Better People make Better ...

In James Kerr’s book “Legacy” there is a phrase used repeatedly that has stuck with me: “Better people make better All Blacks”.  The original context inferred this was about populating the All Blacks with the right kind of people.  Be it administration, coaches or players: better people makes better All Blacks.  Common sense, right? Weed out those who don’t buy-in and replace them with those who are all-in. As I finished reading the book I came to realize it’s so much more than that.

I have been working at a high school that has some truly outstanding educators on staff yet the school is not viewed favorably on state report cards. This has been on my mind for much of the last two years. Why doesn’t the school perform better on state tests than it does?  I can ask the same about the schools soccer program I have led. A common theme (in my mind) is that the best and brightest students (/athletes) do not make those around them better. In a general sense, they tend to settle for and into the norm.

Why is that?

I do not profess to have all the answers, but that phrase from the book keeps rattling around my brain: Better people make better ...

A public school system pretty much takes any student and it can be very difficult to cull the student population.  I’m walking a slippery slope here and so I want to be clear that there are truly quality people in this school - adults and students alike.  But could they be better? And should a stronger focus be on improving the people? Not exchanging them for others, just improving on what is here. Invest in and take care of the people in your organization for better people make better ...

This, then, is what I believe James Kerr’s message is. At least in part. Invest in the people for better people make better ...  students, better athletes, et al. If students lack social graces and are rude, inconsiderate towards both peers and adults, can we not make an effort to help them improve in these areas.  For instance, as players report to practice there is an expectation, a standard, that they will greet each of their teammates and coaches with a handshake and small talk.  Could this not be carried over to each classroom each period? It would take but a couple of minutes ... time invested in the people. For better people make better ...

I have proposed starting a Gentlemen’s Club at the school modeled off successful programs at other schools. Basically a club that focuses on social graces, how to tie a tie and other things that can impact self-esteem and confidence ... improving the people.  Would this then positively impact state test scores?

Better people make better All Blacks
Better people make better students
Better people make better soccer players.

If we improve the people, raise their self-esteem and confidence they become better people and by extension better students, better soccer players and so on.  This seems a simple formula and one easily implemented.  Seems likely to be worth the effort, does it not?  What say you?

LEGACY by James Kerr

On the recommendation of a friend the book Legacy by James Kerr was among the books I bought myself for Christmas. I finally got around to reading it and discovered it was as “unputdownable” as Bloomberg reviewed it to be.   I think one reason I put off reading it was because I am a soccer coach and this is a book about the All Blacks rugby team. Only, it’s not about rugby at all.  It’s about culture and leadership. It’s about life.

A personal strength of mine lies in building soccer programs.  Not just a team, but the program.  And not a rebuild either.  I truly enjoy taking a program that maybe has not had on-the-field success and helping them find that elusive success. Another way to frame this is to say I have a knack for taking a program and team to the next level.  This invariably entails improving the programs / teams culture by infusing it with positivity and giving it my confidence. THIS is what Legacy is all about.

The book is not in a bullet pointed step by step format on how to do things the right way, but it is in a coherent format that touches on the basics, or the core, concepts, ideas and philosophies that lead to success.  The All Blacks are the vehicle used to relate the values that drive success. And, along this journey I discovered I’ve been doing a lot of things right in accordance with the book. There are also things, many things, I have learned through reading this book. These I will be sharing with the programs and teams I work with going forward.  Thank you Mr. James Kerr.  Much appreciated.

Every sport has great players who have never won a title.

Every sport has great players who have never won a title.

Sometimes it is a matter of timing or circumstance.  Teammates are aging or inexperienced. An untimely injury.  Just bad luck in terms of an opponent making a great play.  Other times it is because the player was unwilling to sacrifice for the greater good of the team. These are the ones that frustrate teammates, coaches, fans and once in awhile, even themselves.

The interesting thing is, when all is said and done, their unwillingness to sacrifice also diminishes their personal legacy.  There is always a "but" attached to their name.  He was player of the year, all-league, all-district, all-state, but his team never won a title.  She set the school record for goals scored, but never played on a winning team. 

One thing I firmly believe in is the team.  If the team is at the forefront of your thoughts, words and deeds, the individual accolades tend to take care of themselves and seldom come with a "but" attached to them.  This is true because the truly great players understand the importance of teammates to their own success.  Great players make those around them better and in doing so shine all the brighter themselves.

Great individual talent can wins games or set records, but it takes intelligence and teamwork to win championships.  Some of the so-called great players, in their pursuit of individual glory, never come to appreciate this. 

 

How does one go about changing a culture of losing?

Over the years I have developed a loose set of guidelines I follow each time I take over a team. This is what I want to share with you today. I cannot claim it is foolproof, but I have had success with this method. Take it for what it is worth. Adapt it to fit your own personality and the needs of the program.

