toimplementwithkeyactivitiesanddesiredresultsonthatdaily,weekly,andmonthlybasis.Someofthisplancanbeachievedthroughthe
rewardsandrecognitionswediscussedinChapter2.Someoftheactivitiescanbeeasy,suchasrememberingtoofferkindwordsorbriefguidanceduringscrimmagingandbeforeandafterapresentation.Butthebestideascomefromlearningwhatispossible,believingthatitispossible,andchallengingourselvestothinkbigger.
IwascoachinganexecutiveinchargeoftwelveplantsthroughouttheUnitedStatesandCanadaforamajormanufacturingclient.Oneofourfirstdiscussionswasabouttheplants’safetyratings,whichwerebasedonthenumberofinjuriesattheplants.Everyquarterlyplanupdate,hewouldsetagoaltohaveasmalldecreaseinreportedinjuries.
“Whynotjustmakethegoalzero?”Iasked.
“Nathan,youdon’tgetit,”helaughed.“That’snotpossible.”
Wetalkedsomemoreandhetoldmehowsomeplantshadmorethantwoinjuriesandothershadnone.SoIasked,“Ifoneplantcanhavezero,thensocaneverybodyelse,right?”
“Yes,intheory,butnotin
reality,”hesaid.Tohiscredit,the
executiveseemeduncomfortablewithhisanswer.Partofhisdiscomfort,asyoumighthaveguessed,wasthathehadsetarealisticgoal,notalogicalone.Hedefinitelyknewitwaspossibletoachievethosesafetyresults.Buttherewassomethingmore:Heknewlogicalgoal
settingandmakingtheteamsbelieveinitwasonlypartofthesolution;heneededaplanthatwouldmotivatetheteamstoachievethosegoals.
Hestartedbylookingatwhatitwouldtaketogetthenumberofinjuriestozero,andhecreatednewprogramsandincentivestomakehispeoplebetter.Then,hestartedaprogramthathadneverbeendonebefore,
implementingnewideasthatheandhisleadershipteamcreated.Theybroughttogetheragroupofpeers,leaders,managers,andpersonnelwhowenttooneplantatatimetodoa“deepdive”intotheoperationsandthensharedthegoodandbadofwhattheyfound.Ateachplant,theyfoundpositivefactorstheycouldimplementatotherplants,andnegative
factorsthatneededtostop.Buttheteamnowhadsuggestionsforimprovementbasedonwhattheyhadlearnedintheirtravelstootherplants.Hisprogrambecameanationwideinitiative.
Next,theplantexecutivealsostartedsearchingforprogramsandideasoutsidethecompanyandindustryandeventuallymandated“plant
walk-arounds,”duringwhichaplantmanagerwalkstheplantflooracoupleoftimesadaytotalkandworkwiththeemployeesandsupervisors.Priortothesewalk-arounds,plantmanagerscouldgodaysorevenaweekbeforetheyspenttimeonthefloorworkingwiththeteam.Threequartersofconsistentsafetyratingimprovementslater,theplantexecutive’steamhad
achievedanall-timelowinsafetyscores.Maybezeroinjuriesacrosstheboardwasn’talwayspossible,butmakinghispeoplestriveforthatgoalmotivatedthemtobebetter.
Learning, Energy,Challenges
Therearemanywaysto
motivatepeople,butasmyplantexecutive’splanreveals,coachesinbusinesscanalwaysrelyonthreethingsthatalmostanyonerespondsto:Learning,Energy,andChallenges.
LearningKnowledge+Learning
+Confidence=Motivation.Thisisthemagicformulaleadersmustremember.
Knowledgealonedoesnotleadtomotivation;learningmoreandintherightwaybuildsonthatknowledgeandhelpsusgetbetteratwhatwedo.Whenwelearnsomethingvaluable,webecomemoreconfidentinourselves,andasaresult,wearemoremotivatedtotakeaction.Wethenkeepworkingonwhatwelearnedandstrivetolearnmore.That’sthenumberone
variablethatdetermineswinningorlosing:confidence.Themoreweteachourpeopleascoachesandholdthemaccountabletothatlearning,themoreconfidencetheyhave,themoremotivatedtheyaretowork,andthemoredesiretheyhavetokeeplearningandtostarttheprocessoveragain.
Forthe
Challengesmakeyou gobigger.
plantmanager,learningwhatwasgoingrightandwrongatoneplantandthentakingtheknowledgetotheotherstosolveproblemsthroughoutalltheplantsmadeeveryplantbetterandgavehisteamandhimself
confidencetosustaintheprogram.Italsogavehimconfidencetolookoutsidetheindustryfornewideas,whichledtotheideaofplantwalk-arounds.Don’thaveamanufacturingplantyou’reresponsiblefor?Theessentialwaysforanyleadertomotivatethroughlearningistosustaintheweeklyandmonthlypracticesessionsandpeerpresentationswecovered
inchapters1and2.
EnergyWantyourteamtohave
therightenergy?Thenhaveityourselfandmakesureyourteamcanfeelitinwhatyousayand,moreimportant,whatyoudo.It’snotjustparamountthatcoachesgenuinelybelieveinalltheprinciplesofcoachingandthattheyfollowtheactionsof
theirplaybooks—theymustbepassionateaboutthem.Wehavespentaconsiderableamountoftimediscussingthebadattitudesonateamandhowitbringsateamdown,butleadersmustrememberthattheirpositiveattitudesandtheenergythatcomesfromthemcanmotivatetheteamtofindsolutionstoovercomeobstacles.
Positiveenergy—fueled
bypassionforthejobandthesuccessoftheteam—willmotivateanyteamtosuccess;negativeenergy—fueledbyalackofpassion—willmotivatetheteamtofail.Thewalk-aroundsoftheplantmanagerengagedtheemployeesandtransferredhispositiveenergytotheteamsonthefloor,motivatingthemtodomoretosucceed.Theywantedtogetbetternowtoo.
Thiscan’thappeninthefourwallsofleaders’offices.Itisimperativeforustorememberourcoachingprinciplesandgetinvolvedwithourteams.We’llcovergetting“onthefield”withtheteaminmoredetailinChapter12,butfornow,remembertosmile,shareyourpassionwiththeteam,andengageyourtopperformerspositively.
ChallengesLiketop-performing
athletes,top-performingteamsdon’tjustwanttobecoached;theywanttobechallenged.Whentheyaregivenalargerareaofresponsibility,theyviewtheincreaseasacompliment—asignthattheirbossesbelieveinthemandtheircapabilities—andaremotivatedtodomore.
Itiseasytoseehowtheplantmanagerchallengedhimselfnotonlywithlogicalgoalsbutalsobygoingoutsidetheindustryanddoingthingsnoonehadattemptedbefore.Asimplewayofimplementingthisinanyofficeistouseabasicchallengemodelthatdoesnotneedtobeconnectedtorewardsandrecognitions:Everyweekwhenyoumeet
withtheteammembersindividuallyandasagroup,createonenewchallengethatwillresultinasignificantachievementthatmonth.Theeasiestexampleistobreaksomecompanyrecordthatisrelevanttoyourteam,suchasinventoryissues,numberofsalesorcustomerservicecalls,fewercustomercomplaints,mediaplacements...some
measurableobjectivesignificantforyourcompany.Unitingtheteamaroundthesesignificantchallengescreatesatleastamentalscoreboardtotrackachievement,thougharealscoreboardworksevenbetter.Otherwise,itislikeplayinggolfwithoutkeepingscore,orpokerwithoutmoney:Itmightbefunforashorttimebutafterawhile,welosefocusandjuststart
goingthroughthemotions.Butdon’tlimityourself
tostraightnumberchallengestomakeorbreakrecords.Youcangoanywherewiththesechallengesfromsmalltolarge,suchas:
Challengethefinanceteamtospenda
dayinthefieldwiththesalesorserviceteam.Challengethesalesteamtospendtwohours
thatdayattheplantorinthewarehouse.Challengeamanagertoservesomeoneacupofcoffee.Challenge
theengineeringteamtogreetcustomersatthedoor.
Ifwemakeanyofthesethingshappenjust50percentofthetime,wewillstillachievesixmilestonesorteamachievementsperyear.
Onceagain,thekeytoanyofthechallenges,likeanyprincipleorprocessinthisbook,isthatitmustbegenuineandmaintainedandnotjustsomethingwesaywedidonce.Coachesmustalwayskeepitgoingand“keepitreal.”Ifitisnot,ourintentwillfade,soallwewillhaveareemptyactionsthatleaveusbackwherewestarted,lookingforsomething
elsetokeeptheteammotivated.
Ifyouareunsureaboutwhatmightchallengeandmotivateyourteam,askthem.Turntoyourtopperformers,andiftheyarenotthemostmotivated,turntotheoneswhoare.Sometimeswehavetopperformerswhohavegoodresultsdespitethefactthattheyarenotmotivated,but
thatdoesnotmeantheyaregoodteammembersorvaluableoveralltotheteam,aswelearninChapter7.First,weneedpeoplewhoare“motivatable.”Giventhechancetoputanequallytalentedbutmoremotivatedpersoninplace,aleaderwould,everytime,getgreaterresultsfromtheteam.Ifleadershavepeopleontheirteamswhoarenotmotivated
bytheirjobs,theymusttakeresponsibilityforitandhelpthemfindthatmotivation.Ifthatdoesn’twork,theymightdecidetohelpthosepeoplefindsomethingtheyaremotivatedaboutandtellthemtogodothatforaliving.
Get Your Team in“The New Guy/Girl
Zone”Newemployeesarefull
ofhopesanddreams.Theylookateveryobstacleasanexcitingchallenge.Theyhavegranddreamsofsuccessandnopresuppositionsaboutwhatcanandcannotbedone.Thus,thenewguyoftengetsthingsdonethatcynicsinthecompanywoulddismissasimpossible.Overtime,
however,twothingsusuallyhappentothosenewguysinmanagementcultures:Theyleavewhenthechallengeoftheirnewjobsfadeandopportunitiesaren’tpresentedtothem;ortheybecomeoldguys,thosecynicsdwellingonthepastandtellingthenewnewguyswhythingscan’tgetdone.Thisiswhathappenswhenthelearning,energy,andchallengesgo
away:Motivationdisappearswiththem.
That’swhyleadersliketheplantexecutivemustalwaysask,“Giventhetoolswehavetoday,howdoweachievemore?”Whencoacheschallengetheirteamstoanswerthisquestionbyachievingsomethinggreaterthantheyhaveinthepast,theywilltrainandprepareforitandenterwhatIcallThe
NewGuy/GirlZone.Ofcourse,it’sagrindto
keepthisup.Whenyoustartout,it’slikethebeginningofaLittleLeaguebaseballseason.Thegrassisfreshlycut.Theexcitementofplayingthefirstgamescarriesyou.Youhaveoptimism.Youwatchthingscometogether.Winorlose,it’sfun.Everybodyisexciteddespitethemistakes,andthenyou
realizeitisjustgametwo.Tenmoreweeksofpracticeandgames?Butthosetenweekshappen,nomatterwhat.Youcanfindawaytostaymotivatedandkeepgettingbetterorjustkeeplosing.
InbusinessandLittleLeague,itisrighttotaketheshort-termpainofdevelopmentforthelong-termgain.Theproblemis,
short-termpaincanresultinlostmotivationthatcanbetoughtorecover.Ifacoach’sbossesdon’thaveconfidenceinthelong-termplanandseesomeprogress—iftheplayers,especiallyyourtopperformers,arelosingtheirpassion—theremaybenolongterm.Theconsequencesarethesame:Losetoomanygameswithoutthesupportofyourteamandanycoachcan
Coachesletplayersleadplayerson thefield,whichis a
getfired.Tokeep
thetopoftheteammotivatedwhenthegrindstarts,leaderstendtodelegatekeyleadershiptaskstotheirstarplayersandtop
step tomakingmorecoaches.
performers.Wetelloursuperstars,nowthatthey’vedevelopedtheseskillsandareperceivedastheteam’stopperformers,weneedthemtoleadtheteam,inspirethem,anddeveloptheteamandtakeoverdrills.Delegatingtothemisan
excellentmotivationaltoolaslongaswedelegateleadershiponthefield,notincoaching.Whatthatmeansis,topperformerscanbeleadersoftheteamonthefield,buttheydon’treplacethecoach.Theyrunactivitieslikescrimmagingandpeer-to-peerpresentations.Inotherwords,delegatingtotopplayerscanbecomepartofaleader’smotivational
equation,butitcannotbecomethecoachingequation.Baseballmanagerscannothavetheirshortstopcoachingtheteamduringagameplusplayingshortstop,justascompaniescannothaveleadersresponsibleforateamofsalesrepsplustheirownsalesquotas.Agreatshortstopcanmakeperfectplaysandgetkeyhits,buthecan’tdothatandbeagreat
coachatthesametime.
Create LeadersMotivated toCoach, NotManagersMotivated toManage
Ofcourse,thisiswhatmanycompaniesdo,create
managersratherthancoaches.Whenacompanygrows,itpromotesitstopperformerstoleadershippositions,butitstillexpectsthemtodomostoftheworktheywerepreviouslydoingandtakeresponsibilityfortheteam.Inmostcompanies,thisusuallyhappensbecausewedon’twanttopayforacoachtoleadtheteaminthefirstplaceandwefearlosingthegood
workthattheleaderwasresponsiblefor.Asaresult,thenewlymintedleaderscan’treallydelegatemuch,becausethecompanyhassaid,“Iwantyoutobethecreativedirectorinchargeofalloftheotherdesigners,butIstillwantyoutodothedesigningyou’redoing.”Whatexactlyaretheydirecting,then?
Whencompaniesdothat,
theirleaderscannotcoach.Theycanmanagetheteamlikeleadersdoinmanagementculturesbecausethatrequireslittleinvolvementandaccountability.Theythink,“I’mnevergettingfiredfornotbeingamanager,butIwillgetfiredifIdon’tdomywork.SoifIjustmakemynumbers,notblowanythingup,andmanagewhenIcan,
I’msafe.”Trustme:Hirealeadertocoachandthatleaderwillnotleaveanyprojectuntouched,becausethey’reresponsibleforallofthem,especiallyiftheyhavebeencoachedbyaleaderinthepast.Butifleadershavetoberesponsiblefortheirpreviousworktoo,thatishighlydemotivating.
Leadersinthissituationarenotgrowingtheir
people;theyarejustmaintainingoperations.Acompanywillgetmoredone,getbetterresults,andhaveamoremotivatedteamifithasoneleadermanagingthreeplayersandtheirprojects,notfourplayerswithprojectsandoneofthemostensiblymanagingthemall.
Companieswithleadersmanaginginthesepositionsusuallyhaveamorale
problem,whichacoachmustalsotakeresponsibilityfor.Butinthiscase,wordsoftenspeaklouderthanactions,becausemoraleistheresultoftheteam’sfeelingsaboutwhattheyaredoingandthesituationtheyarein,notofanyactionsleaderstake.
To Change Does
Not Always Meanto Get Better
Leaderswhoarecoachescanandmustmandateactivities,buttheycan’texpectchangeforthebetterimmediatelyandthattheirteamswillneatlyfallintolineindaysorweeksoramonthafteryearsofwhathasbeen.That’swhycoachesneedtogivetheteamssome
perspective.Coachesknowthattochangeoldfeelings,theymustfirstandforemostworkhardtochangeandimprovetheirteams’perspective—makethemgratefulandpassionatefortheopportunitiestheyhave.Thisisespeciallytrueifacompanyisnotonlyadjustingtotheculturalchangescoachingbringsbutalsogoingthroughdownsizingor
Helpthe
dealingwithsomedifficultcompetitiveissues,manufacturingissues,financialissues,etc.Asmydadoftentoldme,“Son,youthinkyouhaveitbad,buttrustme,someoneouttherehasitalotworse.”
Thisiswhysomanyleadersandcompaniesspendmillions
teamsee theblessingstheyhave—the jobitself,forone.
everyyeartobringintragedyspeakers—motivationalspeakerswhotalkaboutfacingandovercomingtragedies.Whydoessomeonefacingsomuchtragedymake
usfeelgood?Doesthatmakeusmean?Ofcoursenot!Itisbecausethespeakersaskustochangeourperspective.Astoryoftragedyandovercomingitmakesusgratefulforwhatwehave.Theysparkouremotions.Wethenlookatourproblemsandrealizethatourissuesaresmall.Afterthespeech,everyoneleavesdeterminedtochangetheirperspective
andhaveabetteroutlookforpressingonandpursuingexcellence.Then,theactionsofmotivationcantakeovertosustainthatfeeling.
Now,itdoesn’tnecessarilytakeamotivationalspeakerorastoryabouttriumphoverimmensetragedytochangeourperspective.Itdoestakealeader—acoach—tositdownwiththeteam.Infootball,
coachesgivespeechesbeforethegametomentallypreparetheteam.Athalftime,theygiveashortspeecheithertogettheteambackontrackor,iftheyarewinning,tostayontrack.Then,attheendofeverygame,regardlessoftheresult,thecoachgivesafinalspeechrecognizingthegoodandthebadofthegameandsettingthetoneofwhatistocome.
Leaderscanandmustdothesamethinginbusinesstotakeresponsibilityfortheirteam’smorale—alwaysthinkingandspeakingtothemandpreparingthemforwhateverpartiscomingnext.Theymustseethattheteammoraleisthesumoftheindividuals’morale.Oneindividualwithabadattitudeinfectsanddiminisheseveryone.Andthentheteam
isdefeated.Astheirleader,dothis:Acknowledgethehardshipsandhardfeelingsofateammember,butdonot,underanycircumstance,validatemiserywithsympathy.Theteamisn’tcomingtousforsympathy.Theyarecomingtousforperspectiveanddirection.Sympathyisavalidandnecessaryemotioninlife,butinthiscase,it’satoxin
thatonlyfurtherpoisonsthewellofbadmorale.
Forexample,anemployeecomestoyou,thecoach,expressingfearandsadness,anxiousanddepressedaboutconditionsoutofhiscontrolandnegativelyimpactinghisjob.Itmightbetheeconomyorsomethingpersonalortherestructuringthat’stakingplace.Hisleader,inan
attempttoshowsympathy,sayssomethingtotheeffectof“You[despondentemployee]areright.Businessistoughrightnowandthere’snothingtobedoneaboutitbutstruggleon.”Insteadoffeelingbetter,theemployeeisgloomierthanever.Theleaderacknowledgedthefeelingsbutalsoreflectedandencouragedthem.Wordspreads,moraletakesadive,
andtheleaderunintentionallyhurtstheteaminsteadofhelping.Thisisnottosaythataleaderofateamwithbadmoraleisabadperson,but“DumpsterMorale”isoftentheresultofaleaderdemonstratingsympathyinsteadoftheempathycharacteristicofgreatleaders.
IfirstlearnedthiswhenworkingwithanexecutiveataFortune100
Alwaysthinkaboutandspeakto yourteamtherightway.
technologycompanyaspartofmycoachingprogramthere.Timesweretough,andthelatestroundoflayoffsatthecompanyhadjustbeenreported.Moraleinhis
officewasdown,andheaskedmewhathecoulddoaboutit.Itoldhimhisteam’smoralehadnothingtodowiththecompany.Moralewasdownbecauseofhim.“Whatareyousayingtothemwhentheycometoyou?”Iasked.Hetoldmehesaidsomethinglike“Iunderstand.Allthelayoffsarehardtowatch.Andit’stoughcompetition
outthere.Andtheeconomyisbrutal.Wejustneedtoworkthroughthis.”Problemis,thisexecutivewasn’tempathizingwiththeteamwhenhesaidthesethings(makingtheexperiencemutualandfeelingwhattheywerefeeling).Hewassympathizingwiththem(acknowledgingtheirhardships).Asaresult,hewasn’tholdingthemaccountableforwinning
anymoreandpushingthemtodotheverythingtheyprobablyneededtodotoavoidbeinglaidoffthemselves:Keepworkingharder.Afterworkingwithhimformonths,hestartedtoseemypointandaskedhowtoimplementachangeindirectionandundowhathehadsaidbefore.Myadvicewassimple:Tellthemthetruth.Itoldhimtosay,“I’ve
noticedmoraleisdown,andIhavefoundoutthatthisismoremyfaultthanyourfaultoranyoneoranything’sfault.I’veallowedustouseexcusestohaveapityparty.I’vesympathizedwithyouinsteadofpushingyouandmyselftodomoreinspiteoftheobstaclesandtoworktoovercomethem.”Now,whenthisexecutivetellshisteamtobegratefulforwhattheyhave
andkeepworkinghard,theirperspectivestartstochange,andmoralestartstocreepupward.
