Warrior Coaching

As we get back home from this years Bootcamp and start to unpack our kit it is a good time to recount the experiences we had and the lessons learned.  As always there were some strong themes that kept arising and they were very relevant to everyday life, even when you’re not in the middle of nowhere trying to get up a steep incline.

There a few blogs coming this week to share the stories, the experiences and the lessons learned.  Here is the first instalment.

Teamwork/ Communication

Straight from the off it was evident how fast situations can get complicated simply through a lack of teamwork and communication.  As we travelled down we went in two car loads with the brief that we would stay together and go at a steady rate.  However, the excitement over the weekend ahead lead to some over enthusiasm and one car started to pull away during the journey along the M4.  Before long the two cars were out of sight of each other.  Theoretically this was not a problem as all parties were briefed on where they were going so as long as they followed the plan everything would fall into place.  But as we know from life, it doesn’t always work according to a plan does it?

Sure enough by the time we got across the bridge into Wales we had learned that the M4 was closed from junction 24 onwards.  The plan was to drive to junction 32 so this clearly through the prepared tactics off track.  First thing to do was make a quick call to the other car.  No answer.  No doubt a combination of driving and listening to some tunes along the journey meant they didn’t notice their phone going.  And in the space of a couple of hours the smooth plan had turned into a situation where the team was split up, out of communication and having to tackle a change of plan with no knowledge of have the other party were approaching the challenge.  Well, we had to stick with the plan that we had originally set.  After all the destination was the same it was just the route that had to be adjusted to account for unforeseen circumstances.  Out came the AA road map and after some quick adjustments we were on track driving up the A449 to meet with the A40 and travel into Brecon without any real problems.  We’d see the other car there.

As we closed in on the campsite that we always go to every year it seemed to be a great deal busier than usual.  Essentially the campsite is a sheep farm and the farmers are happy for hikers to camp out in their fields for a relatively small amount of money which always suited us very well.  However as we closed in it appeared that the campsite had been organised into some form of an event with stewards/ marshals, a music tent and a beer tent?  None of us had ever seen this before?

Well it turned out we had arrived on the same weekend of the Jazz Festival which sees people from all over Wales flock to Brecon for what appeared to mainly be a heavy weekend of boozing.  From the untrained eye it looked the camping area of V Festival which was a long way off what we were used to finding when we got there.  And as you can imagine with such organisation the deal we were used to having with the farmer was drastically different to today’s prices which were quoted to us at £30 a night?  So naturally we explained our situation and that we weren’t going to be attending the festival and enquired about where to camp without all the facilities.  As they recognised us from our annual trip a deal was made.  However, we were unable to speak for the other car load?  In fact as they had raced ahead they were probably already there and the Brecons being the Brecons there wasn’t really a great deal of phone signal to establish contact.

So after 2 incidences which affected the previously concrete plans, we were now driving amongst dozens and dozens of tents trying to locate the rest of our team.  We couldn’t find their tents/ car anywhere?  After a couple of laps of the area we simply decided to head for the quietest area we could find and start pitching the tent.  After all it was pitch black at night what else could we do?  Sure enough within about 15-20 minutes there must have been just enough signal for them to phone us.  And we had a couple on the phone the other end explaining that they had just got here and did we know that a Jazz Festival was on?

As it had turned out, despite racing ahead on the M4 they had managed to get the navigation wrong once they were faced with an obstruction.  They couldn’t understand how it had happened as they were using a sat nav, and pointed out the kit took them the long way around.  And there was the first lesson of the weekend and we hadn’t even pitched our tent.  In fact there were two good lessons.

Lesson One

When working as a team, stay as a team with good communication and a clear plan that everyone understands.  Naturally unforeseen circumstances can mean that plans have to be adjusted so having the team in close communication these changes can be made without any party being out of the loop.  On our trip we had all had to make decisions as individuals and it led to one group making inefficient choices because they were isolated in unfamiliar terrain.