1) Identify the problem.

If you have experience in a successful program and have now taken on a struggling program you will be able to identify some areas that need to be addressed, but do not go it alone.  Ask people who have been around the program for their input and in doing so, remember not to shoot the messenger. You need their honesty to fully understand and appreciate the depth of the issues preventing the program from being successful. You may well need them to buy into the changes you will eventually decide to implement. Most especially, listen to the athletes who have been / are in the program.

2) Accept the situation you find yourself in.

The issues you face may not be of your making but they are yours now. Own them. In doing so you are accepting the responsibility to change it and will hold yourself accountable for doing so.

3) Seek solutions.

If all we've ever done is all we ever do then all we'll ever be is what we have always been.  In order to change the culture we will need to learn to approach things differently, expand our realm of thought.  It can help to have players and coaches self-evaluate the program by asking members to individually write their answers to 3 simple questions.

Note: there will be no wrong answers.

1) Describe the current status of the program.
2) Where do you want to help take the program?
3) What needs to change to get the program moving in the right direction?

What we are looking for is commonality. What can be agreed upon? Themes.

4) Begin to implement the necessary changes.

To be completely honest, this is where the stress begins.  You need to have buy-in and not everyone will. There will be resistance from some quarters. Typically resistance comes from those who have been dominant personalities in the old culture. They have enjoyed success. They now feel threatened by the changes you are about to institute.

Changes in approach.

I often bring a new "break" or team cheer to a program. Something geared to improve attitude by changing the way members see themselves and their teammates.

Prepare like ...........  Champions!
Play like ................  Champions!
Become .................  Champions!

Sometimes it is necessary to institute a standard for appearances to help facilitate an atmosphere of "team".  Everyone is required to wear the same color of t-shirt for practice. Maybe even have a team t-shirt for practice.  All shirts must be properly tucked it.  The idea here is, in order to act like a team we must look the part. If we want to be champions, we need to look like champions.

Attire is often one of the first places rebelling against change can be seen.  Purposely wearing inappropriate attire either to draw attention to themselves or to simply thumb their nose at proposed changes ... and the people instituting them.

Changes in the way a team practices / trains / prepares can also be instituted. Many times these are more readily accepted. Compromises sometimes must be made as we bridge the gap from old to new. I do not like static stretching at the beginning of practice. My teams use dynamic stretching. However, I am willing to compromise on stretching routines.

Change is about taking individuals and a team out of its established comfort zones and challenging them to learn new things, expand their way of thinking and playing. Sometimes we need to allow them to maintain part of their old comfort zone while we establish the foundations of a new one. Stretching is a rather easy area to compromise on.

5) Establish high (er) expectations and mutual responsibility and accountability.  All teams condition and train. It is the standards that they set and are held to in conditioning and training that separates the great teams from all others. People and teams tend to underachieve when no one asks them to do more than "just enough to get by".  Standards for dress, code of behavior, core values of the program we want to be - all of these can be used to raise expectations. Hold one another accountable - positive peer pressure enforcing individual responsibility to self and team. Establish the belief that we can be and will become more than we have been.

6) Troubled programs with a culture of losing are often overwhelmed by feelings of hopelessness and negativity.  Immediately begin a transition towards establishing a nurturing and positive atmosphere.  One of the first things I implement with new teams is the abolishment of saying "my bad" after a mistake is made.  Instead we say, "Next play!".

Mistakes are negatives. "My bad" reinforces the idea that a negative has occurred. Now we have two negatives in a row and a trend beginning.  Break the chain of negativity at the earliest opportunity to do so. You make a mistake on the pitch and chances are everyone knows it anyway. No need to own up to it. It is not the first nor the last you will make. What is important is to stay focused on the task at hand, the game. "Next play!" tells us to move on. To play in the present instead of dwelling on the past.

Encourage one another.
Help one another.
Coach one another.

Any criticism must be constructive in nature.  A lesson must be received and accepted when criticism is given. The tone of voice and wording of the message must not be harsh, critical, negative.

7) Changing personnel may be necessary.

In (1) above I discussed the necessity of learning from those that have been in the program in order to discover what issues are present that have prevented the program from achieving to potential. In (3) above I discussed how some individuals may be resistant and reluctant to change. It may become necessary to dismiss staff or even cut players in order to move forward.

When people who do not buy in cannot be removed from the program or at the very least be pushed to the background, progress will stall until they are lost to attrition or retirement. In today's instant gratification environment the "problem people" can and unfortunately do at times outlast the coach / change of culture.

*** Changing a culture is a process with buy-in as a critical ingredient. Those involved must recognize change is needed and be willing to embrace change. Sometimes, as bad as a culture might be, those in and around the program just are not ready to change it.  You must attempt to make this determination as part of (1) above.