Elite Thinking: Coaches as strengths-based leaders (part 1)

“The opportunity to forge ahead of the pack lies in the ability (and courage) to shift from the old management or coaching philosophy towards a more empowering strengths-focused environment” 

(Paddy Upton, former mental conditioning and strategic leadership coach of the Indian cricket team when they became the first team to simultaneously hold the no.1 ranking in all formats of the game).

 

Elite Thinking is a framework that has been used with many athletes and coaches to build a world champion mindset. The work is grounded in the belief that greater levels of self-awareness around the strengths of an individual builds sustainable success for players and teams. This is a solution-focused approach which entails identifying what creates a successful team, who the team is when they are at their best and then aiming to replicate that each game. The coach’s role is to engage the players’ strengths and highlight positive performances  to create confidence, belief and enthusiasm and ultimately outstanding performances. Focusing on the strengths of the players and magnifying or appreciating best practices and moments of the individuals and team builds a winning culture. 

Play to your strengths

A young player I coached had the opportunity to be coached by Alvin Kallicharan, the brilliant West Indian batsman. I commented that the player played the cut shot very early in his innings. (That particular shot is often seen as a risky one to play early in an innings). I asked whether he should hold back on playing it until he had his eye in. Kallicharan commented to me that he had noticed the player cutting. “It’s a strength of his,” he said, “Why would he not play it?” 

A friend of mine who opened the bowling for Natal got some advice from Malcolm Marshall the great West Indian fast bowler who had been given a contract at the franchise and was a new arrival at the ground. My friend was exceptionally excited to be bowling alongside such a legend. He told Marshall he was working on an away swinger, as well as an off cutter and wanted some advice on how to improve. Marshall looked at him and said, “You’re a fast bowler, man. Just bowl fast.”

 

It is seldom the case that we focus on our strengths. We tend to want to improve our weakness. This need partly goes back to schooling and parenting. When you received an A for English and a C for mathematics on your report card, what was the conversation around the dinner table that night? I ask this questions to dozens of groups each year and the answer is always the same. The C for math! I listen to coaches debriefing a game with their players and what do I typically hear? The majority of the conversation is focused on what went wrong and what needs to be improved. Quarterly reviews in the business world sound very similar. We have been regulated to think we need to improve weaknesses. However, Gallup, the globe’s best company for using data and analytics to understand and unlock the potential of people, teams and organizations, interviewed millions of people from across the world and from multiple sectors, and found that the key ingredient to improving performance does not lie in fixing weaknesses, but building on strengths. Less than one third of people play to their strengths each day. This translates to very low engagement which in turn affects effectiveness and efficiency. Other studies show coaches, parents, and managers typically navigate towards a focus on what players, children and employees do wrong, rather than on what they have done right.

 

Recent test matches

Some assessment of the approaches of the India and Australia series sheds some light on the power of strengths. Langer, the coach of Australia and former star player, is a man I reluctantly admired. Even as a South African supporter, I had to be impressed by his mental toughness, physical courage and skills. I received some insight into his coaching style watching The Test, a documentary recently aired on Amazon Prime. I do understand that we don’t get the full picture, but Langer’s approach to coaching was clear. He is very direct, does not hold any punches and values open, honest and sometimes brutal dialogue.

 

One episode of The Test takes place in a room where the Australian players less than 24 hours after a 2019 Headingley defeat in what has been termed the greatest test match ever, are made to watch a video of failures of the game. It was a brutal defeat. England had snatched the highly improbable victory from the jaws of defeat. The Australian players were still hurting, many holding their heads in their hands as they relived the events of the past day. I would argue that the approach taken to focus on the negative was well-intentioned, but damaging to the players and to the morale of the team. Sure, weaknesses could not be ignored, but they did not need to be the focus. I appreciated the comments of Tim Paine, the Australian captain. During the video session he acknowledged some weaknesses, and he tried to focus on the positives. He spoke about the plans they had on the field, and how even in the midst of great pressure, the players had shown tremendous calm and resilience. They had fought on in spite of a terrific counter attack by England. And, on that day, they came second and England won. In spite of the defeat, there was so much good to draw on. Yet, the team was not given the space to focus on the positive elements of the test, and therefore lost the opportunity to draw on those strengths another time.