Lesson Two

Don’t assume technology will save you if you don’t know the basics.  A big part of our Bootcamp weekends is navigation and one thing we talk about is the use of maps against GPS.  Which is very similar to using the AA road map against Sat Nav.  Now both groups had Sat Nav technology in the cars, however one car went straight for the technology and the other car checked the road map first, and never needed the aid of technology.  After all, the technology only helps if you already understand the basics and you should not be hiking according to GPS if you don’t know how to read a map with a compass.  Same for car journeys though admittedly many rely on technology now the Sat Nav is available.  The question is where else do we rely on technology where we don’t have the basic knowledge to verify if it is taking us in the right direction?

Next we’ll talk about the next lesson which true to form with Warrior Bootcamp is never very far away.

Watching England play against Germany yesterday got me thinking all about Team Building.  The England side clearly were not operating as a team, lacked understanding between them and were unclear about their roles.  Hard to believe I know when you consider that the management team has had them for over a month to work with?

So here is a few short tips of how to Build Teams

1. Common Goals

Naturally the team needs to share common goals.  In theory these goals are often considered so obvious that they don’t need to be said.  But they do.  Take England for example.  It appears obvious that their collective goal would be to win the world cup.  And I’m pretty sure this was discussed.  However by watching their actions and observing individual efforts oppose to a team effort I would surmise that the common goals were not clear enough or understood by all.  For this reason every single team member must clearly understand how the team coming first benefits them individually.  This certainly was not communicated effectively yesterday as too many players looked like all they were trying to do was bump up their transfer fees without realising that not playing as a team made virtually EVERY player in the team drop in value.  So common goals must be discussed and you must get ‘buy in’ from the team members with some level of confirmed commitment.  Merely dictating the goals does not qualify as getting ‘buy in’ from the team members.

1. Clear Roles

Every member must be totally aware of their specified roles within the team.   Again it was painfully clear that this had not been effectively communicated in the game yesterday, hence the lack of direction.  On top of that the manager must be so in tune with the staff that they know their strengths and weaknesses.  By knowing this they can place the members of the team in the appropriate key areas.  After all not only must the staff have clear roles but they must have full training and adequate skills to fulfil the role.  It is not appropriate to try and smash a square peg into a round hole just because that’s the system that looks the best on the whiteboard.  It has to suit the personnel on the ground.  Also each member must be aware of the importance of their individual role as the team can not function without every one performing in their key areas.

1. Give it adequate Time

No matter what the new system is that you put in place it must have adequate time to gel.  Whether it is a new sports team formation, a sales team, a new personnel hierarchy, office management or whatever, it doesn’t make a difference.  It has to be given enough time to work effectively.  Naturally the more preparation you put in at the start ensuring the individuals are competent for their roles then the quicker it should come together.  However, sadly for Capello in the role of England Football Coach he entered a World Cup still not knowing his best team and how they should play.  This kind of lack of preparation costs people their jobs and in business could cost millions.  There is no excuse for not planning ahead and allowing enough time to weed out the teething errors which are likely to occur at the beginning of building a new team structure.

1. Manage Motivation Levels

My first sales position I was taught that sales is 99% attitude and 1% ability and to be honest that is true with many things.  Once the team is in place, the members know their roles and everyone is working toward the same common goals then the next step is to manage the emotions and personalities of the team.  After all a team shows its mettle when facing adversity not coasting through the good times.  So be prepared and have processes in place to manage the expectations of the team members and how they are mentally prepared.  If the team starts to lose confidence, belief and desire as a unit then it’s difficult to point the finger at individuals.  The management has to be accountable and take some responsibility for not managing the motivation of their team members.  And like Zig Ziglar says:

‘They say motivation doesn’t last, well neither does bathing that’s why we recommend it daily’

Managing motivation levels has to be part of the initial plan and not something that gets thrown together later to resolve a crisis.