Theexecutivelearnedthatmoraleisnotsomethingyoufixwhenitisbroken,liketheairconditionerinyourhome;itissomethingyoumustadjust,tweak,andmaintainlikethetemperatureofyourhome.Thethermostatisyourresponsibility.You
havetokeepthetemperatureconsistent,startingwithyourownattitude,andthengivedirectionconstantly,becausemoraleisdependentonyourdirectionasmuchasitisonperspectiveandgratitude.Theremaybeuncertainty,resistance,confusion—wordsofdefeatmixedwithpassionanddesire—asyouimplementthisplaybook.Helpyourteamthroughit.
Guidethem.Encouragethem.Shareyourplanandthedirectionforhowthingswillchange.That’snotonlywhatwillcompelateamtosharealeader’sbeliefsbutalsowhatwillmakethebeliefstheirown.
Takeaways:MotivationandMorale
The
coachkeepstheplayersmotivatedatalltimesandholdsplayersaccountableformotivating
themselvesandoneanother.Motivationislikefoodtoourbodies!Ifwedidnoteatforthreedays,
wewouldsaywearehungry,notthatfooddoesn’twork.Motivationisthesame;wemust
refilldaily.Knowledgecreatesconfidence,andwhenweareconfident,wearemoremotivated.Motivated
playerswithtalentandskillwillalwaysoutperformthosewithoutmotivation.Moraleisnot
aboutaction,itisaboutfeelings,anditrequiresacoachtodirecttheteammembersto
changetheirperspectiveandfeelgratitudewhenthefeelingsarebad.
Chapter 6“BUILDYOURBENCH”: RECRUITTHE BESTPLAYERS
Getting better doesnot always comefrom hiring thosewith experience.
Anengineeringclientofminewashavingtroublewithoneofhiscompany’s
leaders.Thisleaderhadahugejobwithenormousresponsibilitythathewasnolongerdoingverywell.Myclientknewheneededachange.“Nathan,”hesaid,“I’vegottoreplacethisguy,butIcan’tfindenoughengineeringexperienceinthisindustry.Thereisnooneout
therewiththatexperience.”“Igetit,”Isaid.“Sowhy
notgooutandfindsomeonewithgreatskillsandengineeringexperienceoutsidetheindustry?”Myclientlookedconfused,soIexplained,“Lookfortheattributesyouwantfirst,suchasreliability,trustworthiness,drive,energy,positivity,andmotivationtosucceed.Thesethingsarehardertoteachthan
industryspecifics.Trustme,youcanteachsomeoneyourbusiness,butyoucan’tteachsomeonetowanttobesuccessful.Let’sfindthebestpersonandturnthatpersonintothebestinyourindustry.”
“Thatwilltakeatleastthreemonthstodo,”hesaid.
“That’sfine,”Itoldhim.“Itwillbehardforthosethreemonths.Businessmay
alsobealittlerockyduringthattime,butyou’rebuildingsomethingverypowerful:thebestplayerfortheteamthatyouneed.Inthreemonths,youwillstarttoseeexponentialgrowthyearoveryear,becauseyouhavetherightperson.”
Myclientwasn’tinitiallysold,butthat’sbecausewhatIwassayingfliesinthefaceofconventionalmanagement
hiringwisdom.
Hire the RightPeople, Not theRight Experience
Thesinglebiggestmistakemostleadersmakeasmanagersistolookonlyforindustryexperience.Leadersseesomeonewithindustry
experienceandarewillingtogiveupalltheotherthings,suchasfocusandattitude.Wedismissthingssuchashavingapersonalconnection.Weineffectsay,“Ilikeyou.YouhavethepassionandenthusiasmIneed,butyoudon’thaveenoughexperience,soI’mgoingtogooutandfindapersonwithmoreexperiencewhomIdon’tlikeverymuchbecause
they’llhitthegroundrunning.”Typically,thismethodresultsinabadhire,andwhenitdoes,westartmakingexcusesasmyclientdidthat“allthegoodpeoplearetaken.”Butthat’sbecausewekeepfishinginthesamecrappyindustrypond.Ifothercompanieshavefishedoutthewholepond,whatisleft?Thefishotherpeoplethrewback.
Theeasiestway isnotalwaysright,even ifit looksthatway.
I’mnotsayingdon’thireforskillsetoravoidhiringforexperience.I’msayingdon’thireonindustryexperiencealone.ThisiswhatIcalla“fruitsand
roots”situation:Leadersareusuallysofocusedonthefruitsofthetree,weforgetthatitistherootsthatgrowthefruit.Experiencecountstoo,butweneedtorememberthatattributesandskillsarethekeystosuccess.Yes,industryexperiencecanshortenaramp-upperiod.Yes,thethree-monthlearningcurve
wasdifficultformyclienttostomachinourinstantgratification–basedworld—andreallyitcantakeuptosixtotwelvemonthsinmostsituations.Yes,intheory,duringthethreetotwelvemonthsthepersonfromoutsidetheindustryislearningthebusiness,thatpersonwillunderperformsomeonewithexperienceandconnectionsintheindustry.
Butifyougooutofbusinessbecauseyoubackfilledthatonepositionandneededtotrainthenewpersonlonger,youweregoingoutofbusinessanyway—nomattertheshort-termresultssomeonewithindustryexperiencemighthavedelivered.
Attheendoftheday,acompanyneedsrevenuetosurvivebutneedsgood
peopleevenmorethanrevenue—becausepeoplemakeandgrowrevenue.Thisiswhyprofessionalsportsteamshaverebuildingyears.Wecan’tallspendmoneyliketheNewYorkYankeesanditdoesn’talwaysworkevenwhenwedo.(Andlet’sfaceit;themostrecentYankeedynastywasacoreofhomegrownplayersandroleplayersthatfittheteam,not
superstars.)Inbusiness,itisthesame,onlyonatightertimeline.Weneedtorecruitforthebesttalentandfit,notjustforexperience.That’swhyweneedtobeconstantlyrecruitingthetalentandbuildingourbenchesascoaches.
Build Your Bench:
Find Talent beforeThere Is a Need
ManyoftheleadersIworkwithgetthebench-buildingconceptwrong.Buildingthebenchisnotaboutfillingopenpositions.Itisaboutfinding,meeting,andinterviewingtoptalentbeforethere’sanopenposition.Remember:Coachesactbeforethereisaproblem.
Professionalsportsteamshavescoutsallovertheworldlookingfornewtalent.Can’tyouatleastlookaroundtown?
Isaidanddidthesamethingforyearsuntil,oneday,someoneinHRaskedme,“Whyisindustryexperienceimportant?”Istartedwithmyusualanswers:
Our
industryiscomplicatedandcanhavealongramp-upperiod.Iwantanewemployeetocomeinand
hitthegroundrunning.Iwantapersonwithindustrycontacts,abletoconnectwithotherleaders,
tobringoversomefutureclients,orpossiblytoaddmoretalentedteammembersto
improveourteam.And,honestly,itiseasieronme.
SoItoldHRtokeepindustryexperienceasarequirement.ButasIthoughtmoreaboutit,Istartedtosee
adifferentsideofthosereasons:
Justbecausepeopleunderstandanindustrydoesnotmeantheyaregoodat
theirjobsorareexperts.Justbecauseapersonknowshowtorundoesnotmeanheorshe
willrun.Whoistosaytherelationshipstheyhavewithotherleadersandpotentialclients
andemployeesaregoodones(orthatthosepeopleareevengoodemployees)?Whyisbeing
selfishalegitimateexcusefornotdoingsomethingbetter?
Attheendoftheday,howmanytimeshadIhiredpeople,nottomentionjustifiedpayingthemahighersalary,becauseoftheir
experienceandcontactsintheindustry,andafterallwassaidanddone,noneofthatyieldedanythingofanyvalue?MorethanIwantedtoadmit.ThisishowI,likemostleaders,endeduphiringpeoplewiththebadattitudesIdiscussedinPartOne.IassumedtheypossessedalltheskillsandexperienceIwouldlaterfearlosingiftheyquit,becauseIhadmade
industryexperiencesuchanimportantfactorwhenIhiredthem.Forme,Iassumedthesepeoplehadcontactsthatcouldbecomemyteam’scustomerbase;forleadersinotherdivisions,itmightresultinconnectionstovendorsandsuppliers,politicians,governmentworkers,technologyandIT,tradeassociations,nationalandlocalbusinesses,orindustry
socialnetworks.WhatIwasreallysayingthenwas,thenameofthecompanyandtheworkmywholeteamdidwasnotthesourceofthosecontacts—theindividualswere.Meanwhile,whileIhadzeroedinonthebenefitsofindustryexperience,Ihadignoredconcernsabouthowpotentialemployeesactedandmademefeelintheinterview.Iignoredthings
suchasthewaytheyblamedothersforalltheirstrugglesintheircurrentpositions,howeverythingwassomeoneelse’sfault,orhowtheirbodylanguagemademeuncomfortable.Still,IthoughtIcouldchangethem.Ireasonedthattheenvironmenttheycamefromwasbad,sowithmycool,positiveteam,environment,andleadership,theywould
Fillingopenpositionsis notbuildingthebench.It’shiring.
adapt.Notso.Fromthat
momenton,IresolvedthatwheneverIinterviewedpotentialemployees,Iwouldavoidreviewingtheirrésumésduringtheinterviewand
insteadfocusonthepersoninfrontofme.Iwilldiscusstheirpreviouswork,butonlywithaneyetowardassessingtheirskills.Idon’ttalkabouttheirresponsibilities.Iaskhowtheyhandledcertainscenariosanddiscusssome“whatif”situations.Ithenconcentrateonhowtheyanswer,theirenergy,theirattitude,and
howIfeelwhentheyanswer.Thinkaboutit:Whatdo
weusuallyhavethemostofonourteams?Industryexperienceandcompanyknowledge.Sowhycontinuetohirewhatwehavethemostof?Becausemostofusfeelthatourbusinessesorindustriesaretoospecializedorcomplicatedtohiresomeonewithoutexperience.ButIhaveworkedwith
hundredsofcompaniesoverthepasttwentyyears,acrossmanyindustries,andIhavelearnedonenear-absolutetruth:Everycompanyiscomplicated,different,andspecialized,andthereforetheyarealluniquelythesame.
Okay,everycompanyisalittledifferentandeveryindustryhasalearningcurve.Butaslongastheworkdoes
notrequireaspecificdegreeorlicense,coacheslearntheycantakeatopperformerfromoneindustrytoanotherandsheorhewillbegreat.Sowecan’thiresomeonetobeasurgeonwithoutamedicaldegree,butwecanhiresomeonewithouthospitalexperiencebutwiththeskillstorunsomethingascomplicatedasthehospitalthesurgeonsworkin.Iknow
IcouldtakethebestsalesleadersatanestablishedUSproductmanufacturerandputtheminsalesinanyindustry,inanycompany,andinanyeconomy,andtheywouldbecometopperformersinthatindustry.AndIbelievethisistrueinalmostanydepartmentorjobfromfinancetooperationstodesigntoeditorialtoconstructiontopublicrelationsandbeyond.
ItevenworkedinengineeringfortheclientIdiscussedatthestartofthischapter—assoonashesawpastthecompanyego,thatitsindustrywasmoredifficultandspecializedthanothers.
Coachesknowthatfewpeoplehavejobssocomplicatedthatsomeonewithsimilarskills,butnoknowledgeoftheindustry,can’teventuallydothem.
OneofthebestshotblockersofalltimeintheNBA,DikembeMutombooftheCongo,wenttoGeorgetownonanacademicscholarship.Healsohappenedtobe7feet2andathletic,sotheGeorgetowncoach,JohnThompson,recruitedhimtoplaycenterforthebasketballteam.HecouldteachMutombothegame.SouthwestAirlineshires
teacherswhohaveabsolutelynoairlineexperiencebecausetheyarepassionateaboutwhattheydoandareusedtohandlingcrankychildreninschool,whichiswhatwearelikewhenourplaneisdelayed.Theycanteachthemhowtorunthegateandaisle.Ijusthiredaheadbartendertorunmyoffice.IcanteachherthecomputersandQuickBooks,butwhenshe
answersthephone?Youcanfeelher.
What MakesSomeone Great
IhaveseveralclientsinthetechnologyandengineeringindustrieswhooftentellmeIamwrongaboutallthis.Theytellmetheircompanyandindustryis
moreadvancedthanotherindustries.Unfortunately,thisviewisjustabitofarrogance,self-defense,andprideusedtovalidatetheirownself-worth.Here’swhatImeanbythat.WhenIsaytotheseclients,“IfIhaveanotherclientwhomakesconcretepipes,andtheyhaveanengineeringpositionthatpaysfivehundredthousanddollarsayear,canyoudoit?”
They’lltellme,“Heck,yeah.”Sojustbecausethey’reengineersinamore“advanced”(meaningmodernorhigh-tech)industry,theycanlearnanotherseeminglylessadvancedindustrylikeconcretepipes.Butanengineerfromaconcretepipecompanywiththesameskillsanddegreecan’tlearntheirindustry?
Hereis
Industryexperienceshouldnot behow wegaugeanyone’sself-worth—includingour
whyleadersthinkthisway:Alotofushavebeendoingsomethingforsuchalongtimeinacertainindustrythatwegaugeourworthbythinking,“I’m
own.worthmoremoneybecauseIknowthisindustrysowell.I’msmarterbecauseI’vebeendoingitforfifteenyears.”ThentheyfeelinsultedwhenItellthemnottohireforindustryexperience;theythinkIamtellingthemthattheirexperienceisworthless.ButI’mnotinsultingthem.Ijust
wantthemtolookatitfromtheotherside:Whatmakesyougreatisnotwhatyou’vebeendoingforfifteenyears—whatmakesyougreatisyou.
Theonlyoneinsultinganyoneisyouforhangingyourhatonajobthatyou’vebeendoingforfifteenyearsinsteadofthepersonthatyouare.Industryexperienceisnotpersonalandthusdoesn’t
replacepersonality.Lookatitanotherway:Howmanytimeshaveourcompetitorshiredoneofourpeopleandwearerelievedbecauseitwasnotoneofourbetterpeople?Then,wegorightoutandlookfortheexperiencetoreplacethatpersonwhowasn’tverygoodinthefirstplace.Weplayagameofpassingthe“poorplayer”(manyleadershavealess
politeterm,whichIwon’trepeathere).Intheend,howmuchisthatindustryexperiencereallyworth?Iamnotsayingthatallindustryexperiencemakesforpoorcandidatesandthattheyaredestinedtobepoorperformers,noramIsayingweshouldneverhiresomeonefromourcompetitors.I’mjusttryingtohammerhomeonceandfor
allthatindustryexperienceisoftenoflessimportancethanotherskillsorexperience,andweneedtobeabletoletitgoifnecessary.
Myengineeringclientdid.Theyputasidetheirinitialfearaboutthelonglearningcurveandtheassumptionthatengineersreallyneedtoknowtheproductsandfeaturestomakethings.Theyhiredasmart
anddrivenengineervirtuallyrightoutofcollege.Hislearningcurvewouldhavebeenhighanywhere.Whatmyclientsoonrealizedisthatwithouttheindustryexperience,thisguywassogreatbecausehedidn’thaveanyofthe“baggage”thatcomeswithmoreexperiencedplayers.Hedidnotknowthehistoryofwhatdidanddidnotwork.Hedidn’thaveany
barrierstohisownentry.Hehadthedegree,buthealsohadthehumilityofthenewguyandnoneofthearrogance.Thenewengineersimplydidwhathedidbest:Heusedhisengineeringskillstobreakdownallthelearningandisnowoneofthetopengineersinthecompany.
AlightingmanufactureranddistributorIworkedwithalsoletgoofthechestnutthat
industryexperienceisessential.Threeyearsago,theyhiredapharmaceuticalreptodotheirsales.Aftersomanybadhires,myclientdecidedtohirethisrep,knowinghislearningcurvewasgoingtobealittlelongeratthebeginningbutfeelinggreatresultswouldcomefromhisskillslong-term,withpropercoaching.Theytaughthimlightswitches,and
intwelvemonths,heparlayedhissalesskillsontothelistoftheirtoptenrepsinthecountry.Sure,thefirstthreemonthswererough.Hehadtolearntheindustryandbuildhisbase,andsofromzeroto90days,hewasslowerthaneveryoneelse.Butfromday91to365,hewaspassingthemallatrapidspeeds.Today,heistheirnumberonesalesrep.
Commit the Mostto Your Rookies
Ofcourse,noneofthisworksifleadersaren’twillingtodotheworkrequired.Ifyoubuildyourbenchandthenhirethebestpersononthatbenchandyoudon’ttrainthem?That’syourfault.What’snotyourfaultistheoccasionalbadhireinspiteofyoureffortstorecruitthe
rightpeople.Iknowbecausethereisnoonewhomakesmorebadhiresthanme.Thedifferencebetweenmeandmostis,asIsaidbefore,IhirefastandIfirefaster.SaythepersonIhire,afterninetydays,turnsoutnottobetherightfit;ifIgetinvolvedinmynewhire’straining,Iwillknowwithinweeksifheorsheisnotagoodfit,ratherthanyearsdowntheline.A
Don’tsacrifice
badhire,nomattertheindustryexperience,willbringmyentireteamdown.Ineedtofindthepersonadifferentjobinmyorganizationorfindthemajoboutsideofmyorganization,andquickly.
IntheNFL,rookiesaretested,trained,prepared,
theimportantthingsfor theeasythings.
coached,andtestedagainbeforetheymaketheteam.Rookiesgothroughatoughtrainingcampforseveralweeksandthenpreseasonforafewweeks,untilfinallythedecisionismadetokeepthemontheteamorreleasethem.
Coachesinbusinessmustshowthesamecommitmenttoourbenchbuilderswhenwehirethem(andreallyanyonenewtoourteamandorganization).Weinvestourtimewiththerookiessowecanbenefitfromtheminthefuture:
Teachrookieseverything
youwouldwantthemtoknow,evenifyouthinktheyalreadyknowit.Takethetime
tosharewrittenexpectations.Beconsistentlyandconstantlyavailabletothemtohelpthemunderstandthe
importanceoftheirjobs.Createatrainingcampenvironmentsimilartoprofessionalsports,whereplaybooks
andideasaresharedandtested.Haverookiesshadowtheirleaderssotheycan
understandhowtheleadersthinkandact.Haveanindustrylearningsessionsotherookiesknowyour
versionoftheindustry.
Ihavespentalotoftimeinsidecompanyorganizationsandknowthatthosewhocommittotherookiesareabletomakebetterdecisionsaboutkeepingorremovingnewhires.
Inmanycaseswhenanorganizationdoesnothavea
leaderinvolvedintheboardingprocess,orwhatIrefertoastheTrainingCamp,theyendupkeepingthewronghirefortoolong.
So What Are YouWaiting For? MakeTalent a Priority
Beingacoachinbusiness
isgoingtoforceyourteamtostepuporstepout,sostartsearchingfortalentbeforethishappens.Don’tgetstuckthinkingyouneedtokeepthosepoorperformersbecauseyoudon’thaveanybodyonthebench.Acoachwhoalwayshasanotheroneortwotoppeopleidentifiedtofillapositionmeanstalentedpeoplearealwaysconnectedtoyoueven
iftheyarenotonyourteamyet.Don’tkeepitasecretfromyourteameither.Ifyoudon’t,complacencywillbecomelessandlessofanissue,Iguaranteeit.
Typically,thebestpeoplearetheoneshappyattheirjobsalready.Yourjobistofindthem,andseeiftheywouldalsobehappywithyou.Ifso,thenconvincethemtojoinyou.With
today’ssocialmediaandnetworkingwebsites,therearemanywaystoachieveeffectiveproactiverecruiting.Dependingontheposition,theplacetofindtalentwillvaryandmightsurpriseyou,butitwon’tcomefromthesameindustrymixersandeventseveryoneelsegoesto.Irecentlymetadriverfromthelargestindependenthotelmanagementcompanyinthe
UnitedStateswhowaspureawesomeness;hehadgreatenergy,wasveryintelligent,andunderstoodtherealmeaningofservingpeople.Theleadersatthishotelmanagementcompanyweredoingthingsright,becausethisdriverlovedhisjobeventhoughhehadhadsomemuchhigherpayingjobsinthepast.Hetoldmeseveraltimeshelovedcomingto
work.Thistypeofperson(positive,outgoing,motivated)willworkinallorganizations.
Sohereisyourcoachinghomework:Forsixmonths,conductonebench-buildingmeetingorinterviewaweek.Letprospectiveemployeesknowwhatyouaredoingandwhy.Thiswillalsoshowfutureprospectsthatitisadifficulttasktobeamember
ofyourteam,andtheywillknow,ifanactualopenpositioncomes,toseizetheopportunity.Let’sbreakdownthenumbers:Evenifyouaresuccessfulonly10percentofthetimeandtakeafewweeksoffforvacation,thisstillgivesyoufivenewtop-qualitycandidates!
