March
13: As March Madness approaches this got me to thinking about the
similarities between running a successful basketball program and leading a successful
business. Winning basketball programs are
led by great head coaches who are both managers and designers with the vision
to build a team whose style of play integrates rhythm on offense with continuity
on defense. They build a solid staff of
assistants and are always recruiting skilled athletes with strong basketball fundamentals. They coach players to instinctively create floor
balance, move with and without the ball, exploit mismatches, know when to pass
and when to take high percentage shots. Their
teams perform as a seamless unit and communicate well. Superstars share the spotlight with role
players.
Consistently
successful businesses have great leaders who are also effective managers with a
vision to design programs and processes that always deliver on the brand
promise while achieving financial, productivity and image-oriented results. An excellent staff of senior and middle
managers build a team with the right people assigned to precise roles and are
always recruiting people who have the necessary character and technical and
professional skills. Superstars share recognition
with support teams and mentor rookies.
The
Right Approach to Practice - It’s Not Micromanaging
Ever
had an employee challenge you by saying "you're micromanaging me"?
The
right approach to practice optimizes the chances to win through timely hoops at
the end of the game. Think about the
hours of personal development during the off-season and team development during
daily practices throughout the season for the opportunity to play two 40-minute
college games per week. The coaching
staff ensures every team member’s understanding by breaking down each play and decoding
goals into a set of individual responsibilities and a series of specific steps. Pros welcome the opportunity to participate
in hours of film sessions listening to coaches and teammates constructively
criticize their game and identify opportunities to improve it. Imagine if
they viewed this as micromanaging?
The
right approach to practice optimizes the chances to win through the ability to
close a deal when the time is ripe. Business
leaders provide coaching and training as essentials for continuous
improvement. For example, successful
sales managers travel with sales reps to visit clients and prospects. They are briefed on the goals and tactics
planned for each meeting, keep quiet during the meeting and then help the sales
rep self-critique the meeting afterwards.
Imagine if top 20% of sales reps viewed this as micromanaging?
