First, my apologies on the lack of posts recently. I've been busy applying to and interviewing with MBA schools. The process has taken up a lot of my spare time and it's not quite over yet, but I'm almost there. I've got some great stuff to post in the next couple of weeks when I have a little more time, so stick with me.
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March Madness is almost upon us, so what better way to start it off than to talk a little bit about Coach K (Mike Krzyzewski). During the recent Duke-UNC game Dick Vitale ran out of material, largely because Duke was blowing out UNC by 30 points, so he resorted to calling Roy Williams and Mike Krzyzewski "hall of famers" every time their image came up on the screen. I wondered to myself what makes a coach a "hall of famer" other than the number of championships they have or the number of wins they've accumulated? Dick Vitale answered that question for me seconds after I asked it -- communication. Coach K and Roy Williams are "hall of famers" because they are so good at communicating. Communication, in my mind, is what makes the world go around. When used effectively it can be very powerful. Unfortunately, effective communication is one of the most difficult skills to grasp for most people. When confrontations arise, emotions normally take over and team goals are usually put aside because individuals are more interested in saving face. One of the ways to ensure effective communication is to make sure there is a shared pool of understanding for the group. An understanding of how the group will be run, what the goals are, and how members will be held accountable are all essential.
Coach K and his '06-'08 Olympic team players developed one such pool of understanding for each other. They all eagerly contributed to the formation of the list below. By created such a list everyone knew what was expected of them. The goal was clear, how they would accomplish it was also laid out, accountability was key, and whenever someone strayed from the standards of the list it was easy to point out to them where they were wrong. Coach K, having an understanding of how to effectively communicate, had the foresight to take these simple steps and ensure his team would have a chance to win gold in the Olympics. If you learn to take similar steps, you too could become a "hall of famer" very soon.
Coach K's Gold Standard
- No Excuses.
- Great Defense: doing the dirty work to ensure victory is key.
- Communication: look people in the eye and speak truthfully.
- Trust: In a team, family or group situation of any kind there must be an honest belief in each other in order to succeed.
- Collective Responsibility: be committed to each other, win and succeed as a unit.
- Care: Have each other’s backs and give aid to a teammate, co-worker or family member in need.
- Respect: respect each other and show you are so by being on time and prepared.
- Intelligence: be aware of your environment, your strengths and weaknesses and that of your competition as well.
- Have Poise.
- Be Flexible: this also means do not complain.
- Unselfishness: your value is not measured by your time in the lime light, rather by your ability to help others achieve success as well.
- Be Aggressive.
- Enthusiasm: have fun.
- Perform as if you have never failed.
- Pride: be proud of what you do and who and what you represent.