 

Releasing players to play to their strengths.

Let’s look at Indian captain, Rahane’s reaction to a disastrous defeat to Australia in the first test in December 2020 which had the media and former players making claims of a massive series defeat. Unlike the Australian team a few years before, he did not lead his team into a deep dive of the weaknesses that led to defeat. Rahane did not let his team dwell on the 36 all out. Perhaps he called on the ideas in an ancient Hindu prayer that says, “From the unreal lead me to the real”. He had his players focus on the “real” truth of why these men play cricket.  The “real” lay in the joy of batting, of taking wickets, and of being a team. Success is all about seeing the truth in all things. Rahane saw the truth of a strong united team  playing with joy. The truth was not in the 36. That was one hour. A blemish. Nothing else. Seeing the truth meant seeing the truth about each player - their strengths. He told Ashwin not to worry about his batting. He told his players to bat with joy. With joy comes freedom. Freedom to play shots. Shots that win games. Playing wisely and doing what you love. The combination of playing to one’s strengths, finding the joy in what you do and sticking together as a team. This makes sense on the field and in the workplace!

 

Scientific studies show that a steady inflow of positive emotion also allows people to be more resilient, that is, mentally tougher. They experience openness, perspective and grit. These people are more likely to rise to the challenge and more hopeful. These are key qualities any coach would want in his/her team, especially when the team is under pressure. Think back to Rahane. He asked his players to play to their strengths and to do so with joy. And they did. Even though the Indian team was under huge pressure on the final day, the positive emotions emanating from leadership and collectively from the team allowed the Indians to be resilient and handle adversity with courage and positivity. Their ability to fight through tough times in Australia made them a better team and win the series. Brain science shows that resilience is a property of social groups and builds collective resilience. Each micro-moment of positivity resilience builds like a savings account ready to be tapped into when times get tough. A captain and coach then needs to intentionally create a culture that allows his/her players to connect regularly over good feelings, to share more moments of positivity and connection. It builds resilience and strengthens teams.

 

Positive emotions

It is ironic that a few years later, Australia again lost a game that they should have won, with India batting for 97 overs and winning a game that for all intents and purposes looked out of reach and helped destroy a 32-year streak of Australia not losing at the ground. Furthermore, it sealed a 2-1 series away win for India. I would argue that memories of Headingley, 2019 started to return. Opportunities were missed at the team debrief of that 2019 game when the focus defaulted to assessing what went wrong instead of trying to understand what went right. Instead of having strengths to draw from, the memories would have triggered feelings of hopelessness, negativity and perhaps even fear. Not ideal ingredients to succeed.

 

Brain science

Brain science shows that it is unlikely that people build off negativity. The brain shuts down and becomes very narrow in thought and action. The body responds with tension. If Australia had focused on the positives and built off their strengths, there may have been some powerful memories, attitudes and approaches to draw from in later games. To build powerful and galvanized teams the platforms and opportunities that are created for members to share positive emotions are what allow a team to bond. Sharing positive experiences as a group has a remarkable impact on individuals making them more engaged, feel more connected and more likely to be creative and innovative. Willingness to take risks increases because people feel safer. Think of those tough times on the cricket field. Instead of shutting down in fear and pressure, players feel more in tune with each other, more able to solve problems as they feel cared for and valued. Negative emotions narrow awareness, positive emotions broaden  awareness. When players feel positively connected to each other, they are better able to access the wisdom of their past experiences and are generally intellectually smarter. (Brain scientists show that just ten minutes of pleasant conversation with someone increases your performance on IQ tests, making you wiser and more pragmatic). Mind power is unlocked, players are more likely to be able to think their way out of tricky situations. That gives great insight into some of the strategies that coaches could use in game debriefs (more on those in another article).