1. Accountability

Finally their needs to be accountability within the team though this also needs to totally balanced with a reward structure.  You can not chastise if on the other end of the scale there is no reward and vice versa.  Also you can only claim accountability of team members once you have got their ‘buy in’ to the cause and they fully understand what they will get from fulfilling their side of the bargain.  Paying someone an hourly rate is not enough to assume they will just do what they are told.  This only works if the manager is constantly chasing them with a stick and traditionally this is a huge expense of resources for minimal return.  The real art is to empower the individuals so they can be self motivated to further themselves and reap the rewards.  That doesn’t mean that management is not required but it does mean that managers can focus on more pivotal projects than just chasing around the shop floor with a long stick.

So there you go 5 quick tips!  Enjoy

Fabio Capello has had an amazing career as a Football Manager so credit where credit is due he deserves to be respected as a manager.  However, sadly his ability and experience is not coming together how he would like for the England Team right now in South Africa. 

One thing that is very different from club management to International management is the time that you get with the players and the time you have to get the team to gel.  Even if you walk into a new club you know the team have already gelled to an extent.  Whereas England have not had that cohesion for a very long time.  But don’t worry help is available and all he needs to do is call the Warrior Coach and I’ll be there!

So what would I be saying if I got his ear?

Preparation

Games are rarely won on the pitch but in the preparation and build up that precedes it.  Currently the squad are kept in the dark on team selection until the final hour and none of the players have the opportunity to mentally focus on the task at hand because they don’t know what part they will play.  So if the team selection is this up in the air how can they be able to carry out tactical orders that are not fully rehearsed?  Confidence comes from preparation and the team don’t have a full opportunity to bring it all together before the big day.  You can see in the player’s body language that this confidence is missing.  This was shown by Wayne Rooney as he expressed the pain of being booed by his own fans.  The players are so low that they need every scrap of support they can muster to rebuild their own belief.  Abuse from the fans will signal another nail in the coffin.

Tactics

Fabio Capello has World Class stars at his disposal however they are only World Class in certain areas of their game.  If these areas of their game are not maximised then even the best player in the World can look very average.  One of the phrases that keeps coming up is ‘square pegs in round holes’ and I fear that is exactly what Fabio is doing.  He is taking World Class players and operating them in a system where they can not show their full capabilities.  To make matters worse not only are the players struggling and losing belief, but the media slam their individual performances which pushes the players even further down.  If confidence comes from preparation then taking a player out of his comfort zone and asking him to perform how he has never performed before will certainly create doubt in their minds.  If I was with Capello I would rapidly be running through a SWOT analysis of each player and highlighting where the weak areas of their games are as well as their strengths.  This way we can neutralise their weaknesses and play only to the positives.  Also if you insist on a stubborn set of tactics then you have to admit at some point that sometimes your star player will not feature in them.  As despite their obvious talent their abilities don’t fit the tactics.  This is how surprising stars are made in big tournaments and also how surprisingly big stars fade in tournaments.  Look at Sir Alf Ramsey when he chose not to play Jimmie Greaves in the final against West Germany in 1966.  Greaves was in many ways a much better footballer than Geoff Hurst, but despite that he wasn’t the right man for the job.  It is key decisions like this that earn managers their money.

Motivation

As the players run out of the tunnel you want to see the fire burning in their eyes.  You want to see the hunger spilling over as they can’t wait to get on the pitch and show the world what they were born to do.  The World Cup is the pinnacle of a Footballers career so if you can’t motivate them for this then what can you motivate them for?  The truth appears to be that Capello is mismanaging the pressure and offloading it on to the players.  The players are playing like they have the world on their shoulders and to be fair they have.  The level of expectation now is so high that the squad are getting concerned they don’t have what it takes to deal with it.  This is what Managers get paid for.  Managers who offload stress and pressure to those below them have no right being in that profession.  Players have to be responsible and accountable for fulfilling the roles that the manager asked them to deliver.  But the buck ALWAYS stops with the manager.  If it didn’t get done it’s because the strategy was wrong or the personnel ordered to carry out the task was wrong.  Both were selected and dictated by the manager.  This has to be made clear to the players that their responsibility is to do that task to the best they can and they then have to be empowered with all the tools required to carry out that task.  At the moment the England players appear like it is their responsibility to win in spite of their manager and that the pressure is on them to work out how it is going to be done.  Removing this pressure and blockage and playing the players in formations and roles that they are fully prepared for will allow them to play without fear.  And we need to see England play without fear against Slovenia.  A full answer to motivation should have started a long time ago with a full understanding of the values of the individual players and a common guideline of shared values adopted by the squad.  The players need to know how they personally fit into the team and be reassured that they are an integral part of that team.  At the moment I fear that every player is treading on eggshells and many don’t feel integral at all.

