The analogy I liked most from this book compared the process of building a team's structure to growing a plant. A detail-obsessed coach runs the risk of structural micromanagement, the coaching equivalent of planting a tree in a jar. A coach who can find the structural equivalent of planting the tree in a fertile area with plenty of space is likely to get better results. In a sense, a good structure encourages action and growth. It may mean giving new people full freedom from the start with a promise to restrict freedom based on squandered opportunities. The key to establishing this structure is to bring in people who understand the team’s philosophies and the coach’s demands. Once these people are in place, the coach must allow them the leeway to meet their responsibilities. The structure is vital because a team worried about hitting the borders imposed by the jar will miss out on growth opportunities while a team growing without focus will fail to make progress toward its goals. Another good analogy is to think of a rubber band – coaches should remain flexible without stretching to the point of weakness.
A key element to recruiting is to find players and assistants capable of responding to the coach’s style. Coaches who understand their own shortcomings are better able to identify people that can prove helpful assets to the team. This doesn’t excuse coaches from trying to become better at their jobs and learn how to work with different types of people but trying to become good at everything all at once is no recipe for success. It also raises the issues of building trust within a team, a challenge under the best circumstances that is greatly eased if the coach can be his or her true and authentic self at all times. If there are people in the organization who cannot handle the coaching style, the coach may need to sacrifice authenticity at the risk of eroding trust.
There is a long list of routine challenges in a coaching role that have almost no right answer (I list these below). Ultimately, a coach should approach these challenges with reasonable expectations. It isn’t possible to be correct all the time. If a coach can work up to around an ‘A’ grade (95% correct) the many little decisions will add up over time to produce a significant and successful team.
Endnotes
0. A list of things to be right around 95% of the time…
*Discussing personal matters with a player (but never seek such conversations – wait for the player to raise the issue).
*Finding the growth opportunity within adversity.
*Balancing effort and commitment with tactics and motivation.
*Knowing when to allow a player to criticize coaching.
*Determining the right time to say ‘ignore this and focus here instead’.
*Recognizing when too much information means overload rather than direction.
*Demanding common things be done in an uncommon way.