 

The default to negativity

This isn’t just an elite coaching problem. Focusing on the negative for fear of “not confronting weaknesses” is very real. I recently played a game of cricket where we won off the last ball to get into the finals. It was tremendously exciting and probably a game we should not have won. At the end of the game, the captain got his players together and said, “Right, first the negatives…” and listed what was done poorly in the game. Not only did it take the wind out of an incredible performance, there was also a massive lost opportunity to build an even stronger team by focusing on the positives of the game and being mentally prepared to repeat those in future games. (We went on to lose the final). My point here is that we are unfortunately conditioned to focusing on the negative. This is how we are hardwired. It’s the ancient defense mechanism the brain needed as humans had to constantly scan the environment for danger, brains ever ready to engage in fight or flight.

 

Too often, we are led to believe that by focusing on the negatives, we can eliminate them and get stronger. We are led to believe growth emanates from focusing on our weaknesses. People are afraid to only focus on the positive. There is concern that this is nothing but paint-on-positivity and that we are in fact terribly vulnerable if we only see the positive. This is simply not true. The model set before us is incorrect. In fact, focusing on the positive does not mean ignoring the weaknesses and issues (more on that in another article). Appreciating what is good, what went well, on where success was found actually is far more beneficial and forms the basis for winning teams in business, sports and in relationships.

 

Positive approaches

To get positive results coaches must use positive approaches. Simply, it’s like making the best chocolate cake. You figure out the right ingredients and the perfect process and you aim to repeat that each time you make the cake. Most of the time, the best chocolate cake will be the result. That’s like with teams. Identifying what creates a successful team, who the team is when they are at their best and then aiming to replicate that each game is what the focus ought to be. The coach’s role is to mobilize the potential of the players and create confidence, engagement, energy, enthusiasm and ultimately outstanding performances. The coach creates these conditions for success. To build this winning team, a winning culture needs to be in place. To build the winning culture, the coach must believe and help their players believe that they have the capacity to make a meaningful contribution to the team’s success. The coach draws out and nurtures the positive power and potential of each player. This entails focusing on the strengths of the players and highlighting or appreciating best practices and moments of the individuals and team. This builds tremendous individual and collective capacity and a culture of positive power. In these cultures, players are more open to criticism and feedback, more engaged and more likely to take risks. Ultimately, performance is elevated and games are won.

 

Dr. Peter Dry

February, 2021

peterdry@thepdlearninggroup.com

 

Peter uses his Elite Thinking framework to unleash the potential in teams across all sectors.

 

Photo: https://newsbust.in/prakash-raj-reaction-on-indian-win-test-series-india-vs-australia-ind-vs-aus-4th-test-india-vs-australia-india-beat-australia-by-dust-prakash-raj-said/

Culture eats strategy for breakfast

I have been working closely with a school and its leadership team during the current COVID-19 outbreak. The leaders have managed school closure, online meetings, preparing a roll out of online learning, canceling local trips, getting groups back in to the USA from abroad, communicating to parents, closing boarding programs, monitoring several news channels, communicating with multiple stakeholders and health and government officials and so on. Challenging times indeed.

No school was fully ready for the outbreak in spite of all their emergency plans; but, some are better prepared than others to pivot to a new way of teaching and learning in the online space. (Yes, resources do matter, and some schools unfortunately, and through no fault of their own do not have the resources and nor do their students). Why are some schools, including the one I am working with specifically, pivoting successfully to managing change and move to online learning?

The schools most ready to adapt to online learning are not necessarily the schools with the best strategies or resources for online learning. The schools best able to adapt are those with an already established culture of ongoing learning and development, risk taking, collaboration and trust. The move to online teaching and learning at this particular school will not be seamless, but it will shift quickly, creatively and successfully. Why? Because ‘culture eats strategy for breakfast’. This school has an established culture for innovation. Teachers are already in the mindset of trying something new (and not sticking rigidly to the old); looking to solve a problem creatively (rather than becoming frozen); ready to take risks (and not being afraid of making mistakes); collaborating with peers (instead of being stingy with ideas). This is a culture that enables buy-in, flexibility and innovation and where the faculty daily collectively take responsibility to create an engaging and future-ready environment.