Belief

It costs nothing to believe in yourself and everything not to.  The players have had a rough ride so far and there is no doubt that without the appropriate measures in place it will have affected their mindset and their opinion on their chances.  The management team need to work hard at making sure each player is fully aware of their potential and instil the belief that the only ones that can stop them are themselves.  England are still in control of their own destiny here and an emphatic win in Slovenia is likely to see them progress.  It’s ugly but it doesn’t matter its results that matter.  And if they progress they have the same chance as anyone to lift the cup.  Creating the belief shouldn’t be difficult as virtually every player in the squad has experience of playing in Finals in the domestic league and even winning championships.  Most have played in the Champions League which in many ways is a much higher quality of football due to the time the teams get to prepare together.  England CAN win the World Cup and whether they do or not is simply a choice.  Do they choose to win the World Cup?  Sounds like an easy decision however they do have to be empowered to make that decision by the management in place.  And I know what you’re thinking.  What if all the teams make that choice?  Then it comes down to the team that is not just paying lip service but genuinely believe it the most.  Not as individuals but as a team.  From the guys who don’t get to play to the star of the tournament.  And even down the staff all the way to the physio and the kit manager.  Belief has to be instilled at every level and it has to be backed up by the preparation to win and the actions that show that you came to win.  No good saying that you are intent on winning the lottery someday but never buying a ticket.  Actions always outweigh the words and its what you do that speaks volumes about your belief.  The manager has a responsibility to demonstrate actions that scream the level of belief he requires from his players.  Dropping Green was one of those decisions that weakened the squad’s belief as it distinctly showed lack of belief.

I could write for another week about what I’d love to discuss with Fabio but today is not the day.  Maybe when I meet him I can go through it properly

As a Coach and Sports fanatic I love Winning! Or should I say I love playing to WIN!

In truth I am happy to take second place when I've been soundly beaten by a stronger candidate, but only if I know in my heart I did EVERYTHING possible to stake my claim to the number one spot. Vince Lombardi says it best in the quote:

'Winning isn't everything, but wanting to win is!'

So naturally I am always looking for the great techniques, models and formulas that ignite individuals to really want to WIN and WIN BIG! I can't help it as its just in my blood. Yet when ever I search for more answers or interview more experts I just get all the fluff of 'align them with their values', 'assist them to believe', 'inspire them through leadership' etc etc. Don't get me wrong Values and Beliefs are 'Bread and Butter' for us coaches but sometimes it just doesn't create enough true value, and it doesn't get down to the grit of WINNING! Now I do understand that some peoples values may be happier with acheivement over success which could answer why WINNING isn't high on their agenda. That could make sense. But I'm not ready to just buy it yet as I want to get to the bottom of this once and for all.

So I'm asking you what you think. Is the will to WIN genetic? Is it something that could be proportional to an individuals Biochemistry? Could it be attributed to testosterone? Or is it simply something that is unleashed when we fully understand our values?

Sometimes it feels like saying I WANT TO WIN! is a bad thing, and that I should be happier with the journey. But in my heart I know I'll only enjoy the journey if I did all I could along the way to be the very best that I could be. Otherwise what kind of a journey would it have been?

So do we create WINNERS? Or do we simply pick the WINNERS?

Looking forward to your thoughts