TheadviceIgivemykidsisthesameadviceIgivecoaches:“Nooneisgoingto
findyouandgiveyousomething,soifyouwantsomething,youmustgooutandgetit.”
Yes,likeallcoachingskills,buildingthebenchisasimpleconceptbutdifficulttofindthetimetoexecuteandsustain.Remindsmeofmyaimtogotothegymandworkout.Scheduleit,mandateit,andmakeithappen.
Takeaways:BuildingtheBench
Identifytalentbeforeyouneedthemsoyougetwhatyouwant
andnotwhatyouwillsettlefor.Hiretheenthusiasmandskill,andteachtheindustry
knowledge—stopshootingforhitting-the-ground-runningandstartfocusingonpracticing
withpassion.Recruitandinterviewasaweeklytask:Goodemployeesarehardtofind.Commit
andinvesttimeinthenewhiresimmediately.
Chapter 7MAKETOUGHDECISIONSIf you’ve gotsomeone not doingthe job, on any leveland with any time
served, you need tocoach them up orremove them fromthe position.
“Sellyourwinnersandtakethegains;rideyourlosers
andseeiftheycanrecoversoyoudon’ttakealoss.”Ihearthisphilosophyaboutbuyingandsellingstocksallthetime.AndIthinkitisalmostalwaystheexactoppositeofwhatweshoulddo,notonlywithmoneybutalsoasbusinessleaders:Keepyourwinners,theyarewinners;dumpyourlosers,theyare
losers.Ofcourse,underperformingplayersinbusiness(andsports)canimprovewithachangeindirection(coaching)orachangeofteamorscenery.That’sifwecanmakethenecessarychanges.
Myfootballcoachwasnotalwaysthenicestguy,buthewasalwaysup-front,honest,andclear.Theseattributesarewhatmattered
tousasplayers,nothownicehewas,andweplayedhardforhim.Weknewwherewestood.Hemandatedthatwehaveapositiveattitudeorleavetheteam,andhemadesurewewerereadytoplayeveryday.Ifastarplayerwasaslackerorwasmakinghisteammatesmiserable,thecoachdirectlyaddressedhim,andiftheplayerrefusedtocomply,hefoundthebench
andthenthebleachers.Thecoachdidn’tdowhatalltoomanyleadersdoinbusiness:Rewardthebadbehaviorbygivingtheplayermoreresponsibility,thusallowingthebadattitudetoinfectmoreplayers.Hedidn’tisolatetheplayerfromtheteamsohewouldaffectonlyhimself;ateamplayerisneveralone,soitwon’twork.Hemettheproblemhead-on.He
coached.Notthatsayingthis
makestoughdecisionsanyeasierforacoach.IfyouhaveeverseentheHBOseriesHardKnocks,whichfollowsanNFLteamthroughtheirtrainingcamp,youknowwhatIamtalkingabout.Oneofthehardestpartstowatchiswhenthecoachcallsplayersintohisofficetoletthemknowtheyarenotgoing
tomaketheteam.Hedoesitwithaheavyheart;heknowsheistellingtheplayerstheirdreamsofplayingintheNFLwillnothappen,atleastnotnow.It’snevereasyforthecoachtosaythis,butitisnecessary—andwhat’smore,heknowshe’llneedtodoitnextyeartooifheissuccessfulandremainsthecoach.
CoachesintheNFL
knowtheymustmakechangestotheteamsquicklyandasneededtoensureawinforeveryone,ortheirjobsareontheline.Notsoinbusiness.Coachesmayknowpartofbuildingawinningteamistogetridofallnonwinningplayers,butherearethebiggestreasonswe’vecoveredfornotmakingthetoughdecisiontomovethemout:
Weareselfishandareworriedaboutthetimeandresourcesitwouldtake.Weavoidconflict
andprefertobenicetoourpeople,givingthemeverychanceandbenefitofthe
doubt.Weconfuseplayertenurewithplayerloyalty.Wefearlostbusinessowingto
losingthebodyandnothavingareplacementonthebench.
FollowingourfiveessentialcoachingprinciplesandtheactionsofChapter6,
allthesereasonscannowberemedied.Buttoomanyleaders,evenafterbuildingtheirbenches,stillwaitforattritionratherthanmakeplacesontheteamnow.Wemaytalktoouremployeesabouthavingtomaketoughdecisions,butweavoidthosetoughdecisionsourselveswhenitcomestotheteam,choosingnottocoachournonwinnersuporout,and
hopingagainsthopethatthesituationgetsbetteroratleastnoworse.Butbottomtotop,abadsituationrarelydoesgetbetterandusuallygetsworsewithoutaction.
Thisisespeciallytruewhenitcomestothepeoplewhoarefuntohavearoundbutwhoseworkisjust“meh.”Let’ssaysomeonehasbeenworkingforyouforacoupleofyearsandthat
persondoesanokayjob—notmakingyoufamousbutnotkillingyoueither,abitofaslackerbutmosteveryonereallylikeshimorher.Toomanyleadersacceptthatperson’smediocreworkinsteadofrememberingthatthisisstillabadbodyregardlessofthelikability.Leadersmustknowthatiftheydon’tholdthatpersonaccountable,theirtop
performerswillsay,“Ifthebossjustletsthatslackersitthere,whyshouldIworksohard?”Noweverybodyontheteamcomesdowntothebadbody’slevel.Everythingisquestioned,includingtheirleadership.Then,thetopperformerswhorefusetogodowntothatlevelquitandbecomeappreciatedsomewhereelse.Butguesswhoneverquits.The
mediocreslacker.Butslackersarenotthe
toughestpeopletodealwithwhenaleaderneedstobuildawinningteam.Whataboutthelong-timerswhoarestuckintheirwaysandhavegrowncomplacent,aswediscussedinPartOne?WhatabouttheLife-Suckerswhodeliverresultsbutwhoseattitudesbringtherestoftheteamdown?Whataboutthereally
goodguyswhomeveryonelikesbutwhoarejustinthewrongjob?Thosearethreekindsofunderperformerswe’relikelytoencounterinourbusinesses:ComplacentLong-Timers,Life-Suckers,andGoodGuys.Tounderstandthesethreetypesisthefirststepinthecoach’sjobofmakingthattoughdecisiontomovethemupormovethemout—orsufferthe
consequences.
The ComplacentLong-Timer
IwasconductinganinitialinterviewwithaclientintheenergyindustrytodecideifIwouldbeagoodfittoworkwiththecompany.TheleadersbelowtheCEOhadreadmypreviousbooks,
implementedsomeoftheprograms,andcalledtoaskifIwouldbewillingtoconductsometrainingandexecutivecoachingfortheleadershipandtheirCEO.Butinmyinitialinterview,onlytheleadershipteamwasintheroom.Theywereexcitedaboutthepotentialofcoaching,butwhenIaskedwhattheCEOthoughtoftheidea,theyalllookedatone
anotherandsaid,“Well,wethoughtyoucouldmeetwithhimandfindout.Wedon’tthinkheisgoingtoagreewithusonehundredpercent...butheneedsto.”
Despitemyapprehensionaboutthisapproach,Iagreedtothemeeting,andwediscussedtheprinciplesofmycoachingprogram.TheCEOagreedwithmostoftheideasbutone:theneedfor
accountabilitybyhisunderperformingemployees.Turnedout,thisCEOknewhehadunderperformersonhisteam,especiallyemployeeswhohadbeenwithhimalongtimeandnow,hefelt,gavehimminimumperformance.SoIaskedhimwhyheacceptedit.Hesaid,“Becausetheyhavebeenloyaltomeforovertwentyyears.”
“Nodisrespect,”Isaid,“butloyaltyisnotshowninyearsofemployment.Youpaidthemforthoseyears.Thereasontheystayedandcontinuetostayisbecauseyoupaidthem.I’mnotsayingthattheydon’tcare,orthingshavenotbeengreatformanyofthoseyears.Butloyaltyisshownthroughcontinuedcontribution,notthroughtenure.”
TheCEOseemedtoagree,soIaskedhim,“Doyouhaveaplantoaddressyourconcernsabouttheperformancetheyaregivingyou?”
“Ihavemanytimesandwillcontinuetoaddresstheissue,”hereplied.“Buttheyarenotgoingtochange.”
“Thenitsoundsliketheyneedtofindanewjoboutsidetheorganization,”Isaid.
Hedidnotagreewithme...andImeanatall.“Absolutelynot,”hesaid.“Theseguysareuntouchableandwillbehereaslongastheywant.”
Ofcourse,thisCEO’semployeeswereuntouchableonlybecausetheCEOrefusedtodoanythingaboutthem.Atthatpoint,webothknewthiswouldnotbeagoodfitforeitherofus.I
wasn’ttakinganythingfromhimortheteam,ordisparagingthepastsuccessoftheselongtimeemployees.Isimplybelievedthebusinesscouldbealotmoresuccessfulifthecompanyfollowedmycoachingprinciplesandactuallydealtwiththeunderperformingpeople.SoIthankedhimforhistimeandtoldhimthatIhadtrulyenjoyedourmeetingandI
Stopconfusingtenure
wasimpressedwithhissuccess,butthatmyprogramwouldnotworkinanorganizationthatwillnotholdallmembersaccountableforthejobthatneedstobedone.
Turnsout,thisincrediblysuccessfulCEOwasnodifferentfrommostleaders
withloyalty:Wedon’towepeopleanythingfor justshowingup.
indealingwiththeComplacentLong-Timers.ComplacentLong-Timersareemployeeswhohavebeenatacompanyforalongtimeandlostpassionforthejoband
thusnolongerdelivertheresultstheyusedto.Thereasonsforthelossofpassionandresultingcomplacencyvaryfromboredomtolaziness.Maybethehumdrumofroutinesandtasks,methodicallyrepeatedyearafteryearafteryear,havetiredthemoutandleftthemdepressedandworkingonlyforapaycheck.Maybetheydesireachangeanda
challengebutfeartakingtherisksassociatedwithlookingforadditionalornewwork.
Whateverthereason,ComplacentLong-Timerscauseeveryonetosuffer,especiallywhentheyareleadersintheorganizationandhavetheswayofseniority.Ifother,less-tenuredemployeestakethecomplacencyofthelong-timerasanexampleofhow
toactinthecompany,thecomplacencywillonlygrow.Itwillspreadlikeweedsandoveryears—yes,years!—thosesubstandardresultswillbecomeingrainedintheday-to-daycultureofthecompany.
BythetimetheleadershipisnolongerwillingtoaccepttheComplacentLong-Timers’behavior,leadersofthose
companieshaveanevenbiggerproblem:Performanceshavedeclinedandthelosstothecompany—whetheractuallossesorlesssuccessthancouldhavebeenrealized—hasbecomehuge.Ifleaderswanttheemployeestochange,andtheemployeeswanttochange,thetaskisnowenormous.Theyhavetoovercomeahugedeltaof
underperformance:astagnantmesswheretheemployeesandthebusinessandrelationshipsthey’reresponsibleforarestuck,indecline,orhavedisappearedentirely.Torestoreflow,theemployeesneedtohustlelikerookies,findingandbuildingnewrelationshipsandbusinessandworkashardasevertoovercometheperceptionofmediocrity.
Usually,theiregoscan’thandlethat,andtheylacktheconfidencetodoso.Inmostcases,theemployeesarenotwillingtodotheworkandendupleaving(oftheirownvolitionorbecausethey’refired).Attheendoftheday,everyoneloses.Theemployee,theteam,andthecompanyeachhavetostartover.Allbecauseoftheleader’sinabilitytomakea
toughdecisionaboutaComplacentLong-Timer.
That’swhatseemedtobehappeningwiththeenergycompanyImetwith.Thecompanyisstillsuccessful,buttheCEO’sstatusquostillrules.WhenIspoketomycontactontheleadershipteamayearlater,hesaidtheywereinthesamespotasbefore:OwingtotheCEO’sinabilitytoholdeveryone
accountable,thegoodemployeeswerefrustratedandlookingtoleave.Anentirecultureofunhappinesswasbeingfostered,andunlesssomethingdrasticchanged,theCEOwouldcontinuetoacceptcomplacency.Whywaitforthat?Wedon’toweanyoneajob;wejustowethemtheopportunitytoearnandkeeptheirjob.Letmebeperfectly
clear:IworkedforSprintformorethannineyears,andIgavethemeverythingIhadforthoseyears.ButtheypaidmeverywellandIlovedmyjob.Theyowedmenothingforjustshowingup.Wemustexpectouremployeestoshowupandwanttoplayeveryday.Likeprofessionalathleteswhonolongerhavetheabilityordesiretoplayfortheirteamsandcompete
atthehighestlevel,ComplacentLong-Timerscannolongerbeonyourteam.
Acoachwhostopsputtingthebestplayersonthefieldstopsgettingpaidforbeingacoachor,ifnooneisholdingthatcoachaccountable,losestheconfidenceoftheteam.Thinkaboutitthisway:Mostathletescompetefortheirjobseveryyear.Ifemployees
hadtointerviewfortheirjobseveryyear,mostwouldn’tgetrehired.Askmostleadershowmanyoftheiremployeestheywouldstillhire,knowingwhattheyknowtoday,andthey’llsayfewerthanhalf.Mymessagetothoseleadersisthis:DothoseComplacentLong-Timersknowit?Iftheydon’t,that’sourfault!Thoseemployeesdon’tknowwewanttofirethemforbeing
Anemployee’sgettingcomplacentis hisor herchoice.
bad.Theymaynotevenknowwhatthey’redoingwrong.
Allowingthatemployeetoremaincomplacentis thecoach’schoice.
ComplacentLong-Timers
arenotwithouthopeforaturnaround,butleadersreallyhavetopushthem,andtheyreallyhavetorespondtoimprovetheirattitude,findtheirpassion,andworktheirhardest.Wearedoingnooneanygoodkeepingthemaround.Awin-wincouldbetomovethemtoanotherteamorcompany.Insportsandbusiness,itusedtobethatthebestplayersstartedand
finishedtheircareerswiththesameteams.Itwasexpectedthattheydoso.Today,fewpeoplegettheproverbialgoldwatch,andprofessionalsportsarefilledwithstoriesofplayerswhoaretradedforthegoodoftheteamandtheplayer.TheComplacentLong-Timersendupthrivingonthenewteam,andtheoldteamthenhasroomtoturntoitsbenchandbringin
someone—maybesomeoneelsewhoneedsthatchange,maybearookiereadytomoveup—whowilldelivertheresultstheteamneeds.
The Life-SuckerTheLife-Suckeristhe
easiesttospotofthethreetypeswe’recoveringherebutnottheeasiesttohandle.
Life-Suckersarenotteamplayers,donotfollowdirection,andjust,well,suckthelifeoutofateam.Unfortunately,unliketheComplacentLong-Timer,Life-Suckerssometimeshaveimpressiveknowledgeanddelivergreatresults.Asaresult,Life-Suckerscangrowverypowerful.LeadersarethushesitanttodealwiththeLife-Suckerbecauseitcan
meanareallossofbusiness.Butremember:EverythingaboutaLife-Suckerispowerful.Attitudesareinfectious,andabadattitudemakesforbadbusiness.Apowerfullybadattitudeisliketheblareofatrumpet.
Sowhat’sacoachtodo?IhadaLife-Suckerlikethisinmycompanywhowasnotonlyagreatperformer—shewasmysuperstar.Butshe
It isimpossibleto be agreatemployeeandhave abad
wasalwaysbringingtheteamdown.
Thishappenedmostnoticeablyinteammeetings.Iwouldproposeachangeindirectionoralogicalgoal
attitude.likeincreasingourrevenuesharefrom15to75percent,andherimmediateresponsewas“Thatcan’tbedone”or“Wecan’tdothatandhere’swhy”or“Wehaveneverdonethat.”Thiswasoneofmytoppeople.Theteamviewedherasanunofficialsecondincommand.So,whenshesaidthosethings,
everyonelistenedandthought,“Well,ifshesaidso,thenithastobetrue.”Problemwas,shedidn’treallythinkthat.Twohourslater,shewouldcallmeandsay,“Okay,soIgotthisfiguredoutandhereiswhatwearegoingtodo....”Shewouldcomeupwithherownsolutionforhowweweregoingtoheadinadirectionasacompanyoragroup.But
whatgoodwasthatfortheactualgroupandthesixothermanagerswholeftthemeetingthinkingsomethingcouldn’tbedone,andstillthoughtso?
Understand,thispersonwasnotwavingherownflag;shewaswavingourteam’sflag,butnoonesawthat.Sheleftwithanagendainherheadandcameupwithasolutiontheotherscouldn’t
see.Instead,whattheteamsawwasanaysayerwhocontradictedmycoachingvisionandthencameupwithaplaninisolationfromtheteam.Ineededhereithertowavetheteam’sflaginfrontoftheteamortogetofftheteam.Ineededhertobesayinginfrontoftheteamallthethingsshewassayingtomeone-on-one.Ineededpeopletoseeherasaleader
oftheteam’sagendaandnotherownagenda,orIneededhertotakethatagendasomewhereelse.WhichisexactlywhatItoldherinadocumentedmeeting.
Becausethispersonhadbecomesopowerfulwithherperformance,Icouldn’tfighther.SoIdidn’t.Iempoweredher.IexplainedwhatIsawhappeningandhowmuchpowershehad:“Whenyou
leavethemeetingandthenyougoandfixtheproblem,everyothermanagerthinksthatbecauseyousaiditcan’tbedone,theycan’tdoiteither.Itdoesn’tmatterifyousolveitlater.You’remakingmyjobalotharderbycreatingdoubtwhereitdoesn’tneedtobe.Now,Ican’tfightyouandIdon’twantto.Iwantyouonthisteam.Ineedyoutobea
leaderandthatmeansbeingapartofthisteamandsupportingthisteambyliningupwiththem,oryoumayneedtogofindjoyinadifferentjob.”
Thegoodnewsformewas,shelinedup.ShewantedtobealeaderandlovedhearingthattheteamandIsawherasaleader.Shehadnoideashewascreatingproblemsfortheteam.Inher
mind,shewasjustlayingoutwhattheobstaclestosuccesswere.Shethoughteverybodyelsewasleavingthemeetingandgoingthroughthesameprocessshewas,notthatshehadherownprocessandeveryoneelsewasstuckonwhatshesaidinthemeetings.UnliketheSnowman,theLife-SuckerwemetinChapter4,thispersondidnotthinkshewasdoingthe
peopleontheteamafavorbybeinga“realist”inmeetings.Sheactuallywasatopperformer,whiletheSnowmanblamedeveryoneelseforwhyhewasn’tsucceedingmore.Shenowknewthatshehadthepowertochangeandcontrolthesituation.ShealsoknewIwouldfireherbeforeIpromotedherifshedidnotchange.Thegoodnewsis,
shechanged,andbecameoneofmybestemployees—nottomentionstartedtoloveherjob,notjustimproveherperformance,again.Thatsaid,IhadsimilarconversationswiththeSnowmanandemployeeslikehimand,unfortunately,theydidnotorcouldnotchange,soIhelpedthemtofindopportunityelsewhere.Theimportantpartistohavethe
conversations.Butthisisahugejump.
BeforewecanevenhavetheconversationabouthowtoremoveLife-Suckersfromtheteam,weshouldaskourselveswhatwehavedoneastheleadertomakethemawareoftheirissuesand,moreimportant,makethemawareoftheimpacttheyhaveontheteam.Inmanycases,likemytopperformer,Life-
SuckersarenotawarethattheyareLife-Suckers,ortheydon’trealizethenegativeimpacttheyhaveontheteam.It’seasytoblamethembeforeweblameourselves.Andyes,weshouldbesensitivetosituationsoutsidetheofficethatmightbeaffectingtheLife-Sucker.Butevenifthestrugglesaretheresultofpersonalorpsychologicalandnot
professionalproblems,wecannotbehesitantinourapproach.Byallmeansbesensitiveandconsciousofdeeperproblems,butLife-Suckershavebroughttheirproblemstoourteamsandmadetheirproblemseveryone’sproblems.Fellowteammembersandcustomers/clientsarealsofeelingitandfinditdifficulttobreathewhentheairgets
suckedoutoftheroom.Duringmyworkshops,I
askleaders,“Ifsomeonestoleonethousanddollarsfromthecompany,wouldyoufirethem?”Withoutfail,everyonesays,“YES!”Thescaryfactis,Life-Suckerswithnegativeattitudeswillcostatleasttentimesthatmuchmoneyoverandoveragain.Inbusiness,justasinlife,wearejudgedbyour
actions,notbyourwords.Leadersmustbelievethathavingagreatattitudeisimportantandthenmandateit.We’renotbeingnicetotheLife-Suckerswhenwedon’tdothis;we’rebeingmeantothosewhoaren’tLife-Suckers.
