Great coaches know that so much of the team’s success is down to them. Research shows that the quality of the manager, team leader or coach is the single biggest factor in the team’s long-term success. Great coaches maximize the strengths of each player. But, to do that, the coach needs to be sure that they are laying the ground work for success. Like every brilliant teacher and manager, the coach knows that they have to continuously self-reflect on the quality of their coaching and interactions. 

The Triangle of Success is a structure to support the growth of a high quality coaching mindset and helps coaches embed coaching and playing behaviors to elicit success. 

 

Skill: 

• Have I identified the precise skills required to have my players be successful? 

• Have I explicitly coached these skills? Have I given opportunities for the skill to be practiced independently, guided in a group setting, modeled, practiced under pressure in game-like scenarios? 

• Have the execution of the skills become habitual? 

Motivation: 

• Are the players motivated to follow the plans/learn the skills? Do they understand the “why”, that is, the purpose of the plan/skill/expectation and how it fits into the larger game plan? 

 • Does the coach know what motivates each player? For example, some are motivated through deep, personal relationships. Others by a sense of harmony and trust in the team. Some players are motivated by goals set for them, and others by being recognized and making a mark. 

Clarity: 

 • Is there clarity around my expectations? Do the players know what is expected of them? If I asked them to write down my expectations, could they? 

• Is there clarity around the game plan? Can they explain it back to me and their team mates? Can they show me diagrammatically? 

• Have I been explicit enough? This approach will support behavioral embedding which is an ongoing process of guaranteeing that looked-for behaviors taught and learned in training are more regularly and consistently used in games.

The Triangle of Success is an excellent tool to help coaches reflect on their coaching and ensure their players are set for success.

 Image: COLLAGE PYRAMID, 2014. Print by Briony Barr located at https://twfineart.myshopify.com/blogs/tw-fineart/18267385-the-triangle-in-visual-art

Notes: The "Success Triangle" is a structure that emerges from Cohen Brown.

Elite Thinking: Conversations worth having and generative questions

 “Generative questions focus on the best of what is and what might be?" 

(Stavros and Torres)

Great coaches are forever curious. When we are curious we are naturally inclined to ask generative questions. Since we get more of what we focus on it is important that coaches reflect on their own frame and consider what the question, "What is the focus of my attention?" 

Generative questions “change how people think so that new options for decisions and actions become available to them, and they stimulate compelling images people act on” (Bushe). They create trust and a positive energy to move people and teams in a positive direction. “Generative questions focus on the best of what is and what might be” (Stavros and Torres, p. 55). They open up new ways to solve challenging and complex problems and provide creative ways forward. 

What do generative questions look like in practice?

The situation is a coach who for some reason, does not seem to be executing the game plan of the coach. There could be multiple reasons why this is occurring (see next blog post on the Triangle of Success). Here is an example of a coach reframing the situation and asking generative questions instead of being angry or simply telling the player what to do.

1. Reframe the situation. 

Coach: “I really do understand the situation. You see attacking chances and want to help the team by using your skills and speed to take those opportunities to get the ball up field. I want to be sure we are also looking at other ways to move the ball. So how can we have a constructive conversation about this?” 

 2. Ask generative questions. 

Questions shift the conversation from a negative to a positive conversation, expands possibilities for action, builds relationships, and deepens understanding. 

Coach: “What opportunities did you see to play the ball wide? When you did play it wide what contributed to the success? What changes on the field can we make to get the ball wide?” 

By practicing these techniques, conversations are stimulated and players are engaged because both parties have the space to step back, ponder, reflect, be more open and transparent and the relationship is nurtured. These practices shift attitudes that allow both coach and player to participate. Creative solutions are generated that create positive and forward energy. These are the ingredients of a successful team.

References: Stavros, J. and Torres, C.(2018). Conversations Worth Having: Using Appreciative Inquiry to Fuel Productive and Meaningful Engagement. Berrett-Koehler: Oakland, CA.

Image: https://www.dirtalleydesign.com/blogs/news/visual-design-and-generative-art

Elite Thinking: Conversations worth having and the positive frame

“We change best when we are strongest and most positive, not when we feel the weakest, most negative, or helpless.” (David Cooperrider) 

Challenging conversations are an unavoidable part of sport. Coaches must create a safe space for these to occur. Such conversations should take place when players and coaches have had an opportunity to reflect, step back and take a breath. The brain will be far more open to feedback and advice and therefore learning will be optimized. What might a conversation look like that builds connections, creates a more productive environment and produces positive change? 

A conversation worth having is when: 

• The coach seeks to maintain the relationship and build trust. 

 • The player walks away energized, filled with possibilities and is ready to take action. 

• There is a sense of cooperation. 

• The result is positive and potential has been unleashed. 

What does a conversation worth having start with? 

