Lessons from Coach Pat Summitt

I am a very big fan of college basketball AND a very big fan of the younger generation that has recently entered the workplace. 

For those of you who are not fans of college basketball, let me tell you a little bit about Pat Summit. Her stats since she became the coach of the Lady Vols’, Tennessee’s basketball team, are astounding:  18 NCAA Final Fours, 27-for-27 reaching the NCAA “sweet 16”, 14 Southeast Conference regular season titles in 27 years, and this week she is expected to win her 1,000 game.  Her overall career record:  998-186.

By any standard, you would have to acknowledge that she knows how to get the most out of her players.  In a recent interview published in USA Today, she revealed something that I believe all managers can learn from.

In the USA Today article (Tuesday, January 27, 2009 edition), her assistant coach for the past 24 years noted that Coach Summitt has changed her coaching style in the last several years, noting that Ms. Summitt’s style used to be “my way or the highway”  but “it’s a different way of motivating today’s kid----she’s adjusted to it”.

Pat herself describes her confrontations with her team members now as “informed challenges”.  In fact, her team members are given personality tests and they meet with sports psychologists so that Ms. Summit knows how to approach each individual to bring out the best in them. 

I have to believe that it wasn’t easy for her to move away from her old command and control mode to her new way of coaching, but I also have to give her a big pat on the back for adapting to the new generation.  It is paying off----her winning streak continues.

Every day I talk to senior leaders who are frustrated with the new generation that they find themselves leading.  Most of the time, their lament is the same one that we heard from our parent’s and from our parent’s parent----why can’t they be like us----why can’t they bring the same work ethic---and on and on. 

The next time you find yourself thinking that way---stop for a minute---think about Pat Summitt----after 27 years she doesn’t ask why----she just makes adjustments.  And guess what----it is paying off as she chalks up win number 1,000 and counting.

On-Boarding and the Game of Monopoly

Do you remember when you first played the game of Monopoly.  You opened up the box, took out the pieces----a top hat, paper money of many denominations, a pair of dice, cards with various instructions, deeds to properties and on and on.  Staring at the myriad of pieces, the exact way to play the game wasn’t immediately intuitive.  Then, you turned over the box top and read the directions, and within minutes you were setting up the game, rolling the dice and you were on your way.  Sure, it took a few games to figure out the best strategy to amass your fortune, but you were well on your way in the right direction once you read the inside of the box. 

Now, if you bought the game at a flea market without the box top, you could eventually figure out how to play the game---but it would take a lot longer.  You may also miss some of the nuances that the box top would have explained and you might leave some of the pieces out because you didn’t know exactly what they were for, but you would be able to play it in some way, albeit not exactly as intended.

That is a very simple way to look at what on-boarding is.  It is a coaching process designed to give the newly hired executive the “box top” with the instructions for success in his or her new role.  Having this guide enables the executive to accelerate their success in the new company.  Sure, without that guidance, an intelligent, highly qualified and well-matched executive would eventually figure it all out------but why not start with the “box-top” and compress the assimilation time.

 

Statistics indicate that 40% of leaders going into new roles fail within the first 18      months.  Even when the candidate has been carefully screened and brings the requisite skills, experience, strengths, has the right motivation, and is a good fit for the culture, there can be failure.  On-boarding can give your newest hire an edge to help keep them from becoming part of that statistic.  That’s why every candidate we place receives the services of a specifically matched coach.  We believe that accelerated success serves everyone best.

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