Therearerightandwrongwaystoapproachtheseemployees,butleadersmustnotbeselfishand
scared.WemustmakeLife-Suckersawareoftheirattitudes,givethemanopportunitytochange,andmakethechangeourselvesiftheyrefuseinwordandthenindeed.Remember:YoucanpracticewhattosayanddoifyoudiscoveraLife-Suckerhaspersonalproblems.Youcanworkonbeingunderstanding,butthereisnoexcuseforletting
thebehaviorjustgoon.
The Good GuyLeadersoftenthinkof
theirbademployeesandhiresasbadpeople.Theythinkaboutthepeoplewholiedabouttheirskillsandexperiencetogetthejob,whowereabusivetotheirteamsandthestaff,whosimplyup
andquitwhenabetteroffercamealong,whocommittedacrime....Anddon’tgetmewrong.Thesepeoplearebad(oratleasttheiractionsare).Butnotallbademployeesarebadpeople.Manytimes,theyarethenicestpeopleintheworldbutabadfitforaparticularjob.BadhirescanbeGoodGuysandhaveallthepositiveenergy,commitment,andpassionin
theworld,butwedidn’tfindouttheylackedtheskillsandattributesneededforthejobuntilthey“tookthefield.”
ThisiswhytheGoodGuyisthehardestofthetoughdecisionstodealwith,emotionally.ToparaphraseSallyFieldattheOscars,welikethem,wereallylikethem.GoodGuysdolotsofthingsright,giveuseverythingtheyhave,and
trulyaredoingtheirbest.Unfortunately,itisnotgoodenough.Butwhetheritisalackofskillsorthewrongjobtobeginwith,theycan’tmoveup.Whateverthereason,theyareGoodGuysbutbademployees.
AswediscussedinChapter6,I’mnottalkingabouthiringsomeonejustbecauseheorsheisaGoodGuyandignoringthemissing
skillsandattributes.I’malikableguywholovesfootball,butIwouldbeabaddraftpickfortheHoustonTexansfootballteamevenifIgaveeverygamemyall.Theywouldbefoolishtowastearosterspotonme.Truthis,weliketobelieveanddobelieve—andtellourchildren—thatyoucandoanythingyouwanttodoinlife.Butthatdoesnotmean
Noteveryoneisequalin
youaregoingtobegoodatitorthat,ifyoudevoteallyourtimeandenergytoit,you’lldeveloptheskillsandconfidencetodoit.
GoodGuyscometousinmanyways.Sometimeswearedesperateenoughtolookpastthe
everyway.
résumétofocusonlyonthepeoplewelike.Sometimeswepromotesomeonewereallylikebutwhosenewresponsibilitieslieoutsidetheircurrentfieldofexpertise.Nomatterthereason,whenGoodGuysgobad,itisusuallyobvioustoeveryone,includingtheGood
Guys.Theymaytryharder,worklater,andgiveittheirall,butattheendoftheday,theygohomedisappointedorfrustrated,inmanycasesfeelingbadnotjustabouttheirjobbutaboutthemselves.Asleaders,wedon’twanttohurttheirfeelings,sowekeepencouragingthemlongaftertheexpirationdateandtellthemtokeeptrying,butthis
leadstoourbeingfrustrated,theteamstruggling,andtheGoodGuyfeelingshame,embarrassment,andguilt.
DealingwithGoodGuysishardestwhentheyarenotnewemployeesbutlongtimeemployeeswhoarenotcomplacentbutsimplystuck.Ihaveaclientwithagreatteamofleadersandtheyall,forthemostpart,careabouttheirjobs,theirteams,andthe
company.OneoftheseleadersisoneofthenicestandmostgenuineguysIhavehadtheopportunitytoworkwithinmycareer.Mr.GoodGuy,Mr.Gforshort,hasbeenwiththecompanyformorethantenyearsandintheindustryforthirtyyears.Hehadgreatknowledgeandexperienceandhiseffortswerejustasgreat.However,therewasaproblem:No
matterhowmanyhoursheworked,orhowhardhetried,hecouldnotgrasptheconceptofleadingasalesteam...andhewastheVPofsales!
Mr.Gunderstoodthesalesprocessandtheoperationsofthebusiness,buthecouldnotgraspteamdevelopment.Mr.Gwouldprobablynotadmitthistoanyone,butIknewheknew
it.Drive,desiretodothejob,andpridekepthimgoing,butitwasnotenough.Now,youmightbethinking,“Nathan,didn’tyousayearlierthatdesire,drive,passion,andambitionareessentialattributes?”Theansweris“Yes,Idid.Butthesehavetobedirectedtowardtherightthings.”Mr.Gdoeshavethepassionforthejob,buthispassionisnotenough.No
matterhowhardhetries,hecannotdothejob.NoamountofeffortorcarewillgetMr.Gtothetopbecauseheisinthewrongjob.Anditwouldbemyclient’sfailureiftheydidnotaddresstheproblemandcontinuedtoletMr.Gstruggle,bynotmakingthetoughdecisiontoconfronthim.
Itwasn’tthatMr.Gwasn’tgoodatthegame;he
waslikealinemanbeingaskedtoplayquarterback.Itoldmyclient,Mr.G’sboss,“Youaredoinghimaninjusticebyallowinghimtostayinhisroleandgoonstruggling,andifyoudon’tmovehimsoonerratherthanlater,youwillruinhimandinturnloseagreatcontributortotheteam.Byplacinghiminabetterfit,likeVPofoperations,hewould
skyrockettostardom!Hewouldbehappierintheendandmoresuccessful,andtheorganizationwouldbenefit.”
Myclientagreed,intheory,butstillcouldn’tbringhimselftoconfrontMr.Gandmakethechange.Ifhehad,hemighthavelearnedwhatIhaveafteryearsofcoaching:TheGoodGuy’sunderperformancemaybedifficulttoconfront,butthe
resultscanbesomeofthemostrewardingtoughdecisionsinthelongrun.Afterall,someonehastohelpapersonlikeMr.Gtogetoutofhissituation,evenifitmeansofferinglessmoneyorademotion,andthatpersonishisleader.LeaderslikemyclientdoGoodGuysnofavorsbykeepingtheminajobinwhichthey’remiserableandfeelaltogether
Havetherightpeopledoing
inadequate.Mosttimes,evenwiththedemotionorreductioninpay,theyarehappierthandoingsomethingtheyreallycan’tdowell.
Manytimesinmycareer,IhavehademployeeslikeMr.G—employeeswho,afterI
therightthingsat therighttime.
becametheirmanager,hadtositdownwithmetodiscusstheirplacement.Atthesemeetings,theyweremadandupsetwithme—oneevencalledmeamonster—butalways,eachtime(sometimesdays,maybemonthslater)
theycalledore-mailedandsaidtheywerehappier.Maybepartofitwasbecausetheynolongerworkedforme—GoodGuyscanclashwithgoodcoaches—butIbelieveitisbecausetheywerenowdoingsomethingtheycouldbesuccessfuldoing.
Havingtheability,discipline,courage,andcommitmenttohelpourpeoplebebetter,evenwhenit
meansmakingtoughdecisions,iswhatleadstosuccess.Stopassessingtheproblemsbutnotmakingthechanges.Makethetoughdecisionsaboutthesetypesofemployees—andanyoneelsewhobringstheteamdownorholdsthembackfrombeingthebesttheycanbe—andeveryonewillbenefit.
Takeaways:
MakeToughDecisions
Itisnevertherightdecisiontokeepapersonwhoisnotthebestfitinthejob.
Onceyouknowapersonisnotagoodfitforajob,yourjobasaleaderisnottobe
selfishandavoidconflictbuttomakeamove.Remember:Allgreatlong-termrewards
requireshort-termworkandpain.Complacencycankillresults,morale,andsuccessfaster
thanthecompetitioninanyindustryormarket.Ifsomeonehasabadattitude,itistheir
fault,butifyoupaythem,itisyourfault!
Chapter 8TREATTHEVICTIMDISEASE
Inthe1993movieAddamsFamilyValues,PugsleyandWednesdayaresenttoasummercamp,whereWednesdaybattlesconstantly
withtheprim,privileged,andprotectedAmanda.Atthelakefront,theovereagercounselor,Gary,preparesthecamperstolearnaboutlifesavingandmakesWednesdayandAmanda“buddies.”
“Now,oneofyouwillbethedrowningvictimandtheotheronegetstobeourlifesaver,”Garysays.
“I’llbethevictim!”
Amandashoutsproudly.“Allyourlife,”
Wednesdayreplies.Alotofleaders,
includingmyself,couldhaveusedWednesday’sexpertiseinidentifyingwhoplaysthevictimforourbusinesses.Afterall,WednesdayAddamswasrightaboutAmandaandrightonadeeperleveltoo.Theproblemisthatweliveinasocietythattends
toraisevictims.Wedon’tteachourkidstofail;wethinkeveryonedeservestowinandgetamedal.Wedon’tacceptthatanyproblemmightbebecauseofus.Whenchildrenthinkteachershatethem,mostparentsgoinandcomplainabouttheteacher.Itcan’tbethekid.Somebodyiscausingourchildrentoactthisway.Blameitontheteacher,theschool,the
curriculum,theschoollunch...butnotlittleSuzieandlittleJohnny.NowlittleSuzieandlittleJohnnyhaverésumés,andchancesare,oneofthemisworkingforus.
Identifying theVictim Disease
Inbusiness,thesinglemostdefiningsymptomof
victimdiseaseisarapid,never-endingstreamofexcuses.Thosemostseverelyinfectedneverrunoutofpeopleorthingstoblame,makinganylackofsuccessbeyondtheircontrol.Victimsjustifytheirperformanceorlackofperformancebyblamingthelackofopportunities.Intheirwarpedworld,everythingisanattackuponthem.Whenchallenged
onthispoint,victimstypicallyrespondthewaytheydotomostfeedback,criticism,andcoaching—bygoingintodefensivelockdown.Allthis,ifnotrecognized,addressed,andremoved,willbecomethegreatestenemyofateam’swinningattitude.Victimscanaffectresultsandmoraleasmuchasanyunderperformer.Yettheythriveinbusinesses
A lot ofpeoplebehavelikevictimsbecause
becauseleadersallowthemtobevictimsandhavenodesiretoholdthemaccountablefortheir“victiming.”
Problemis,we’renotdealingjustwiththevictimswealreadyhave;we’rehiringthemtoworkforus.We
weallowthem tobevictims.
couldhaveavoidedhiringmanyofthoseinfectedwithvictimdiseaseinthefirstplace,butmostleadersdon’tdotheworktoidentifyobviousvictimsduringthehiringprocess.Sometimes,thisisbecausethoseleadersarevictimsthemselves,and
welikepeoplewhoarelikeus.It’snotthattheseleadersareactingmaliciously;theyareactingsympathetically,whichisoneofthereasonssympathyisnotacharacteristicofastrongleader.WhensomeonesaysIcouldn’tdothisorachievethat,theleaderthinks,Ihadthesameproblem.Thispersonneverhadachance.Iwillgivehimachance.More
often,though,wefailtospotvictimsinthehiringprocessbyfailingtoaskquestionsthatofferaprospectivehireachancetomakeexcusesandblamesomeoneorsomethingforwhytheyhavenotachievedanything.
Theeasiestthingtolistenforininterviewsareanswerstoquestionsthatfindout,rightorwrong,ifapersoncanorwillblameother
peopleorthingsoutsideoftheircontrolofanysituation.Asimplequestionlike“Haveyoueverbeenpartofaprojectthatfailedbutitwasn’tyourfault?”willfastletmeknowifIhaveapotentialvictiminfrontofme.Avictimwillanswersomethinglike“Ididmypart,butthe[editorial,marketing,engineering,art,etc.]departmentdidn’tgettheir
piece[in,right,approved,etc].”Theanswermaybetrue,buthowthepersonanswersitandmyfollow-upquestionstellmeasmuchaboutthatpersonaswhatheorshesaid:Isheorshedefensive?Angry?Resentful?Takinganyresponsibility?
Herearesomeotherquestionsthatcanleadtoaroundoftheblamegame:
Ifpeoplehavealreadylefttheirpreviousemployer,askthemwhyandthen
followupwith“Canyougoback?”and“Wouldtheyhireyouback?”—listenforhowmuch
theypointafingeratsomeoneorsomethingelseforanyreasonswhynot.Askthemto
describetheirfavoritebossandtheirleastfavoritebossandlistentohowthey
describethem—dotheynaturallyjuststartblamingtheleastfavoritebossfortheirproblems?Ask
themtotalkaboutgoodandbadrelationshipstheyhadatwork—listenforwherethey
takeresponsibilityandabdicateit.
Simplyput,victimsdonottakeresponsibilityfortheiractionsorfailures.Irememberinterviewingapersonforamanager’spositionwhomentionedhowhiscurrentboss“didnotlet
mebesuccessful,butifIcouldonlydothingsmyway,Iwouldbemoresuccessful.”Hetoldmeaboutsituationsthatfailedbecauseofothers,buthecouldn’tnameanyfailureofhisown.Byaskingthecandidatehoworwhythiswastrue,Imighthaveseentheflashingsignoverhishead,screamingVICTIM.ButIwasblind,andhehadtherésumé,andtheanswersI
waslookingfor,andheseemedlikableenough,soIhiredhim.
Onlylater,withthecoachingandhelpofmyboss,didIstarttoseethecharacteristicsofhisvictimdiseaseandrealizethenegativeeffectstheyhadonourbusinessandourleadershipteam.IfIhaddoneabetterjobofrecognizinghisvictimdiseaseandavoiding
it,Iwouldhavedoneabetterjobformyteam.IunderstoodthatIcouldnotgobackandchangethepast,soasaleader,itwasnowmyjobtotreatthevictim.
Recognizing andDealing withVictims
Sohowdowerecognizeapersonwithvictimdiseasealreadyinourbusiness?Itcanbedifficulttorecognizewhensomeoneisactinglikeavictimbecauseonethingvictimswillnotdoiscallthemselvesvictims.Inmanycases,theydonotseethemselvesthatway.Isaythisassomeonewhohasregrettablyhiredhisfairshareofvictims,missingthesigns,
whichIdidnotrecognizeatthetime.
Leadersinthepositionofdealingwithvictimsintheirbusinesses,rememberthecoachingprinciples:Embracetheconflictandfacetheproblem.Confrontingvictimsbringsconflictandalotofit,butthisistheonlywaytohelpthepersonandtheteam.Beprepared.Practiceyourmeetingwithapeerormentor
priortothemeeting.Helpthevictimunderstandwhyyouseehimorherasavictimand,mostimportant,thatbeingavictimiscostinghimasanindividualandisaffectingtheteamandtheorganization.Helpthevictimunderstandthatbeingavictimisachoice,andnotbeingavictimisachoiceaswell.
Asleaders,itisourjob
to:
1. 1.Identifyvictims.
2. 2.Helpthemrecognizetheirbeliefsandbehaviors.
3. 3.Help
themgofromvictimstovictorsorgosomeplaceelse.
Recently,theownerofthefitnessclubwhereIworkoutbroughtmeintohelphimcoachhisteamofpersonal
trainers.Hisconcernwashowthesetrainerswerecommunicatingwithhiscustomers.Hewantedthetrainerstounderstandhowwhattheysayanddonotonlyreflectsonthembutalsoonthebusinessasawhole.Anytrainerandgymcangetresults,butgoodcommunicationwoulddifferentiatehimfromhiscompetitors,build
relationships,andgenerategreatword-of-mouth.
AsIstartedtalkingtoandworkingoutwiththetrainers,Izeroedinononetrainerimmediately.Hewasanathletewitharealchiponhisshoulder.Now,IamnotanathletenordoIhavemuchexperiencewithweightlifting.Thistrainer,whoIwouldseeacoupleoftimesaweek,becameextremely
impatientwithmebecauseIcouldn’trememberwhatapowerclean,oneofthemoves,lookedlikefromonesessiontothenext.Butitwasn’tjustme;heseemedtorubeveryonethewrongway.Heyelledatthepart-timestafftocleanupquicker.Heyelledatafriendofmineassheworkedoutbecausehefeltshewasnottakingherworkoutseriously,andhe
Victimsnevermakeanyonefeelspecial,exceptthosewho
madeherfeelstupid.Itell
everyclientIworkwithwhatItellmyself:Itisourjobtomakepeoplefeelspecial.That’snotjustforsalespeople,thehospitality
enablethem.
industry,orcustomerservice.Maybeyouhaveaproductthatmakessomeonefeelspecialorusewordsthatmakesomeonefeelspecialwhentheywalkintoyourofficeordepartment.Whateveritis,thebestpeoplemakeotherpeoplefeelspecial.Thistrainerseemed
nottoknowthatruleandhadforgottenhewastheretoserveus.
SoIpulledhimasideandaskedhimwhyhewassoangrywithmeandwhyhethoughtpeoplelikemewereeventhere.Heimmediatelygotdefensiveandevenseemedoffendedbymyquestions.“Peoplelikeyoudon’tlisten,”hesaid,“becausetheydon’twantto
getbetter.Theyjustwanttocomeinandplay.”Hewasfrustratedthathetakeshisjobsoseriouslywhileeveryoneelsecomesinjust“toplay.”Hedidn’tcarethatI,likemostofhisclients,hadbusylivesandcametohimtoescape—thathislifemightbewrappedaroundweightliftingandtraining,butforhisclients,itwasaone-hourtaskintheday.Hethought
weweren’tseriousaboutit,didn’tloveit,ordidn’tcareaboutit.Thatdidn’tmeanitwasn’tapriorityforus.Itriedtoexplainallofthisandmoretohim—toshowhimhewasmissingthepoint,thatwefoundvalueinthisescapetothegymandheneededtomakeusfeelspecialduringthattime.Iwantedhimtoseeitwaslikeowningabar.Wegotoabartoescapeour
worries;whenyouownthebar,itisyourworry.
AsIpressedhimfurtherandaskedwhyhethoughtitwasacceptabletoyell,theexcusesstartedaboutwhyhewasthewayhewas.Hisbosses?“Theyrenewedmycontract,buttheywon’tletmedowhatIwanttodo.”Itwentonandonwithlineslikethat.Itwasallaboutpoorlittlehim.Oneday,Ishowed
upandhewassittingoverinacornerpouting.WhenIaskedhimwhy,hesaid,“Well,Iwasn’tsupposedtocomeintoday.”Itoldhimtheywerepayinghimandiftheywantedhimtostandonhisheadandspinlikeatop,thenheshouldspinlikeatop.Hisjobwastomakeadifferenceforthepeoplewhopaythegymandforthebosseswhopayhim.Andthat
ledtoanentirelynewconversationfullofexcusesregardinghischildhoodandcollegewoes.
Unfortunately,thistrainerhadaterminalcaseofvictimdiseaseandeventually,afterninetydays,myclientfiredtheguy.Acoupleofweekslater,someonetoldmetheyhadlunchwithhimandtheytoldmehesaid,“Well,theywantedmetobefired.”He
saidtheyputhiminsituationswherehewouldlosehistempersotheycouldfirehim.Everythingfromwhathewasrequiredtodo,tohisattendance,towhathegotpaid—someonedidsomethingwrongtoputhiminthatspot.Unfortunately,he’llprobablyplaythevictimtherestofhislife.
Change the Victimto Victor or Changethe Player
AtSprint,myteamssupportedcompanies,suchasRadioShackandBestBuy,thatsoldourproductsandservices.Once,whenItookoveranewmarket,oneoftheexistingsalesmanagerstoldmethereasontheteamwasstruggling:“Wecan’tsellour
productouttherebecauseitdoesn’tworkwellenough.”Howwasthispersonavictim?Onthefaceofit,thiscertainlysoundedasiftheteamhadlegitimatereasonforfailingtobuilditsbusiness.Itwastruethatwelaunchedaproductwithnetworkcoverageinferiortothatofsomeofourcompetitors...threeyearsbefore.Inthethreeyears
since,ourcoverageandproductshadgottensignificantlybetterandworkedaswellasanyoneelse’sinthemarket.Bymaintainingtheexcusethatourproductsdidn’tworkwellenough,thissalesmanagercouldrationalizeanylackofsuccess.