A strengths-based paradigm. The coach is ready to see the player and the game through a positive lens allowing them to appreciate the best of what is. Why? Because these are the practices coaches want to replicate. The more time the weaknesses are examined, the less time there is to shine a light on the good practices. And, it’s the good practices when replicated that will lead to success.

What do conversations worth having look like? 

Positive framing and generative questions are two simple yet powerful approaches that take mental and emotional discipline and practice. “Positive framing is not only about focusing on the positive. It is also about focusing attention and action on where we want to go or on what it is we want more of” (Stavros and Torres, p. 46). 

A coach to a player: “Today you were selfish on the ball. You didn’t pass to your team mates. You had no vision and that impacted negatively on the team. You ran from deep in our half and got tackled in possession which resulted in turn overs”. 

This creates negativity, anger, resentment, irritation in the player and a team environment where the other players observing this interchange will feel anxiety. (A state of relaxed anxiety is the mental state where the best learning occurs. Too much anxiety is a blocker to learning). Basically, all the emotions that are the antithesis to building relationships, creating a thinking player and learning. “To inspire a conversation worth having, use positive framing, which creates a desirable focus. A positive frame draws people in and inspires curiosity, imagination, and interest” (Stavros and Torres, p. 46). 

 

A coach to a player: “You are an exceptionally talented player. You left it all out on the field today. You at your best is key to the success of our team. At times, you made great choices to attack the opposition and you have the skills to do so. We also know that we are looking to use the outside right half to launch attacks. What ideas do you have that would get the ball wide more often? What are you seeing on the field.” 

This positive frame allows the coach to maintain good relations with the player while resolving issues that are negatively affecting the team. The player may still feel a little bad because there was possibly a poor result due to their performance, but the focal point is on the desired outcome, not the player. The player also has the space to share possible challenges they may face to be able to execute the actions on the field, some of which may have not been clear to the coach. The coach simply (it’s not always easy because of the way we are wired as humans) reframes the focus away from a negative or problem focus to an appreciative more positive one. 

“Name it, Flip it, Frame it”

“Name it, Flip it, Frame it” is a technique that shifts the thought from problem-based frame to a positive frame (Stavros and Torres):

• Name it: What is the problem? The player doesn’t pass right. 

• Flip it: What is the positive opposite of the problem? The player passes right and supports the attack.

• Frame it: What is the positive impact of the flip? What would the impact be if the player passed right? What is the desired outcome? There would potentially be more attacking opportunities generated and a turnover would be less dangerous. We may win more games.

Great coaches have the discipline and desire to build players through the strengths-based approach using appreciative inquiry techniques that build trust, confidence and ability. 

References: Stavros, J. and Torres, C.(2018). Conversations Worth Having: Using Appreciative Inquiry to Fuel Productive and Meaningful Engagement. Berrett-Koehler: Oakland, CA.

Elite Thinking: Be curious, not furious.

“Praise in public, criticize in private.”

At times a coach berates a player in public. I wonder how useful that is. I tell coaches and captains, “Praise in public, criticize in private.” Numerous studies show that people pay most attention to negative feedback. Criticism stings even the most resilient person and the feeling lasts longer than positive feedback. People, research says, need four pieces of positive feedback for one bit of negative feedback. Corrective feedback is necessary and talented coaches are able to provide that and maintain a positive culture in the team. 

When a player feels demeaned and deflated, they will no longer give their best. Very few players can fully re-engage with a coach when such negative feedback occurs in a harsh way. Typically, in these situations the coach is still hot under the collar after a loss. They may be furious with the result and some of the players. This is the time when the coach needs to be so self-aware that they control their emotions and pause their feedback because in these moments things are said that shouldn’t be and trust is lost. 

 Two good techniques are: 

1. Be curious, not furious. Leading the conversation through genuine curiosity, does three things. 

 a. It creates a conversation and thus engages players in the discussion and buy-in ensues. Great coaches get to the core of the players’ decision-making process. 

 b. It develops thinking players. That is, players who are building the skillset to be able to self-critique and analyze a game. 

 c. It builds empathy, trust and deepens understanding of players. Using the concept of “seek first to understand, and then to be understood” the coach gathers useful insights into the thought processes of the players and is thus better able to identify areas for remedy and coaching. These coaches genuinely seek to understand the player’s thoughts, feelings and approach. It’s a case of diagnose before prescribe (Covey).

 2. Look only for the good. Squint if you have to. But, only offer up the good. The team knows when they were poor. So do most players. The opportunity to debrief a game away from the heat of the moment will come. For now, focus only on the positive and ask the players to provide input on what they appreciated. 

The result? A culture of positivity is built and a positive culture beats a negative one any day. In those post-game moments great coaches are self-aware. It takes time for trust to be re-established. Trust is the foundation of all relationships and like a bucket of water, it is filled slowly drip by drip, but only takes one tip for the contents to be emptied.