Culture cannot be left alone to self-create, and leaders must embark daily on an intentional journey to cultivate the culture they know will create an engaging, productive and innovative work place, or school in this case. School culture (or any organizational culture) is tough to create. It acts like a moving target and can often mean something different to everyone. It grows organically, and emerges from stories, interactions, conversations and policies. Thus, it must be carefully and intentionally cultivated.

This school’s leadership has over the past several years purposefully nurtured a culture for innovation that has as a key element (there are many aspects to building culture), magnifying the good. Some examples of this include, starting each meeting with an agenda item to magnify the good; sending handwritten notes of gratitude to peers and students; running magnify the good assemblies; encouraging shout-outs and, importantly, creating a strengths-based culture where the culture takes a more positive approach by focusing on identifying each person’s strengths and supporting the productive application of those strengths at work.

Another name for magnifying the good is appreciative inquiry. When a culture rests on this foundation, practices of appreciative conversations fill the hallways, meeting rooms and minds of people. Even the end-of-year summative reviews have an appreciative tone. Teachers and administrators are asked questions like “What are your leadership highpoints?”; “What are your hopes and dreams?”; “What are the opportunities for improvement?” Appreciative conversations and relationships mold values and attitudes of the people so they can both individually and collectively “imagine a preferred future together that is more hopeful, boundless, and inherently good…It is about … finding those positive, anticipatory images that compel action toward them.” An appreciative inquiry approach has proven to be foundational in “designing, transforming, and growing” an effective school culture that is ready to adapt to this massive global change. Teachers are eager to activate positive change in their teaching and learning approaches to make them more relevant to the rapidly changing needs of the students.

In conclusion, ‘culture eats strategy for breakfast’ is believed to be a famous quote from the great scholar of leadership and management, Peter Drucker. Drucker was not saying that strategy was unimportant, but that rather that an intentionally cultivated, powerful and inspiring culture is a surer path to organizational success especially when the world is changing so rapidly and immensely that we may no longer have the strategies required to manage the change.

Dr. Peter Dry March, 2020

Reference: 

Appreciative Inquiry Handbook for Leaders of Change by Cooperrider, Whitney and Stavros. 2008

https://www.supplychain247.com/article/organizational_culture_eats_strategy_for_breakfast_lunch_and_dinner/legacy_supply_chain_services

What would you need on a desert island?

What is it that innovators can’t do without and that leaders need to provide for their ideas to take hold and flourish?

You know the old conversation starter, “If you were stuck on a desert island, what 3 things could you possibly not do without?” The answers I have received range from three good books, play station, skin moisturizer, soccer ball, pen and paper, Swiss Army Penknife, hat, sunglasses, yoyo, Rubik’s cube and so on.

This got me wondering about what innovators (or even intrapreneurs) could not do without in order for their ideas to take hold and flourish. So, I did a little research, had a few conversations and this is what emerged.

The experiences of Steve Sasson (the inventor of the digital camera) at Kodak showed that individuals in an organization cannot take a new and ground-breaking idea from birth to profitable product. Innovation must live in the DNA of the company. When I am asked to help innovation to flourish in organizations, I look to create a culture for innovation. I work with leaders to help them understand that innovation has to live in the culture, and the culture is largely defined by the leadership. Innovation has to be to an organizational-wide effort and must be supported across the organization by culture and systems and practices that encourage groundbreaking ideas and products. Innovation seldom flows freely. Organizations across the sectors need to have all systems working to create a mental space for innovation. That is, employees know they have permission and are supported by systems to challenge the status quo. If that does not occur, innovation will be stifled and the innovators will take their ideas elsewhere.