Ihearsimilarcomplaintsfromleadersandteamsineveryindustry:Myproductor
servicejustisn’tcompetitivewiththeotherproductsoutthere.Victimsacceptthisasfactandthusaninsurmountableobstacle.ButashappenedatSprint,factscanchange,andsometimesthoseobstaclesaren’tinsurmountableatall.Lookatthetopperformersonthesameteamasthevictim:Aretheystrugglingtoo?Aretheyfocusingonhowbadthings
areorworkinghardtoovercomethem?WhatreallydidnotworkwellenoughatSprintwasmysalesmanager.Obstaclesinlifeandbusinessarefacts;badthingshappenandpeopledobadthings.Butbeingavictiminresponsetothoseobstaclesoractionsisachoice.Weallfaceobstacles,butvictimsdon’tknowthedifferencebetweenanobstacleandanexcuse.
Obstacle—Excuse
—Solution
Anobstacleisafact:
aproblemwemust(andCAN)overcome(competition,industryissues,economy,markettrends)
Anexcuseisaresult:areasonwedidnotovercometheobstacle
toachieveourgoal—whywelostorarelosing“thegame”
Asolutionisaresult:howweovercametheobstacletowinor
pushforwardonachievingourgoals
Becauseofhisperformanceandbecausehestillfeltitwasnothisfaultandthatthecompanywasthe
onetoblameforhisfailure,Iencouragedmysalesmanagertogooutandhaveafreshstart.ItoldhimthatthisteamwasnotagoodfitforhimandhewasprobablyrightthatthecompanyandIhadfailedhim—butnotforthereasonhethought.IhadfailedhimbecauseIwasunabletohelphimtreathisvictimdisease.That’sbecauseIdonotbelievevictimdiseaseis
terminalandallvictimsareworthlesstoacompany.Ibelievepeoplecanchangetheirbeliefsandbehaviorsiftheydecidetodoso.Leadersshouldhelpvictimsseethepowerthatnolongerblamingotherpeopleorcircumstancescangivethem,andhowitmakesthembetterpeople.
Leadersmusthelpthosewhomakethechoicetobeavictimtomakebetterchoices,
orwehavetohelpthemmoveoutsidetheteamorcompany.That’sourchoice.Itisnotenoughtohelpvictimsfighttheirdisease;leadersmustcontinuetocoachthem,becausethediseasecanreturn.Ascoachesandleaders,wecannotchangethosewhodonotwanttochange,sowemustbeabletorecognizethesignsofarefusaltochange
Winningis notaboutskill—it’saboutmind-set.
andremovethosevictimsfromtheorganization.
Ifmyclient’strainerandmysalesmanagerhadlistenedtowhatweweresayingandrecognizedtheirproblems,wecouldhave
workedwiththem.Buttheybothacceptednoresponsibilityoraccountability.Theykeptblamingeveryoneandeverythingandinnowaysaid,“Helpmegetbetter”or“LetmeknowwhenI’mdoingsomethingwrong.”Victimswhodothatopenthemselvesuptofurthercoachingactivities,suchas
scrimmaging.That’showvictimsbecomevictors.TheydowhatItellmykidsallthetime:“Don’tgiveanypersonorthingpowertodetermineyoursuccess.”Wecontroleverythingwedoandhowwedoit.Leadersmusthelpvictimsunderstandthatacceptingresponsibilitydoesnotmeanweakness—itmeansstrength.
Takeaways:TreatingtheVictimDisease
Likesomuchincoaching,theeasypartisidentifyingthisproblem;thehardpartis
addressingitandfixingit.Mostvictimsdonotknowtheyarevictimsordon’tseethemselves
asvictims.Recognizethediseaseandmakepeopleawaretheyhaveit,thenremove
thevictimdiseasefromthepersonorremovethepersonfromtheteam.
Knowthatleaderswhoarevictimscancreatemorevictimsbecausetheysympathizewith
themandtheyenablethemtoremainvictims.Lookfortheblamegamewheninterviewing
prospectivenewhires.
Chapter 9AVOID THEBIGGESTMANAGEMENTTRAPS
DespiteallIknowaboutturningmanagersinto
coachesandstrivingtobeacoachmyself,Istillfallintomanagementtrapsthatkeep
greatleadersandmanagersfrombeinggreatcoaches.Iknowwhatthetrapsareandevenseethemcomingsometimes,butIhavetoworkhardtoavoidthem.Andunlesswemakeconsciouseffortstoavoidthesetrapsorhaveanexitstrategywhenwedon’t,wewillstaysnaredandstruggleinthemandeventuallygiveuponsome,ifnotall,ofthecoaching
skillsandprincipleswehaveworkedonsofar.So,beforeIletyougofromtheactivitiesandactionsofcoachingtothecultureofcoaching,Iwanttocoverthefivebiggestmanagementtrapscoachesfallinto.
TheFiveBiggest
ManagementTraps
1. 1.Trap#1:Coachingisdifficultandredundant.
2. 2.
Trap#2:Myteamisalreadygreat.
3. 3.Trap#3:Checkingthebox
4. 4.Trap#4:Allowingbottomperformerstoleaveontheirowntimeline
5. 5.
Trap#5:Notbelieving
Trap #1: CoachingIs Difficult andRedundant
Coachingisatime-consumingandoftenrepetitiveactivity.Welovetosay,“Focusonthebasics,”butittakesconstanteffortforouractionstomatchthesewords.Thetrapisrationalizingthetimeanddifficultyofsustainingaculturewhenwesay,“Idon’thavethetimetocoachanymore,”andthatexcuse’suglystepsisters“Ourpeople
alreadyknowthisstuff”and“Wehavealreadypracticedthistopic.”Tostayoncourseandstayoutofthistrap,remindyourselfandyourteamthatalthoughwehavealreadyworkedonskillsordisciplinesandknowandhaveimprovedthem,wecannotstoppracticingthem.Aprofessionalbaseballplayerwillpracticecatchinggroundersandpopfliesfrom
teeballuntilheretires.Heneverbelieveshe’sperfect.Thepracticeisrarelynewandexciting,butthedesiretobecomeabetterprofessionalandkeepgettingbetteris.Thesameistrueinbusiness:Ifwekeepfocusingonbeingbetterateverythingwedo,thenourbusinesswillgetbetter.
Sure,it’seasiertostartthansustain.Oftenleadersget
pumpedoutofthegateandstartdoingalltherightthings—scrimmagingonceaweekasateam,conductingcoachingone-on-onesessions,andreallyfocusingongrowingeachteammember.Butthen,likeachildwithanewtoy,wefeelthenewnessandfunstarttowearoff,andsodoestheexcitement.Thereshouldbenoexcusesfornotseeingand
anticipatingthis.Weknowthiswillhappen,sometimeswithinweeks.Itwillhappen,andwemustbepreparedtoavoidthetrap.
ThebestexitstrategyfromTrap#1istostaycommittedtothingslikescrimmagingandteamrecognitionandrewardprogramsbygettingyourteaminvolvedmoreandmoreinplanningandexecuting
them.Becarefulnottocopoutanddelegateyourcoachingactivities:Don’tdelegateactionstosomeoneelsebecauseitboresyou.Dothat,andyouripoffyourteam,deprivingthemofwhattheydeserve—yourtimeandcommitment.Andthen,evenifyouthinkyourteamisgreat,don’tstopdoingtherightthings.
Trap #2: My TeamIs Already Great
Ihavefourchildren,andIcanhonestlysaytheyareallperfect.Myoldestiswickedsmart.Myeleven-year-olddaughterhasoneofthebiggestheartsandgeneroussoulsofanyoneyouhaveevermet.Mythree-year-oldhasthemostmagneticenergyandapresencethatmakes
youloveher.Mytwo-year-oldisbeautifulandthestrongesttwo-year-oldgirlIhaveeverseen.Ifmypraisesoundsfamiliartoyou,youareprobablyparentssayingthesamethingsaboutyourkids,orthefriendofthoseparentswhowishestheywouldshutupabouttheirkids.Eitherway,youknowwhatImean:Sometimesleaders,likeparents,takethis
hyperbolicsee-no-imperfectionsattitudetowardtheirteam.Maybewefeelobligatedtosingtheirpraisesinthewayparentsdotheirkids.Ormaybewethink,“Well,duh.They’reonmyteam.Ofcoursethey’reawesome.”
Theremaybekidsouttheresmarterandmoregiftedthanmykids,prettierthanmydaughtersandmore
handsomethanmyson,butmykidsaremyfamilyandIcan’treplacethem.Unlikewithfamily,asabusinessleader,youcannotgetattachedtoanidealizedversionofyourteam.Wemustask,“Whoonmyteamisnotperformingtotheteamstandards?”Thenweneedtomovethemuptothestandards.Thenraisethestandards.
Inprofessionalsports,teamsdraftnewandmoretalentedplayerseveryyear,notbecausetheyhatetheircurrentteamordon’tthinkthey’reanygoodbutbecausetheirjobistofindthebesttalentandplacethemontheteam.Inbusiness,wemustremember:Everyoneisreplaceable.Yes,thisisaharshreality,butitisarealone:Everyoneisvaluablebut
notnecessary.Bewillingandabletolookatyourteamsubjectivelyandasksomehardquestionsregularly:
Canthispersontakeourteamtothenextlevel?IfIleftthe
company,whichofthemwouldIwanttotakeovertheteam?
Itisnormalforleaderstorespectandcareabouttheirteams,especiallythosewhohavebeenwithusforalong
time,buteverybodymuststillearntheirrosterspoteveryyear.Don’tallowpersonalemotionstokeepyoufrommakingthebestprofessionaldecisions.Doingtherightthingissometimeshard,butneverwrong.
Trap #3: Checkingthe Box
Thistrapcouldalsobecalledthegoing-through-the-motionstrap.Itistooeasytodoataskandchecktheboxmerelytosaythatwehavedoneit.Wemaynotevenrealizewe’vefallenintothistrap.Buttheconsequencesfortrappedcoachescanbeespeciallydrasticiftheteamfollowslikelemmings.
Whatarethesignsofthistrap?Westarthaving
scrimmagesjusttohavethemorgiveagameballjusttodosomething.Westopplanningevenforthemostimportantactivities.IrecentlyhadaclientcallmeonaFridaymorningtotellmehewasabouttohavehisweeklypracticeandwastryingtothrowtogetherhisagendarealquick—justminutesbeforethemeeting.Weallhavedonethisatonetimeor
another,butwecannotstopgivingthesameamountofrespectanddedicationtothecoachingofourteamsthatwewantourteamstogivetous.That’scheckingthebox,andoftenthefirststeptostoppingtheseactivities.
ThisisnodifferentfromwhathappenseveryspringwhenIbringourboattothehouseforspringcleaning.My
kidslovethisday(not),andeveryonehasajob.Afterabouttwentyminutes,myoldestdaughter,whoistaskedwithcleaningtheseats,says,“Daddy,I’mdone.”
“Nowayyoucleanedallofthoseseatsthatfast,”Itellher.Sheveryconfidentlyresponds,“Yes,Idid;lookforyourself.”Turnsout,shedidexactlywhatshethoughtwasright:Sheputcleaneron
oneoftheseatsandwipeditontoeveryseat.Everyseatwaswipedbutfarfromclean,andsomeweredirtierthanothers.Itookthisasateachablemoment.Itookthecleanerandstartedtocleanoneofthefrontseats.Isprayedandscrubbedandsprayedandscrubbed.MyseatwasreallycleanandIaskedmydaughter,“DoyouseeadifferenceintheseatI
cleanedandtheonesyoucleaned?”Shesaid,“Yes,butthatisbecauseyouarebiggerandstronger.”Isaid,“Notreally,honey;thereasonisthatourintentionsaredifferent.Iamcleaningtheseatwiththeintentionandgoaltomakethisseatlookbrand-new,andyourintentionorgoalwasjusttogetitdone.”
Theonlywaytoavoid
checkingtheboxistomakesureweareinvolvedasmuchaspossiblesothatweholdourselvesaccountableinfrontofourteams.Recommittocoachingtheteamwiththeintentionthatyouwillmakethembettereveryweek,everymonth,andeveryyear,withthegoaltohelpthemgrowandgrowtheircareers.Coachwithgreatintentandyouwillgaingreatplayers.
Trap #4: AllowingBottom Performersto Leave on TheirOwn Timeline
We’vetalkedalotaboutfocusingontopperformersanddealingwithdecentperformerswhohavebadattitudes.Butthatdoesnotmeanleaderscanfocusonlyonthesepeopleandletour
poorestperformersdecideontheirowntoleavethecompanyratherthanourtakingtheinitiativetousherthemoutthedoor.Takingthateasywayoutandlapsingbackintotheselfish,conflict-avoiding,unaccountablemanagementculturewhendealingwithunderperformerssendsamessagethatismoreimportantthantheaction.Italsoleadstoacrisisofsorts:
Bythetimeunderperformingemployeesmakethedecisiontoleave,they’llmostlikelyhavetakentheirqualityofworkdowntorockbottom,andtheotherteammemberswillhavenoticedit.Thissendsamessagetoothersthatwedon’tvaluethosewhogobeyondanddotheirbest.Nowit’sthecompany,nottheunderperformingemployee,wholookssuspect.
Ifpoorperformersareleavingoftheirownvolition,thensomethingmustbewrongwiththecoachandtheorganization,notjusttheperson:“Shemadethedecisiontoleave,notherboss,soIbetshe’sright.”It’sgoodtogiveunderperformersachancetoimprovebeforeshowingthemthedoor,butwhatwecannotdoisallowunderperformancetobecome
acceptableandturnintothestatusquo.Don’twaitforanyonetoleaveofhisorherownaccord.Hirefast,firefaster,andholdeveryoneaccountablenomatterhowmuchconflictensues.
Trap #5: NotBelieving
Thistrapcanbethecause
ofmuchheartbreakandbringsusbacktowherewestartedandintothefinalpartofthebook.Icallthistrapthe“Idon’tbelievewecan,butIdon’tbelievemyteamknowsthat,soit’sokay”trap.Here’showitgoes.Leaderssetlogicalgoalsfortheirteamsandtelltheteammembersthattheycanachievethem,buttheydon’treallybelievethemembershaveitinthem
todoso.Thentheleaders’interactionsbetraytheirinfidelity:Beliefcan’tbefaked,notlong-termatleast,andnotinthedynamicofteaminteraction.
Trustme,justasourkidsknowwhenwearenotbeingtruthful,sodoourteams.Asleaders,wenotonlyneedaplay-to-winmentalitybutalsohavetobelieveit.Ifwelackfaithin
ourteamstowin,thenweshouldn’tbeleadingthem.Nomatterthebusinessorsport,noteamorathletecanshowupexpectingtolose.That’sasmuchareflectionofthecoachasanythingelse.Inbecomingcoaches,leadersaregivengreaterchallengesthantheyhavefacedinthepastand,atfirstglance,canfeeloverwhelmedandhavedoubts.That’sokay,but
remembertobelogical,notrealistic,evenwhenitcomestotheactofcoachingitself.Noneofwhatwehavecoveredinthisbookiseasy.Someofitmayseemfarfromrealisticattimes,butIassureyou,theonlythingthatkeepsanythingfrombeingpossibleincoachingisnotbelievinginyourteamandnotmakingthatteambelieveinthemselves.
Don’tignoretheobstaclesortheenormouschallengesyouarefacing;strivetoovercomethemandyouwillachievegreatness.Remember:Anobstacleinbusinesscanbeaseasytogetaroundasaclosedstreetinyourhometown,orasdifficultaskeepingyourkidsoutofharm’sway.Beliefisachoice—theessentialchoiceincoaching.Sowhatis
yours?
Takeaways:AvoidingtheBiggestManagementTraps
Alwaysmandatecoachingactivitiesandskillsofcoaching
foryourteamandyourself.Sustainthecoachingactivitiesandactionsyouhaveputin
place.Beproudofyourteambutdon’thaveanidealizedvisionofthem.Hirefast,fire
faster.Alwaysbelieveinwhatyoupreachanddo.
PARTTHREECreate aCoachingCulture
Chapter 10THEDESIRE TOWINTo succeed ascoaches, leadersneed a culture thatsupports the
A
activities ofcoaching.
clientaskedmetheother
day,“What’smoreimportant,winningornotlosing?”Atfirst,Ithought,Winning.Then,Iansweredsomethingdifferent:“Thedesiretowin.”Yes,IwantthepeoplewhoworkformetothinklikeDaleEarnhardt,whosaid,“Secondplaceisjustthefirst-placeloser.”Iwantmyteamtosay,“Wearegoingtowineveryrace,andifwelose,wejustranoutoftime.”But
coachesknowthisdesiretowincomesfrommorethantheactivitiesandactionsofcoaching.Nocoachorsuperstarathletecanwinitallalone.Theyneedateamthatsharestheirdesire,improvestheirskills,andhassomethingmore—aculturethatsupportsadesiretowinandfieldswinningteamswithwinningattitudesyearafteryear.That’showgreatsports
franchisesanddynastiesaremade:Theybuildonawinningmind-set.
Inbusiness,itisthesame.Itisnotenoughthatleadersknowhowtocoachanddeveloptheskillsandactivitiesofcoachingifthey,theirbosses,andtheorganizationdon’tembraceaculturethatsupportsthechangefrommanagingtocoaching.Understandingand
implementingtheprinciples,actions,andactivitiesofcoaching,suchasscrimmaging,peerpresentations,andlogicalgoals,havethepotentialtocreate,develop,andgrowwinningteams,buttheyareonlypartofwhatturnsgreatleadersintogreatcoaches.Winningcoaches,teams,andorganizationsmustalsohavewinningmind-setsthat,topto
bottom,mandatethebeliefinadesiretowin,holdpeopleaccountableforit,andforceleaderstogetmoreinvolvedwiththeteamstomaintainit.
Thosearetheessential,highlyintegratedcharacteristicsofacoachingculturewecoverinthispartofthebook—thedesiretowin,accountability,andgetting“onthefield”withyourteam.Leaderswhoare
coachesknowtheirnumberonepriorityistocoachtheirteams,whichmeansworkingwiththemtomakethembetterasateam.Andsuccesscomesdowntooneessentialprinciple:Leadersexpectonlywhatweinspect;ifwedon’tinspectit,don’texpectit.
I’llsayitonelasttime:Oneofthegreatestmistakesleadersmakeinbusiness
todayistolivebyaphilosophyof“Ihiregreatpeopleandgetoutoftheirwaysotheycandotheirjobs.”That’swhymanagersinmanagementculturesdon’tcoachmuch,ifatall:Thecultureoftheorganizationdoesnotsupportthedepthofinvolvementneededtocoach,letalonemandateit.Time-consumingcoachingactivities,theconstantneedto
motivatetheteamandimprovemorale,andtheinevitableconflictthatarisesfrommakingthetoughdecisionstocoachpeopleuporoutoftheorganization—andholdingourselvesaccountableforallofit?Thatcanadduptoonehugeineffectivebeatdownforleaders.
The Desire to WinStarts with a Desireto Get Involved
Once,inthemiddleofapresentationIwasmakingaboutcoachesgettinginvolvedandthedesiretowin,thefounderandCEOofthecompanystoodupandsaid,“Idon’tthinkIagreewithyou.Ipaymypeopletodotheirjobsandthinkfor
themselves,nottohavemeconstantlymicromanagingandtellingthemhowtodoit.”
“Iappreciatethat,”Isaid.“Youmakeavalidpoint.ButIwantyoutoconsideranotherwayoflookingatit.Togrowanddevelopourpeople,wewantthemtobenefitfromourexperienceandknowwesupportthem.Wewantthemstrivingfor
moreandnotbelefttowonderiftheyaredoingtherightthings.Yes,theyneedtoexpresstheirowncreativityandbeallowedtomakemistakesandgrowwithouthand-holding.Butevenleadersneedandwantleadership,andastheircoaches,weshouldbetheretoguide,encourage,andpushthem—andthenmandatethattheydothesameforthe
teamswhoreporttothem,andsoon.”
Mypointwasn’ttochallengetheCEOortobedisrespectful.Iwasn’ttellingthisCEOtohirepeoplewhowaitforhimtotellthemwhat’srightandwhattodo.Ibelieveincreatingateamofpeoplewhopushthemselvesandgooutandtakechancesandmakebigdecisions—whomaysometimesscrewupbig
butwillalwaysultimatelysucceedbig.Isimplywantedtogethimtostopconfusingthemoremicroinvolvementofcoachingactivitieswithmicromanaging.
Lookatitthisway.IfIcouldshowthepeoplewhoworkformehowtomakeamilliondollarsamonthformycompany,wouldI:
(A)wantthemto
figureitoutontheirown?
(B)givethemtheReader’sDigestversionofitandthenleavethemalone?
(C)tellthemhowtodoit,stepbystep,
andthenstayinvolvedtopushandencouragethemtosucceed?
Ofcourse,theanswershouldbeC.Whobettertodothisthanyou?Isaywegiveourteamsallthetools,direction,leadership,anddepthofourexperienceand
puttheminthebestpossiblepositiontosucceed.Asaleader,Ihavetheabilityandtheresponsibilitytoinstilladesiretowinbyputtingmyteaminthepositiontowinwithsupport,guidance,andencouragement.
Leadersmightbeconcernedifwespendallthistimecoachingthetoppeople;thosepeoplearejustgoingtoleaveandtakewhatthey
learnedsomewhereelsetocompeteagainstus.Comeon,wegiveourselveswaytoomuchcredit.Nobody’sthatsmartorthatgood.That’suselessworrying.Wewillbenefitfromatopperformer’sworkasmuchastheybenefitfromourknowledge.
Simplyput,stopthinkingthatsomeonerecruitingfromyourteamisabadthingwhen
itisactuallyagreatthing—evenifitisaclientofyoursorapotentialbusinesspartner.Themorepeoplewhoworkforusandarecoachedbyustoanewlevelwithadeepdesiretowin,andwhothengetrecruitedfromourteamsforbetterjobs,thestrongerournetworkbecomesandthebetterwecanbuildourteam’sreputationforcreating
Coachesgetinvolvedin the
winners.Thoseformeremployeesknowthatwemadethembetter,andthat’sthefoundationforextremelypowerfulrelationshipsthatneverexpire.
Orjustthinkofitthewaymyclient,KenSmith,vicepresidentofNorth
beginningandmicromanagersgetinvolvedin theend.
AmericanFieldSalesandRegionDevelopmentatGeorgiaPacific,does:“Whatifwedidn’ttrainthesepeopleanddidn’tinvestinthemandtheystayed!”
Micromanagingversus GettingInvolved
Merriam-Websterdefinesmicromanageas“totrytocontrolormanageallthesmallpartsof(something,suchasanactivity)inawaythatisusuallynotwantedorthatcausesproblems.”Afterallwehavecoveredhere,doesthatsoundlikewhat
coachesdowhenperformingtheactivitiesofcoaching?That’snotthekindofinvolvementanddirectionthatleadstotopperformanceandadesiretowin.Sportsteamsandtheirsuperstarsdon’tresenttheinvolvementofthecoacheswhohelpthemwin,sowhyshouldthepeoplewhoworkforus?Becausemanagerswhoarenotinvolvedwiththeirteams
tendtogetinvolvedonlywhenthereisaproblem.AndaswediscussedbrieflyinPartOne,wecan’tcoachateamthatalwaysviewsourinvolvementinthenegative.
Forexample,IwasleadingacoachingworkshopforvicepresidentsataFortune100financialcompanyabouttheneedtogetinvolvedtodeveloptheirteamsofagents,whenoneof
themsaid,“Idon’tworryaboutmypeople’sactivityuntiltheresultsarebad.Aslongasthenumbersaregood,Idon’tbreakdownactivity.Ibreakitdownwhenthingsarebad.”That’sexactlywhatleadstomicromanaging:gettinginvolvedonlyinthenegative.IfImanageactivitysolelyasaresponsetopeoplenotdoingtheirjobsornotachievingresults,thenallmy
involvementwillbeperceivedasmicromanaging.
Thegoalofcoachingisn’ttomakebadteamsgood;itistomakeanyteambetter.Coachesshouldneveruseactivityasaconsequence;weshoulduseactivitytoprepareourteamstowinandthengivefeedbackwhentheresultsarebadandgood.Weshouldbeapartofmostscrimmages.Weshouldgoto
meetingsandappointmentstofindoutwhatourteamsaredoing.Weshouldthengivethemfeedbackonwhatwefoundanddeveloptheskillstheyneedtoperformbetter,ormovethemoutifwethinktheycan’tperform.Inotherwords,coachinginvolvementthroughactivitymanagementisnotjustaboutwhatwedo—it’swhenandwhywedoit.Amicromanagerinspects
becausehedoesn’tthinkapersonisableorcapabletodothejobwithouthelp.Acoachinspectstohelpdevelopandpreparetheteamtodotheirjobsbetter.
To Win, CoachSkills, Not Tasks
Understandinghowtogetinvolvedcomesfrom
knowingwhattocoach.Manytimes,leaderswillpickouttasksforemployees,focuson“training”theminhowtodothosetasksbetter,andthinktheyare“coaching”theirpeople.Tasksarenotskills;tasksare,well,tasks.It’sonethingtoknowthetasksyouhavetodo;it’squiteanothertohavedevelopedtheskillsnecessarytodotheseandothertasks
well.Typically,inbusiness,whenweareteachingourpeoplehowtodotheirjobsorspecifictasks,wecallthistraining.Whenwecoach,weareworkingwithourteammembersoncommunicationskills,leadership,influence,motivation,energy...alltheskillsandattributesthatmakepeoplebetterprofessionalsandenablethemtoworktogetherasateam.Thiscan
benotonlyhardtodobutalsoharderfortheorganizationtojustifythetimecommitmentwhentheseskillsarenotnecessarilytangibleROIitems.Butthisisexactlythereasonpeopledon’tgrowanddevelopadesiretowin—thereisnoculturethatmandatesit.
Amultimillion-dollarclientofmineintheconstruction
Constructionis morethanjustbuilding.
businesshadanissuewithitssitemanageratashoppingcenterwhowasinchargeofinstallingtheundergroundequipmentfortheentireproject.Thissitemanagerkneweverythingintheworld
aboutpipesandpipeinstallation,buthelackedtheabilitytoworkandcommunicatewellwiththeothercompaniesonthejobsite.Everyonehatedhim,andmyclientwassufferingbecauseofit.Forexample,oneday,thesitemanagerneededtomakesureapipewasinstalledbeforeanothercompanydidtheirsitework.Butbecausetheother
companydidnotlikethesitemanagerandhadnoagreementwithmyclient’scompanytopartneronthatwork,theothercompanywentaheadandbuilttheirsectionwithoutlettingmyclientknow.Myclientnowhadtofindawaytoworkaroundthisissue,anditledtotwodaysindelaysandincreasedlaborandmaterialcosts.
Butasmuchasthiswasareflectionontheunlikabilityofthesitemanager,thebiggerpicturehadlesstodowiththesitemanagerandeverythingtodowithleadership,namelyaddressingthesitemanager’sinabilitytomanageeffectivebusinessrelationships.Thus,theissuewiththisprojecthadbeenmanagedasaresultbutnevercoachedsoitwouldnot
happenagain.Iftheissuehadbeencoached,theleaderofallthesitemanagerswouldhaveanticipatedsituationslikethisanddonemockscrimmagesmultipletimesonhowtobuildeffectiverelationshipsonthejobsite,insteadofwaitinguntiltherewasaproblemandthenattemptingtofixit.Myclientwouldhavesolvedaproblembeforeithappenedoratleast
knownthatthesitemanagerneededhelpsolvingit.Thatisthemind-setofacoachinacoachingculture:gettinginvolvedbeforethereisaproblem,gettinginvolvedtowinbyfocusingonwhatmattersmost—ourpeople.
Focus on theRoots, Not the
FruitsToooften,leadersfocus
onrevenue,sales,productdevelopment,customerservice,employeesatisfaction,etc.,asissuesdisconnectedfromourpeople.ButaswediscussedinChapter6,theyarefruitsofourlaborandefforts.Theycannotfullybeachievedwithoutfocusingontheroots
ofourbusiness—ourpeople.Whenwefocusonourteammembers’skills(theroots),theywillcontinuetobeargreatresults(thefruits).AndIbelieveallbusinessleaders,eveniftheywerechosenbydefault,candothisregardlessoftheirownskillset,aslongastheyhavethemind-setanddeveloptheirskillsascoaches.
Atthe
Coachesdon’thave tohavebetterskillsthantheteam.
startofthisbook,Isaidthatoneofthemainreasonsleadersdon’tcoachtheirpeopleisthattheyareafraidtofindoutthatthosepeoplearenotasgoodastheythought.
Butactually,thereisamoreselfishfear:Wethink,bycoaching,wewillbe“foundout”thatwearenotasgoodassome,ifnotall,ofourplayers.Butwhatcoachis?HankHaneycouldn’thitaballfartherthanTigerWoods.BillBelichickcan’tthrowapasslikeTomBrady.Evengoodplayerswhobecameincrediblysuccessfulcoaches,suchasPhilJackson
intheNBAorPatSummittattheUniversityofTennessee,neverhadtheskillsoftheirsuperstars.Superstarsinmostsportssometimesbecomecoaches,butmoreoften,theybecomeconsultantsandbusinessboardmembers.Thegreatestsportscoaches(oreventhegoodoneswhoarenotHallofFamers)cancoachthosesuperstarswithconfidenceandawinning
attitudewithouteverworryingtheyneedtoprovesomethingastheirequals.DoyouthinkMichaelPhelpsdidnotlistentoBobBowmanbecauseBowmannevermadeitbeyondhiscollegeswimteam?BélaKárolyicompetedinthehammerthrow,notgymnastics.DidthatstopNadiaComaneciorMaryLouRettonfromlisteningtohimandgettingperfecttens?
Whatmakesleadersinbusinessthinkthisway?Acoach’sjobisn’ttobeasgoodastheteam.Acoach’sjobistomaketheteamandallitsplayersbetterthantheywereyesterday.
AtSprint,Iknewatwenty-one-year-oldwho,wefelt,despiteherage,hadthedesiretowinandacoachingmind-set.Shehaddoneexcellentworkasanassistant
managerofathrivinglargeretailstorethathadoncestruggled.SoSprintpromotedhertomanagerofanequallylargestorethatresembledhersbeforetheturnaroundandwasindireneedofanewdirection.Momentsintoherfirstdayonthejob,thatstore’sassistantmanager,whofeltshehadbeenpassedoverforthestoremanagerjob,madeitveryclearthat
shedidn’tthinkthenew“young”managercoulddoanythingbetterthanshecould.
Iaskedthenewmanagerhowshehandledthisrebuke,andshesaidthatsherecognizedthevictimdisease(whichwecoveredinChapter8)intheassistantmanagerrightaway.Feelingyougetpassedoverforajob—andusingthatasanexcusetobe
negative,unmotivated,andunsuccessful—issomethingvictimsdo.Noonegets“passedover”forajob.Thatassistantmanagerwassimplynotthebestfitandtherightpersonforthejobatthetime.Thatdoesn’tmeanthepersoncouldn’tbetherightpersoneventually,butshewouldnevergettherewithoutbeingcoachedtohaveadesiretowinthatturnsvictimsinto
victors.Sothenewmanagerconfrontedtheassistantmanagertoseeifthiswaspossible.
“Letmeaskyou,doyouthinkthisstorecanperformbetterthanitis?”sheaskedtheassistantmanager.
“Nope.Itisinabadlocation.Thereisneverenoughinventory,thestaffisnotverygood,andourcoverageisworse,”replied
theassistantmanager.“Anythingelse?”thenew
managerasked.“Thedemographicsare
allwronginthismarketandourphonesareterrible,”addedtheassistantmanager.
“Well,then,youareright.Itcan’tperformbetter,”shesaid.“Notwiththosebeliefs.”
Whatthenewmanagerhadquicklyrealizedisthat
thingswouldnevergetbetter,notbecauseoftheobstaclestheassistantmanagermentionedbutbecausetheassistantmanagerbelievedthoseobstaclescouldnotbeovercome.Now,someofthiswasobviouslyresentmentandventingbecauseshedidnotgetthejob,buttheassistantmanagercontinuedtobelievethoseobstaclescouldn’tbeovercomedaysandweeks
later.Meanwhile,thenewstoremanagerneverstoppedbelievingtheycouldbeovercomeandwaspreparedtomaketheteambelieveittoo.Shecameintothefailingstoreandsaid,“Atmyotherstore,wefacedthesameissueswefacehereandweweregettingterrificresultswhenIleft.ThatmeansthatWEcangettheseresults.”Therewouldbehardwork
involved,assheacknowledged,butshegenuinelybelievedsuccesswouldcomeandhadaleadershipplanthatincludedrevitalizingtheteam,developingeachplayer,andexpectingeveryone(includingtheassistantmanager)tohaveapositiveattitudeandadesiretowin.Shedidnotbelievethepastshouldpredicttheirfuture.
Experienceis anegativewhen it
Whathadbeengoodenoughwasnolongergood;itwasunacceptable.That’swhatsparkedachangeintheattitudeoftheentireteam.Sheresettheexpectations.
Oneofthefirstthingssheimplementedaspartofhercoachingwereregularpracticeand
limitsyoufrombelievingwhatyoucanachieve.
scrimmagingsessionstodeveloptheteambasedonwhatshefoundasshegotinvolved.Asthemanagerlearnedwhereaproblemexistedwiththestoreortheteam,thenextday,that
problemorskillwouldbecomepartofpracticesessions,weeklyscrimmagemeetings,andone-on-onemeetings.Sometimes,becauseoftheneedtosolveanurgentproblemorissuesataspecificlocationperformance,theyweredoneimmediately,offthefloor,eveninthestockroom.Theyscrimmagedsimple,basicthingslikecustomergreetings
andhowtopayattentiontothecustomeryouarewithwhileacknowledgingtheonescominginthedoor(greetingthemwithinthreesecondsbysaying“excuseme”totheexistingcustomerandtellingthenewonesyouwillberightwiththem).Theyscrimmagedhowtomakepeoplefeelwelcomeinpersonandonthephone.Soon,theyworkedupto
presentingnewinformation(plans,phones,andcoveragemaps)andanticipatingcustomerquestionssotheycouldimmediatelyunderstandthosecustomers’perspectivesandestablishtrustandinfluence.
Themanagerheldallteammembersaccountableforthesescrimmagesandthebroaderplan.Throughthescrimmagesalone,theteam
andthestorestartedtoimprove.Sheaskedthemtocommittotheteamandtoldthepoorestperformers,“Changeyourbeliefsorwechangeyou”—includingtheassistantmanagerwhohadnotbeenpromoted.Employeeswhowantedtobepartoftheteamwentfromjustshowingupeverymorningand“doingtheirjobs”topracticingcertain
skillstogether.Unfortunately,theassistantmanagerdidn’tgetanybetter.Sherejectedthecoachingeffortsofthenewmanager,tellingherthatscrimmagingwouldn’twork.Whenthemanagertriedtoimplementachange,theassistantmanagermadesuretotellherthatwasn’thowtheyusedtodoit,citingthisasareasonnottochange.
Now,youdon’tneedto
workinastoreorsalestorecognizethiskindofperson—someonewhomakeseveryobstacleanexcuseforwhatcan’torcouldn’tbedone.Everyoneofmyclients,fromthemilitary,insurance,energy,technology,manufacturing,andbeyond,hashadanemployeelikethiswhousesexcusestokeepthemandtheteamfromhavingapositiveattitudeand
achievingtheirgoals.Walkintoanystoreoranydepartmentinanyoffice,andiftheenergyisnegativeandthepeoplearen’tpolite,gofindtheirleader.Ipromiseyouwillfindtheproblem,becausethatleaderwillbejustlikethem.Veryrarelydoyouseeapositive,strong,committedleaderinchargeofalow-performingnegativeteam.Thereverseistruetoo
—youwon’tfindhigh-performing,positive,anddriventeamsworkingfornegative,unmotivated“managers,”whichwasexactlythecaseintheSprintstore.Thinkaboutthatwhenyoupicturetheperceptionofyourteams.
ItshouldcomeasnosurprisethattheassistantmanageratthatSprintstorewassoonfired.Theexcuses
neverstopped.Shewasuncoachable.Shewouldnotgofromvictimtovictor,andthemanagerknewshewouldnotgetbetter,soshehadthetoughconversation.Infact,halfthestaffleft,andittookweeksandmonthstomakeallthechangesthenewmanagerwanted.Butbyaddressingtheassistantmanagerdirectly,itmadeeveryonewhostayedrealizethatexcuseswerenot
goingtobeacceptedanymore,becausetheleadexcusemakerwasnowgone.Thoseexcuseswerenowjustobstaclestoresolveandremovebytheleaderwithherteam.Sheshowedtheteamhowtobelieveinthemselvesandthattranslatedintoeverythingtheydid.Sixmonthsin,herstorebecamethenumberoneperformingstoreinthedistrict.
Intheend,itdidnotmatterthatthenewmanagerwasonlytwenty-oneyearsold,orhadlessretailexperiencethantheassistantmanagerorotherteammembers.Shewasn’tthebestinventorymanagerorcashier.Shedidn’tneedtobe.Shesimplymadesurethepeopleresponsibleforthosejobswere,andmandatedtopperformanceandpractice
fromallofthem.Asleaders,wewantouremployeestoknowmoreabouttheirjobsthanwedoandcomeupwithwaystodothemevenbetter.Itdoesn’tmatterifthepeopleontheteamareolder,better-looking,morepopular,havemoreexperienceortenure,arebetteratcertainskills,andsmarterthanus(trustmeonthesmarterpart).Noneofthosethingsareorshouldbe
qualificationsforbeingacoachorbeingsuccessfulasacoach.
Thinkofitthisway:Itwasn’tPaulMcCartney,Sting,Bono,orPhilCollinswhowrote“DoTheyKnowIt’sChristmas?”andinvitedallthosesuperstarstocreateBandAidin1984andraisedmillionsforchildrenstarvinginAfrica.ItwasBobGeldofoftheBoomtownRatsand
MidgeUreofUltravox.Eventhoughmostoftheperformerstheyrecruitedwereprobablybetterandcertainlymorefamoussongwriters,musicians,andsingersthantheywere,GeldofandUreweretheoneswhopulleditalltogetherandmadeithappen.Theymadetheteambelievetheycoulddoit,motivatedthemtowanttobeapartofit,gavethem
thesongtodoitwith,andinspiredcountlessprojectslikeitthathavemadetheworldabetterplacefordecadessince.
Takeaways:TheDesiretoWin
Thedesiretowinandthe
beliefinwinningisessentialforacoachtosucceed.Inspectwhatyouexpect.Coachskills,
nottasks.Leadersgetspaidtocoachanddeveloptheirpeopleregardlessoftitle,department,
orindustry.Acoachdoesnothavetobebetterthantheplayertomaketheplayerbetter.
Chapter 11ACULTUREOFACCOUNTABILITYBy not holding ourpeople accountable,
we selfishly say tothem, “You’re justnot worth thetrouble.”
MyfatherandIhadjustattendedaneventanddecidedtogetlunchat
arestaurantwedidn’tknowbutwasrightacrossthestreet.Bothofusagreedthefoodwasnotverygood—ediblebutnotgood.Justthen,themanagerwalkedbyandaskedhoweverythingwasandifwewereenjoyingourmeals.Webothlookedathimandsaid,“It’sgreat.”Sound
familiar?Ofcourseitdoes.Truthis,wearereallylousyatholdingpeopleaccountableforapoorperformance,especiallywhenthestakesarenothigh.I’mnotabovethis.Icouldn’teventellamanagerIdidn’tknowinarestaurantIhadneverbeen,andlikelywouldnevergointoagain,thatIdidn’tlikethefood.Dayinanddayout,noonetellsuswesuck.
Inbusiness,itisevenworse.Whyisitsohardtoestablishacultureofaccountability,andcoachpeopletobebetter?Whydowealwayswaituntiltheendoftheyeartoevaluatesomeone,dreadingeverymomentuntilitcomes?Becauseweareselfish.Leaderssayit’sbecausethey’reniceandtrusttheirteamstodotheirjobs,but
theyreallydon’twanttodealwithallthepainofaccountabilityandgettinginvolved.That’snotnice;it’sselfish.That’snottrust;it’sabdicationofresponsibilityforthesuccessoftheteam,especiallyofourtopperformers.It’salsolazyandbeingscaredaboutwhatwemightfindifwetakethetimetocoach—wedon’twanttodealwithwhatcomesnext,so
wedon’t.Butwemustmandatethisaccountabilityifwewantcoachingtosucceedinourorganizations,becauseaccountabilitymakesgoodemployeesbetterandmakesbademployeesleave.
DemandAccountability
Let’sputthisselfishmanagementphilosophyintoasportsanalogy.TheIndianapolisColtsdraftedAndrewLuckoutofStanfordtobetheheirapparenttoPeytonManning.Luckshowedupondayoneoftrainingcampandhiscoachsaid,“Luck,IdraftgreatpeopleandIgetoutoftheirway.Sohereiswhatwearegoingtodo:I’llwalkyou
aroundthestadiumhere.I’llshowyouwherethelockerroom,trainingfacilities,equipment,andparkinggarageare.I’llgetyousetupwithauniformandequipment,giveyoutheplaybook,andthenyoucangooffandrunsomedrillsonyourowntogetready.Greattohaveyouonboard.Reallyexcitedwegotyou.I’llseeyouSunday.”
Thereisnowayanycoachinprofessionalsportswouldeverdothatwithanydraftpick,letalonetheirtopdraftpick.AndrewLuckisgoingtobeonthefieldeveryday,practicingharderthaneveryonetogetbetter,andhiscoachisgoingtobewatchinghimeveryminutetomakesureofit—justashedidwithPeytonManningbeforehim(andthatturnedoutpretty
wellforthem).ThecoachisgoingtoholdLuckaccountabletodevelophisskillsandtocommittotheteam.
Yet,inbusiness,wehiresomeonelikeAndrewLuck,trainhim,andlethim“dohisjob.”Noskilldevelopmentortalkaboutcommittingtotheteam.Wesayitisbecausewetrusthim,butreallywedon’twanttodothework.That’s
Demandingaccountabilityineverythingthat wedo andask theteam todo as
lazyandcrazy.WhenI
tellleadersthis,fromthestage,theycan’tagreemore.Theysay,“Amen,brotherNathan!”Theylovetheidea.Butwhenwe
leadersisessentialto oursuccess.
finishandIsay,“WhatareyougoingtodoonMonday?”Theysay,“Iamgoingtodoapracticemeetingandstart...”andsuddenlytheenergyleavestheroom.Theyquicklyrealizethattheeasypartofcoachingistheenergy.The
hardpartistheeffort.It’slikeraisingkids:It’samazinghowmuchloveandpassionwehaveforthem,buttheactualworkofraisingchildrenisbrutal.Yetwewillholdourkidstostandardsthatwewouldn’tevenbringupwithanemployee,especiallyaveteranone.Wewillholdaten-year-oldtoahigherstandardthanwewillholdanadulttowhomwepay
tensofthousandsofdollarsperyear.
Anemployeewalksuptoacustomerandisrude?Doesn’tdressright?Showsuplate?Wewouldneverletourkidsgetawaywiththat.Youknowwhy?Theintentofwhywearedoingit.Weloveourkidssomuch,andwearescaredtodeaththatwhentheygooutinpublicanddosomethingwrong,itisa
directreflectiononusastheparents.Andworse:Wearescaredtheywillbecomeunproductiveadultsinthelongrun.Soweholdthemaccountable.Wegroundthem.Wetakeawaytheirelectronicsorthecar,eventhoughthatonlymakesussufferbecausenowwehavetohearhowthey“havenothingtodo,”andwecan’tsendthemtothestore
becausewejusttookawaythecar.Groundingkidsismiserableforparents,butwedoitbecauseourintentistomakeourkidsthebesthumanbeingswepossiblycan.Inbusiness,toomanyleadersjustdon’tcareenoughabouttheirpeoplewhentheydothingslikethat.Wethink,They’reourresponsibility,butthey’renotourkids,sotheyarenotworthallthat
effort.Wethink,That’sahardconversationtohaveandit’sonlygoingtoleadtothosepeopledefendingthemselvesoverandoverandsayingtheydidn’tdoit.Igetenoughofthatathome.
Don’tgetmewrong:I’mnotusingparentinganalogiesinthischaptertosayouremployeesarechildrenorthatweactlikechildren.I’msayingitiseasytobea
managerwholetsperformanceslide,hidingbehindtheideathatweshouldhiregoodpeopleandstayoutoftheirway.Ifyou’relikeme,yourememberyourbestleaders,teachers,andcoachespushingyouharderthananyoneelse.Theyhelpedshapeme,challengedmetobemybestself,andheldmetoastandardhigherthanthe
standardtowhichIheldmyself.TheystoppedmeinmytrackswhenImadeasmallbutimportantmistake,becausetheyknewthatsmallmistakecouldbethedifferencebetweenwinningandlosing.Buttheytrulycaredforme—andwhattheydidtoo.Loveguidedtheirdesiretoholdmeaccountabletolearnandgrow.Iwantleaderstorememberwhatitis
liketogiveandreceivethatextrapushtodowhatweknowweshoulddo.
Considerthesequestions:
Haveyoueverbeengratefulthatsomeonejustquit
soyoudidn’thavetodealwiththepersonanymore?Haveyouevertreatedanemployee
likesomeoneyouweredatingandwantedtobreakupwith,butinsteadofdoingit,you
avoidedhimorher?Haveyoueverbecomelessattentive,institutedcertain“rules,”and
maybeevenactedalittlebitlikeajerk—butnothostile—soanemployeewould“getthemessage”
andquit?
Ifwecanansweryestoanyofthesequestions,thenwehaveactedselfishlyasleaders,avoidingconflictratherthanembracingit.Itreallyisus,notthem.Wemustcoachourteamsandholdthemaccountableinthesamewaythebestparentsandsportscoachesdo—notto
micromanage,stiflecreativity,ortaketheirauthority,buttopushthemtobebetterandwin.That’swhatIdidwiththetopperformerwhowassuckingthelifeoutofmyteaminChapter7.That’swhatthestoremanagerdidwiththestaffthatwantedtodobetterinthepreviouschapter.Anditworkedbecausewehadacultureofaccountabilityto
backusup.That’swhyaccountabilityismandatory;itmaymostoftenleadtocoachingpeopleofftheteam,butitstartswithadesiretowinandmakeeverybodybetter.Plus,thereplacementsforthepeoplelostwillmorethanmakeupforanyperceivedloss,sincethenewpeoplearecomingintoaculturethatmandatescoachingandbelievesitis
worththetimeandeffort.
Inspect What YouExpect: Grow theFlowers
Oneofmyfavoritepartsaboutcoachingleadersisaskingthemquestionslike:
Areyou
bettertodaythanyouweresixtydaysago?Howaboutayearago?Are
yourpeoplesimplymoretenuredoractuallybetter?Whathaveyoureallytaught
them?Whatcanyousaytheyhavedonethattheycouldn’tdobefore?Howhave
youmadesomeonebetter?
Noleadercananswerthesequestionspositivelyoratallwithoutaculturethatmandatesfullaccountabilityandfocusesonmakingtheteambetter.
Now,thinkabouteachpersononyourteam.
Knowingthemasyoudotoday,wouldyourehirethemyourselfforanewcompanytomorrow?Behonestandbetough.Ifyousaid“No”or“Probablynot,”thenyouhaveaproblem.Nowletmeaskyouthis:Dothesepeopleknowyoufeelthisway?Ifyousaid“No”or“Probablynot,”thenyouhaveanevenbiggerproblem.Inmostmanagementcultures,
employeesdon’tknowhowtheirleadersfeel,evenwhenwethinktheydoorshould.Sohere’smychallengetoyou:Withinforty-eighthoursfromthetimeyouputthisbookdown,meetwithapersonyouwouldnothireagain,lethimorherknowhowyoufeel,andforsixtydays,coachthispersonintotheapplicantyouwouldhiresoyoucananswerthefirst
questionabove“Yes!”Beforeyousayyoucan’tdoit,considerthis:Ifyourbossthoughtthiswayaboutyou,wouldyouwanthimorhertotellyou?
Puttogetheraplanusingtheprinciplesandplaybookfromthefirstpartsofthisbook,thenscrimmagetheconversationafewtimesbeforeyousitdownwiththeemployee.Youcanstartby
simplysaying,“UnaccountablePerson,Ivalueyouandwantyoutobehappyhere.Ihavebeenponderingeachpersononmyteam,andwhenIthinkaboutyouandyour[performance,attitude,actions],Irealizeyoucan’ttrulybehappyatthismoment,foryouarenotperforminguptothefullpotentialIneedandrequire.Ihavesomethoughtsonhow
youcangetthere,butIfirstwanttoknowfromyouifyouwanttoperformtoyourfullpotential.”Iftheemployeefailstosayyesordoesn’twanttomeetyourexpectations,thenit’stimetofirethispersonormovehimorhertoadifferentjobthatisabetterfit.
Thismightsoundhard-nosed,butitisnot.Itishard-nosedanddownrightmeanto
letthatpersonstayinthatposition.Theemployeemaybeflabbergasted.Afterall,youhaveneverheldhimorheraccountablefortheseissuesuntilnow.That’sokay.Thisisnotnecessarilyatimeforcorrectiveaction;thisisatimetodiscusshowyouseetheemployee’spositionandwhatyouwouldliketosee,movingforward.Makesureyouscrimmageandprepare
forthesemeetingswithsomeoneyoutrustpriortoeachconversationyouhave.Ifyoudothiswitheachpersonyouwouldn’trehire,hereismypromise:Youwillbeamazedattheresponse,andevenpleasantlysurprisedbysomeoftheturnarounds.Yourteamwillalwaysbebetterfortheweedsyouwouldhavepulledanyway,butitwillthrivewiththe
flowersthatgrowintheirplace.
Inspect What YouExpect: Pull theWeeds
Iusedtogointomeetingswithastrugglingemployee,planningtohaveaconstructiveconversationand
setanultimatum:Theemployeemuststartdoingbetterorhewillbeterminated.Instead,IleftthemeetingwithanactionlistofallthethingsIneededtodoforthisemployeetowhomIgavetheultimatum!ManyleaderslaughatthisstatementwhenIuseitinmyspeechesbecausetheyknowithappensallthetime.Well,hereisthegoodnews:Acoachwho
leadsinaculturethatmandatesaccountabilitywillnotletthathappenagain.
First,let’slookathowithappens.Itstartssomewhereinthemeeting,usuallyafterI’vepointedouttotheemployeeallthethingsheneedstoimproveon,andthenIsaysomethinglike“Nowtellme,Mr.-Struggling-Employee-I-Have-Never-Held-Accountable-for-
Anything,whatcanIdoforyoutohelpyoumeettheseexpectations?”That’swhenthefloodgatesofexcusesopenandalltheissuesIdiscussedwiththisemployeebecomemyissuesandarelikelyviewedasmyfault.TheemployeeleavesstillunaccountableforhisproblemsandIamleftwithato-dolist.
Forexample,Iwasina
correctiveactionmeetingwithoneofmysalesmanagers,discussinghislackofperformance,hislackofattentiontodetail,andhisunwillingnesstofocusonhisteam’sdevelopment.Ihadseveralspecificexamplesofsituationsinwhichhedidnotperformtherequiredpracticemeetingswithhisteamanddidnotholdcertainteammembersaccountablefor
theiractions.Andthenithappened.Iaskedhimthedeadlydiversionquestion,“SoyouknowwhatIexpectfromyoumovingforward;whatcanIdotohelpyoudoyourjobbetter?”Boy,didhetellme.Accordingtohim,Icouldremovethistaskandthisreport,attendtoanothermanagerwhowasn’tdoinghisjob,eliminatesomeofthepracticesessions,andsoon
andsoon.Bytheendofthemeeting,IhadpostponedtheintendedwrittenwarningsoIcouldresearchtheseobstaclesforhimandhelphimmeetmyexpectations.Hewalkedoffwithoutbeingheldaccountableforonethingonmylist.
Fortunately,Iworkedinaculturethatexpectedaccountability,andmybosshelpedmelearnfromthat
mistakebyunderstandingwhatIknownow:It’snotourjobtoremovealloranyofourteam’sobstacles;itisourjobtocoachthemtobecomebiggerthantheobstacles.
Tostopthisprocess,don’teveraskemployees,“WhatcanIdoforyou?”Meetingsliketheseareabouttheirperformance.Afterweclarifyalltheexpectationsandidentifywhatbehaviors
orresultsmustchange,askthesequestionsinstead:
Giventhisinformation,doyouthinkyouwillbeabletoachievethese
expectations?Whatwillyouhavetododifferentlytoreachtheseexpectations?
Then,lettheemployeespeak,iffornootherreasonthantoappreciateandcome
totermswiththegravityofthesituation.Theyaretheretojustifytheircontinuedemployment,notours.Don’tleavethisoranymeetingwithahandfulofvaguepromises.Makesuretheemployeehasaclearunderstandingofhowtosucceed,andbepreparedtodealwithwhathappensiftheydon’t.Accountabilitymaystartwithembracingconflict,butitfailswhenwe
don’thaveaplaninplacetodealwithwhatweareholdingtheteamaccountablefor.
Thisiswherebuildingyourbench(Chapter6)isparticularlyimportant.Ifapersondoesn’timprove,wegothroughthedisciplinarystepsofverbalwarning,writtenwarning,afinalwrittenwarning,an“Ireallymeanitnow”finalwrittenwarning(asmygoodfriend,
JimMoreland,usedtosay,“Let’sthrowuglyonthetabletoo”),andthentermination.Butnowfindingaqualityreplacementtakesadditionaltimeandresources,andgettingnewstaffuptospeedtakesyetmoreofourtime.Ifwealwayshadatop-qualitypersonreadytotaketheplaceofallourbadperformers,wouldwebemorewillingtoholdourpeopleaccountable?
Yes!Thebesttimetointerviewforfutureemployeesiswhenwedon’tneedone.Butletmealsomakeitclear:Wearebetteroffwithanopenspotthanwithabadperformer,nomatterthejob.Isaythiswiththehumbleheartofsomeonewhocontinuestostrugglewithallofthis:Knowwhatisrightandyouwineverytime.Ihavedoneitwrong.Ihave
usedallofthereadilyavailableexcusesfornotholdingpeopleaccountablemyself.AndIknowthoseexcuseswerealoteasiertomakewhentheorganizationaroundmedidnotmandatethatIholdthosepeopleaccountableandbeacoach.Sosuckitupandpulltheweedsandwatchyourflowersgrow.
Takeaways:Accountability
Don’tbeselfish:Ifapersonhasabadattitude,thatistheir
problem.Ifwearepayingthemandnotholdingthemaccountable,thatisourfault!A
coach’sjobistohiregoodpeopleandconstantlymakethembetter.GettinginvolvedisNOT
mircomanaging—itcannotbeunwanted,happenonlywhenthingsgowrong,anditmust
happenwiththeintentofhelpingateammembergetbetter.Inspectwhatyouexpect:You
can’thaveaccountabilitybyjustlettingpeopledotheirjobs.
Chapter 12GET ONTHE FIELDWe can’t coach fromour desks.
AtopenergyindustryexecutiveIoncecoached
lovedworkingwithhisteam,butforreasonsseeminglyoutofhiscontrol,hefound
himselfstuckinhisofficeorinmeetings,notoutwiththeteamwherehewantedandlovedtobe.Hehadfoundgreatsuccessgettinginvolvedwithhisteamsinthepast,butnowthathehadmovedallthewayupthecorporateladdertoCEO,hehadendedupdoingwhatmostexecutivesdo:Visitanofficeorplantwhentherewasaneventatwhichheneededtomakean
appearanceorwhentherewasamajorissuethatdemandedhispresenceandimmediateattention.Hewasnevertherejusttobethereasanongoingpartofhisjob.
Thisisafairlytypicalsituationinmanyorganizations:Thehigherwemoveupinthecorporatestructure,themoredifficultitbecomestogetoutfrombehindourdesks,notjust
becauseofaddedresponsibilitiesandtitlesbutbecausethereisnoonetheretomakeusdoit.Thisisnotjustaboutmanagementculturesversuscoachingcultures;it’saboutnoonemandatingwhatwealreadyknowweshoulddo.BoardsofdirectorsarenotgoingtotelltheirCEOstogetoutoftheirofficesand“onthefield.”Thus,inmostcases,
theCEOsarenottellingtheirVPstodothateitherandsothoseVPshavenoreasontoholdtheirdirectreportsaccountableuntilthecompanymandatesit.
Butleaderscan’tfullyinspectwhatweexpectfrombehindourdesksandthedoorsofouroffices.That’sexactlywhyoneofthefirstthingsImadethisCEOdowasgetoutofhisoffice
(andawayfromthescreensonhiscomputer,tablet,andphone)andintothefield,meaninganyplacethatworkwasbeingdonebyhisteam.Heinitiallypushedback,citingtheusualreasonsIhadheardbefore,suchasabunchofmeetingsandtheneedtoputoutsomefires,butwhatIneededhimtoseewaswhatwecoveredinchapters8and11:Thesewereobstacles
(factswemustandcanovercome,suchascompetition,inventory,toomanyappointmentsandfirestoputout)beingturnedintoexcuses(whatwesayisthereasonfornotovercomingtheobstacle,achievingourgoals,ordoingsomethingwewant).
CEOsarenotimmunetodoingthis,becauseitisprettyeasytodo:Justpersonalizetheobstacle.“Wewouldhave
donethatbut...ThecompetitiondidthissoIcouldn’t...Theeconomydidsuch-and-such,whichreallymadeitdifficultto...Youdon’tunderstand:Itisdifferentinthismarket,whichiswhyIcan’t...”Theseareallobstaclesturnedintoexcusesratherthanintosolutions.
ObstacletoNotGettingonthe
ExcuseforNot
Field GettingontheField
Peoplearespreadoutalloverthecountry.
Ican’tpossiblytakethetimetovisiteveryonespreadthroughoutthecompany,letalonethecountry.
Othertaskshavemoreimmediateimpactonthebusiness.
Ineedtofocusonthetasksathand.
Expectationsareformetofocusonthebigpictureandhandlebigproblems.
Ihaveateamofleaderstotellmewhatishappeningonthefield.
I’mtoobusyhandling
Ican’tgetinthefieldbecauseIampaidtofix
problemsandputtingoutfires.
problemsandputoutfires.
I’mnotsayingwehavetoovercometheseobstaclestobegreatleaders.I’msayingthatifleaderswanttobegreatcoaches,theyhavetoovercometheseobstaclesandgetouttheremore.Sure,thebiggerthetitle,themorepeoplereportingtous;themoreresponsibilities,
distractions,andproblemswehave;butbiggerobstaclesdon’tneedbiggersolutions—theyneedbetterpriorities.
We Can’t “Fit In”Coaching
MypointwasnottotellmyCEOclientoranyoneIworkwiththattheyarenotdoingtheirjobscorrectly.I
amtryingtogetthemtolookinthemirrorandsay:“AmIreallydoingwhatIneedtodotodevelopandleadmyteamoramIfocusingonshort-termissues,thingsthatbringinstantgratificationandpathsofleastresistance?”Itisabsolutelytruethatleadersarepaidtodotheactivitiesandactionsthatwedescribeasobstaclestocoaching.Butthat’snotallwegetpaidto
do;that’sonlypartofourjob.Fromthebottomofan
organizationtothetop,everyoneispaidtodomultiplejobs.Thepeopleatthereceptiondeskarepaidtogreetandsigninvisitorsandanswerthephones,buttheyalsocleanthecounters,directdeliveries,callformessengers,andcoordinatemaintenanceandotherbuildingactivitiesforthe
office.Togetitalldone,thispersonmustprioritizewhatmattersmostandwhen.Forleadersinbusiness,itisthesame:Ifwewanttobecoaches,whatmattersmostmustbecoachingandthecoachingactivitiesthatmakeourteamsbetter.Coachesgetpaidtodevelop,grow,andleadtheirteams,nottoattendtothepublicitypeople,reporters,recruiters,team
manager,teamowner,affiliates,brandingspecialists,administration,orrehabdepartments,unlessthoseareoneoftheteamstheyareleading.Coachessetthethermostatformorale.Theymotivate,scrimmage,reward,peer-present,andreviewthegameplans.
Weneedtoprioritizeandmakecoachingthecoreofourleadership
Makethetime tobe outthere—prioritizecoaching.
sothateverythingelsefitsaroundit—andthecultureoftheorganizationmustmandatethatpriority.Hereisagoodruleofthumb:Ifyoumanagemanagers(i.e.,ifyouare
CEO,president,VP,ordirectorlevel)andyouaspiretobealeaderandacoach,thenyouneedtobeoutthereanywherefrom40to80percentofyourtimeperformingtheactivitiesofcoaching,andmandatethatthosewhoreporttoyoudothesamewiththeirteams.
Yes,theinstantgratificationofclearingourin-boxordeskfeelsgood.
ButitispartofamanagementtrapwecoveredinChapter9thatwemustavoidascoaches:checkingthebox.Whatwouldhappenifwedidn’tcheckoure-mailfirstthinginthemorningandinsteadcheckedinononeofourtopperformersorteamleaders?Facetimeisfieldtime!Evenifyouleadacompanyordivisionofthousandsofpeople,that’san
obstaclethatonlyseemsbiggerthanitreallyis.Ofcourse,noonecanpossiblycoachthousandsofpeopledaytoday.Butyoudon’thaveateamofathousandpeople;youhaveacompanyofathousandpeople.Youhaveateamofvicepresidentswhoreportdirectlytoyou,eachofwhommanagesateamofdirectors,eachofwhommanagesateamof
supervisors,andondowntheline.Wecangetsowrappedupinthesizeofthecompany(intermsofbothpeopleanddollarsandcents)thatwefailtoseethattheproblemsbigcompanieshavewithleadershipareoftenjustscaled-upversionsofsmallcompanies.Weexaggeratethesizeofthecompanyobstacletomakeitabetterexcusefornotcoaching.
Thesolutionisnottocoachathousandpeoplebuttogetoutthereandcoachthepeoplewhoanswertousdirectlyand,inturn,mandatetheydoitwiththeirdirectreportsandpayitforwardondowntheline.Thatway,ourcoachingcreatesmorecoachesandmorecontrolofwhatishappeningonthefield—whereverthatfieldis—wheneverthereare
consequences.FortheCEOIworkedwith,thisrequiredvisitingplantsaroundthecountry,andhefinallygaveinandscheduled“marketvisits”tohisplantmanagerstwotimespermonth.Afteronlyninetydays,hetoldmebeingoutofhisofficeandworkingwiththeteammadehimmoreawareofwhatwastranspiringinhisbusinessthanhehadbeeninthepast
tenyears.Henowmakesitapriorityforhimselfandhisdirectreportstobeinthefieldwiththeirteams.Hewentfrombeingagreatleaderwhowassuccessfultoagreatcoachwhowasmakinghisteambetter—andmakingmorecoachestocoachtheteamsthatreportedtothem.
Myclientnolongerfeelsdisconnected—unseen,
unheard,andatadistancefromhisteamandhiscompanyasawhole.Henolongerfeelssofaraway,andhenotonlyseesproblemsbeforetheyhappenbutalsowhatheneedstochangefromthetop.Otherleadersmaynotfeelthiswayandthusnotfeeltheneedtogetonthefieldattheirorganizations.Thecompanymaybedoingjustfinewiththeirmanaging
thewaytheyhavebeen.ButIguaranteethatiftheyarenotcoachingandonthefield,theyarenotbeingaseffectiveastheycouldbe.Theyareunawareofproblemstheywouldnevertoleratethoughseeminglydobecausetheyarenotmandatingthattheyoranyonewhoworksforthemgetonthefieldtoholdanyoneaccountable.
Ofcourse,leaderscannot
knoweverythinggoingonintheirbusinesses,butthatcan’tbeanexcuseforknowingverylittle.Comingdownfromtheskyboxforthedogandponyshowafterabigsale,event,ormeetingandgivinghighfivesjustwon’tcutit.
Insales,wetalkabouttop-downselling;incoaching,theprinciplesarethesame:Toensurea
successfulcoachingcultureandreinforcetheimportanceofbeinginthefield,startatthetop.BecauseifIamnottheCEOandmybossandmyboss’sbossdonothavetimetocoachmeortogooutonthefield,thenmostlikely,Iwillnotmakethetimeeither,andIwon’tbemotivatedtomakethetimebecauseithasnovalue.Butif,fromthetopdown,theydoit,thenIbet
myweek’sgasmoneythatIwillbeoutthereaswell.
Wereallyshouldn’tneedthistop-downapproach,sincefieldtimeisusuallythetimemostleaderssaytheyenjoyedthemostbeforetheymadeittotheC-suite.Butbecauseit’sthepartofthejobeasiesttoeliminate,weneedtheextraincentive.Sowhynotrememberthat?Let’sspendmoretimedoingthepartsof
ourjobwelovethemost.We’llloveourworkallthemoreandwe’llgetbetterresults.
Coaching MeansNever Having to GoUndercover
MorethanadozenCEOsatmajorbrandshavelearned
theimportanceofgettingonthefieldinaverypublicwayontheCBSTVrealityshowUndercoverBoss.Theshowfollowschiefexecutivesfromcompanieslike7-Eleven,Hooters,andWhiteCastleastheyslipanonymouslyintotherankandfileoftheircompaniestoseehowtheyarereallyworking.LarryO’Donnell,CEOofWasteManagement,wasfirstup.A
familymanandall-aroundniceguy,O’Donnell,likemanyoftheCEOswhofollowedontheshow,notonlyperformedtheworkpoorlybutalsobecameirritatedbysomeoftheruleshismanagersenforcedandbyhowtheyenforcedthem—rulesheostensiblyputintoplaceandleadersheindirectlyhiredinhisroleasCEO!Hewasfiredfromhis
undercoverjob.IamsureLarry
O’DonnellandeveryoneofCBS’sundercoverbossesusedatleastoneofthemanyexcusesfornotgettingonthefieldregularlybeforesubmittingtothebeatdownoftheshow.Thus,everyoneofthemissurprisedbyallthegoodstuffandbadstufftheyfindgoingoninthecompanyandrealizetheirdetachment
wasamistake.Considerthatthenexttimeyou’reinclinedtoblamesomeoneorsomethingelseforafailureintheranks.TheseareCEOsofsomeofthemostsuccessfulcompaniesintheworld!AndwhileIknowrealityTVlikethisisnotcompletely“real,”considerthisaswell:Itdoestaketimetomaketheshow,andintheweeksittooktosetupandshootUndercover
Boss,notoneCEOcomplainedaboutthetimeawayfromtheoffice—theveryexcusesomanyleadersusefornotcoaching.Sure,theshort-termpublicityvaluewasenormousforthecompaniesbutmyhopeisthattheseCEOsalsorealizethatgettingonthefieldandcoachingcanhaveevenmoreenormouslong-termbenefits.
IknowIdidwhenItook
overtheSouthernCaliforniamarketforSprint.RemembertheSnowmanandhisteamfromChapter4,whoresistedmypushtosetlogical,notrealistic,goalsandbecomethebestmarketinthecountry?Turnsout,Sprint’sproblemsinCaliforniawentevendeeperthanIthought,asIfoundoutwhenIgotonthefieldwiththeteamandwentwiththeSnowmantooneof
hisstores.ThemanagerofthestoretoldustheyknewthingshadimprovedwithSprint,buthiscustomersdidn’t;heknewhecouldsellmorephonesandplansiftheyhadthenewcoveragemapsandtherightcollateralmaterialaboutSprint’sservice.Icouldn’tfigureoutwhyhedidn’thavethem.Iknewwehadcreatedthosemaps,soIaskedtheSnowmanwheretheywere.
Sincehisteamhadnoaccountability,theSnowmandidn’tknow,sohecalledtheaccountexecutiveinchargeofthestore,whotoldhimtheyhadbeenoutofthemformonths.
Icouldn’tunderstandhowamultimillion-dollarcompanyinamajormarketcouldbeoutofthisessentialsalestool,butnotwantingtodoubtmynewteam,Icalled
thecorporatemarketmanagertocomplain.Hetoldme,“You’renotoutofmaps.Youhavetwenty-fivethousandincasesinyouroffice.Here’swherethey’relocated.”Hewasright.Igotagiantstackofmaps,wenttotheSnowman’soffice,tossedthemontohisdesk,andwentbacktomyofficetowaitfortheSnowmantoseethem.Whenhedid,hecametomy
officeandsaid,“Boss,youareagenius,youareawesome.Wheredidyoufindthesemaps?”
“Withtheothertwenty-fivethousandintheoffice,”Ireplied.
Now,IcouldhavebeennicetotheSnowmanandlethimthinkIwasagenius,butthatwouldbevalidatingbadbehaviorandshyingawayfromconflict.Ididnotplay
nice.Iconfrontedhimdirectlytoseehowhewouldreact.Iwasn’tgoingtolethimpacifymewithcomplimentsordeflecttheblame:“Ihavetwoquestionsforyou,andonlyoneofthesequestionsapplieshere:DoIhaveamanagerwhoisaliarabouthavingthetoolstosucceed?OrdoIhaveamanagerwhoisincompetentanddoesn’tknowwhere
twenty-fivethousandmapsareinhisoffice?”
Iknowthatsoundsbluntandevenaggressive,buttheSnowman’sbehaviorandincompetencewarrantedit.Hehadalreadyresistedcoachingandateveryturnhadtriedtopreventmefromholdinganyoneaccountable.Bytakingthataccountabilitytothefield,Iturnedhisworldupsidedown.Underprevious
management,hewasabletocoverhisyou-know-whatateveryturnwithliesandpersonality,andhecreatedcircumstancesinwhichhecouldlooklikethebestandblameeveryoneelseforhisnotsucceedingmore.But,really,hewasjustlazyandthislazinesswasexposedwhenIgotonthefieldwithhim.Thinkaboutit:Howoftendoesithappenthatafter
amanageroremployeeleavesthecompany,wedigintomattersandrealizehowmessedupthingswereandthattheformeremployeewasdoingtheexactoppositeofwhatwehadthought?Iknowithashappenedtomemorethanonce.IhadlearnedtonotletithappenwithpeopleliketheSnowman,whoneverhavethedesiretogetbetterandwin.
Coaches Need toSee the Plays UpClose
WhenIgointhefieldwithmyteam,everythingIdoistohelpensureoursuccess.Imakesuretheyaredoingthingscorrectly,recognizeajobwelldone,andhelpdeveloptheirskillsandbetterapplytheirattributes.Igetinvolved,not
totakeover,butrathertoparticipate.Ifweareconductingproducttrainingsforclients,Iwanttoknowthatweareteachingthewaytheclientslearnandgivingtheclientsvalue,notwastingtheirtime.Imaydiscussstrategiesandscrimmagewithateammemberpriortomeetingwithourclient.Wemayscrimmageseveraltimes,andifIseeanissue,I
don’tignoreit;Ibringitupandaddressit.
Iwasveryfortunateearlyinmycareertolearnfromaleaderwhotaughtmetomakebeinginthefieldmynumberonepriorityandmandatedfieldtimeformymanagersandmyself.Mygoalwastospendatleastthreedaysperweekinthefieldwithmymanagers,salesreps,marketingteammembers,
andclients.Often,Iachievedfourdaysperweek.Myworkdidnotsuffer;infact,itgotbetter.Ibecamebetteratdelegatingadministrativetasks,notgettingtooinvolvedinsimpleissuesthatothershadbetterabilitiesandskillstohandle,andmanagingmytimesothatIcouldfocusonwhatwasmostimportant—developingmyteam.Iallowedmyselffourhours
everydaytodomyadministrativeworkattheoffice;IscheduledadministrativetasksfromseventhirtytoninethirtyA.M.andthentwohoursintheafternoon.Therestofmytimewaswithmyteam,workingwiththem(notforthem).
Inlife,standingonthesidelineoftenmeanssomethingnegative:inaction
onthepartofsomeonewhoshouldhavetakenresponsibility.Inbusinessandsports,it’stherightplacetobe.Coachescan’tandshouldn’tplaythegameordotheworkfortheteam,buttheyneedtobeascloseaspossibletothefieldtogetinvolvedwhenrequiredandhaveatruesenseofhowtheteamisactuallydoing.Bybeingpresent,weareableto
observeourtalentandmakequickerandmoreaccuratedecisionstohelpprotectandgrowourbusiness.Evenifyourteamisinoneofficetogether,thisprinciplecanapplyifyousimplygetupfromyourdesk,leaveyouroffice,andsitdownwiththeteaminsteadofwaitingforthemtocometoyou.BeforepressingSENDonanothere-mailortexttotheteamdown
thehall,getupandimaginethehallwayislikethetunneltotheirballfield:thegame—meaninganythinginbusinessthathasconsequences—isoutthere.
Remember: BeProud, Not Prideful
Intheend,leadersmustdoeveryjobwiththeintent
ofdoingourbestandnotmerelygettingitdone.Whenwedoajob,nomatterwhatthejobis,wewanttobeproudofourwork.Butwealsomustnotletouregosgetinthewayofourcoaching,especiallywhenweareonthefieldwiththeteam.Wemustbehumbleinourabilitytocoachandlearn,andconfidentinourstature.Atthesametime,wedon’twant
tobesopridefulthatwearethreatenedeverytimesomeoneisgivingusfeedbackorgettinginvolvedinourbusiness.Thiskindofpridecausesustobedefensiveandunwillingtolistenandgrowasleaders.Asateam,ourgoalistobethebestteam,andastheircoach,ifIamnotbeingprideful,thatteamshouldnotbeoffendedorupsetwhenIamhelpingus
EvenSuperman
achieveourgoals.Remember:Ourteamsunderstandandappreciateacoach’spresence.TheonlytimeIwouldfeelthreatenedbyacoachinspectingwhatIwasdoingwasifmyteamandIwerenotdoingourjobs.
Thebestleadersinbusiness,likethebestcoachesin
can bepushedto flyhigher.
sports,didnotgetthatwaybecausetheythinktheyknowalltheyneedtoknowandhavedevelopedtheirskillsasfarastheycanbedeveloped.Butitcanseemthatwaywhenwelosetouch.Spendingtimewithourteammembers,especiallyintheserviceof
coaching,isoneofthegreatestthingswecandoforthem—andforus!Itshowsrespect.Itshowswecareaboutourteamsandappreciatetheirefforts.Itgivesustheknowledgeweneedtoleadourteamsandhelpleadourcompanies.Itshowsthemourdesiretowin.
Nowputdownthisbookandgetonthefield.Orbetteryet,takeitwithyouandshare
itwithyourteamasyoustartpracticingandbecomingacoach.
Takeaways:GetontheField
Stopturningobstaclesintoexcuses;getout
ofyourofficeseveraltimesaweek.Workingwithanddevelopingyourteamonthefieldmust
becomethecoreofacoach’spriorities—anythingelseisjustcheckingofftasks.Size
doesnotmatter:Leaderscannotcoachonethousandpeoplewithoutturningtheleaderswho
reporttothemintocoaches.Don’twaitforaTVshowtocomecallingtoreconnectand
understandhowyourteamperforms.Beingonthefielddoesnottakeawayothers’authority;
itgivesthempower.
M
POST-GAMEWRAP-UP
yfinalchallengetousascoachesisthis:Try
andremembertobegratefulnomatterthebusinesssituationorpersonalsituation.Toooftenin
business,thepowerofG.L.A.D.(Gratitude,Love,Attitude,andDesire)islost,becauseitisintangible.“WhatistheROIongratitudeandlove?”theysmirk.“Herewegowiththatfeel-goodstuffthatdoesn’tdoanything.”Manyorganizationsthustendtoskipthemeaningofwordsandfocusonlyontheresultsofcoaching.Butthese
It is ourgratitude
guidingprinciplesshouldcontrolacoachingcultureasmuchastheyshouldcontrolallthingsinlife.Theydetermineoursuccessandsustainabilityasmuchasanyresultthatcanbemeasuredonaspreadsheet.
BeingGRATEFULmeansappreciatingthat
thatwillgive usgreatfortitude.
everythingwehaveisablessing.Whenwearegratefulforwhatwehave,wearenotenviousofwhatothershaveandwearenotjealousoftheirsuccess;insteadweareintriguedbyhowwemaybeabletoachievesimilarsuccess.
Coachesshouldadmireratherthanresentthesuccessesofothers.Theyneedtofocusonobtainingmoresuccessfortheirteamwithouteverlosingsightthatmakingateambettercannotbeattheexpenseofbeingbetterpeople.
Wecan’tbefullysuccessfulascoachesorteammatesifwedon’tLOVEourjobs.Lovemotivatesus
tokeepgoinginspiteofthebaddays.Whenweloveourjobs,wearehappierand,consequently,everyonearoundusishappier.That’swhyIinsistthateverybodyonmyteamlovehisorherjob.Thishascausedsomecontroversyovertheyearswithmybosses,employees,andsometimeswithHR.Despitethiscontroversy,myinsistencehas,inthelong
run,alwaysproventobetrueandeffective.Toleaderswhotellmeitisanunrealisticexpectationtohaveateamonwhicheverybodylovestheirjob,Isaytothem,“Youmightberight.”Theirbeliefmightmakeittrueforthem.Notme.Mybottomlineisthis:Ifweareunhappy,stressedand/oranxiousascoaches,ourteamscanfeelit.
Teamscanalsofeelabad
ATTITUDE,whichisoverallabiggerdeterminerofsuccessthaneducation,money,parents,orfamilytree.Iunderstandthatnoteveryminuteofeverydayispositive,buthowwespendtherestofthosedaysisourchoice.Thismeansmuchmorethantryingtobehappyorsmiling.DreamandthinkbigasacoachandyouwillbecomeBIG—especiallyin
theeyesofyourteam.Whensomeonetellsyouthatyoucan’tdoit,laughitoffanduseitasfuelasyouflytowardyourgoals.Ibelievesomeonehastobenumberone,sowhynotme?Orifsomeonecandoit,thensocanI.Somemaycallthisnaïveorevenignorant,yetIstillbelieveittobetrue(andithasprovenitselfoverandoveragaininmyworldand
forthoseIcoach).Afterall,manyteams
havewongamesbyluckorchanceandhavelostgamesinwhichtheydideverythingright,buthavingtheDESIREtofighteverydaytoachieveourgoalsmeanswewillbewinnersevenwhenwelose.Desireiswhatweneedtotakeactiontosupportthatattitude.Itisthedrivetodowhatittakestoachieveyour
goals.Desiregivesasalespersontheabilitytocallanotherprospectaftergettingrejected,anoperationsmanagertheabilitytokeepfocusingonthesolutionwhenherdepartmentfacesadversity,oradesignertheabilitytoremakeaprojectwhenthefirstmodelgetsdestroyed.Asacoachoraleaderinbusiness,wemustbeabletohelpourteamfind
thisdesire.Otherwisetheywillbecomediscouragedwhenfacedwithadversity,orcomplacentintimesofcomfort.
Simplyput,G.L.A.D.makesusgreat,andifweignoreit,ourteamswillstarttoignoreittooandweareleftwithactionswithoutemotionalattachment.Imaginelifewithoutanemotionalconnectionand
drive—itbecomesfruitlessandempty.Weknowtheimportanceoftheseguidingprinciples,buttheygetlostinthecrazinessoftryingtomaintainthem.
Tokeepmyfocus,Icarrymy“PowerandProsperity”coinwhereverIgo.Youcanuseacoin,arock,abutton,apicture,oraleafforallitmatters.Thepointistohaveatooltohelpyoufocuson
whatmattersasacoach.MycoinhelpsmetofocusonG.L.A.D.everyday.BeingGratefulforwhatIhaveandwhoIam,LovingmyselfandwhatIdo,havingtheAttitudetoknowandbelievethatIcanbenumberone,andfuelingtheDesiretodowhatittakestoachieveit.
IACKNOWLEDGMENTScan’tbelievethatIhavebeenblessedwiththisgreatopportunitytosharemythoughtsandexperienceswithsomanypeople.IthasbeenhumblingandrewardingandneverwouldhavebeenpossiblewithoutthemanyblessingsIhavebeengiven
andtheloveandsupportofmyfamily.
Mywife,Shannon,whoisthegreatesthumanbeingIhaveevermet,hasnotonlygivenmefourbeautifulkids—Anthony,Nyla,Paige,andSavannah—butisthepersonwhomakesallofthispossible.Icouldfilltenpageswithhowgreatsheis,butshewouldjusttellmeto“shutupandmoveon.”Iloveyou,
baby,nowandforever.Andmyparents,who
havebeenthemostinfluentialpeopleinmylifeand,nomatterwhat,lovedmeandsupportedme,evenwhenweallknewIdidn’tdeserveit.IcanonlypraythatIhavebeenandwillbeasgoodaparenttomykidsastheyweretomybrothersandme.
Thankyou,JoeCalloway,forstillaccepting
mycallsaftereightyearsandalwaysbeingwillingtohelpandguidemedowntherightpath.IalsowanttothankmymanyclientswhohaveallowedmetoworkwiththemandhavetaughtmesomuchmorethanIcouldeverteachthem.
Thankstoallofmypastleaders,teammembers,andbusinesspartners,becausewithoutyourguidance,
knowledge,andadvice,Iwouldnothavehadanyideasorexperiencestoshare.
ToWendyKeller:Iamsograteful.Withoutyourreachingouttome,askingmetowriteanotherleadershipbook,andyouradviceandpartnership,thisbookwouldnothaveevenstarted—nottomentionmyimmensegratitudeforintroducingmetoJimEber.
Jimwastheonewhoputitalltogether.ManydaysandnightswerespentSkypingwithJimtoassemblethisbook(or,morespecifically,hetookmyjumbleandmadeitmakesense).Youaretheman!
Lastly,thankstotheteamthatmakessureeverythingisdonerightandatthehighestquality:thePenguinRandomHousepublishingcompany.
ToLaurenMarinoforallofherinsightandtoughlovetomakesurethebookisthebestitcanbe,andtotherestoftheall-starPenguinteam:FarinSchlussel,AnneKosmoski,LisaJohnson,andeveryoneofthehard-workingindividualsbehindthescenes.Itisanabsolutehonortoworkwiththebestinthebusiness.
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