Here are principles for leaders to follow for innovation to flourish:

1.     If the culture allows for it, identify your potential innovators. Give them opportunities to ideate, create, design, prototype, implement and even scale the new ideas keeping the innovation connected to the organization and not siloed.

2.     Find the shepherds; someone who can act as a protector and guide the innovator through the political maze that exists in many organizations. Especially if the culture of the innovation defaults to the status quo and tends to squash new ideas. The shepherd opens financial doors too, being an advocate for the innovator allowing the latter to focus on developing the new idea and not expending too much energy on other matters.

3.     Ensure a strong business/team partner. Times get tough especially when you are breaking new ground and you need a strong partner to lean on. The partner provides support, guidance, and feedback. They also offer another point of view encouraging you to see things in different ways.

4.     Talk to your innovators about their role models. These range from the Steve Jobs and Elon Musk’s of the world to the small business owners who deliver great value to customers and build a strong brand. These people provide inspiration and lessons.

5.     Build a sense of team around your innovators. They can be tricky people to work with, but we need them and they need a team. Team support of innovations can take down opposing forces (or use them to make the product/service even better) to make successful innovation stick. The sense of team can also mean empowering everyone with the ability to contribute towards significant change. Have conversations about innovators and innovation with your people. A cultural valuing of innovation, creativity, learning and quality helps to unite a team or business and provide a clear framework of ‘how things are done around here.’

6.     Encourage love of the product. Many innovators speak about how they love what they do. Loving the customer meant being deeply aware of customer needs. After all, innovation happens where the customer is. Loving the product/services means really caring about the quality ensuring it is defect free and goes beyond the expectations of the customer. Part of love is patience which is required in the relentless pursuit of an optimal solution (there is seldom an ‘aha’ moment) to yield high-impact breakthrough.

7.     Encourage and model a harmonious lifestyle. Pay attention to all the aspects of what makes us who we are; mental, physical, social/emotional and spiritual. Productivity and happiness increase when you feel healthy, aligned, stimulated and importantly playing to your strengths. Successful people take holidays, exercise and catch up with friends and family. This creates space for contemplation and mental ‘tinkering’. Making this an element of the culture is one step to creating a culture for innovation that all your people can be part of.

I know this list contains more than three things, and they may not help you survive on a desert island, but I wonder which of these exists in your team or company to give innovation and innovators a chance to thrive?

By Dr. Peter Dry, 2020

Picture source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d3/Desertisland.jpg

On your bike! How to attract and retain more innovative, bright and engaged people to our organization?

I remember observing a large group of 9^th grade boys ready to head out on a cycle. They were fit, strong and ready to ride. You could feel the energy and excitement. This was way better than sitting in a classroom. However, 30 minutes later they were still standing beside their bikes being lectured to by a teacher on road safety. Things got a bit restless as you can imagine. After 45 minutes the lecture was still going on and the boys were ready to riot. Sure the safety aspect was important, but so too was getting the kids on bikes and letting them go

One of our roles as a leader is to get the most out of our people. To let them jump on their bikes and fly! Yet, traditionally we position our business to attract customers (and to retain them of course). Maybe we do a few things on the fringes that may be attractive to good employees. However, our people are our most important asset. When I am charged with improving or team or organization, I fundamentally look at the way people are treated and how engaged they are. An engaged employee base matters, says Gallup. Employees who are more engaged “achieve earnings-per-share growth that is more than four times that of their competitors.” Furthermore, higher engagement accounts for better retention, higher profitability, better health and greater levels of innovation and creativity. Teams function better as trust is higher.

When nearly 30% of the workforce is in transition, how do you position your business to attract and retain the best people beyond benefits, perks and ping pong tables that have been shown to have limited long term effects?

1.     Grow your managers. Gallup research shows that “70% of the variance in team engagement is explained by the quality of the manager or team leader”. I have seen that an intentional, middle management leadership program is key and is one of the first things I look to implement in organizations that want to improve. Train managers to have frequent conversations with employees that are regarded as meaningful and supportive, and employees are more engaged and less likely to leave. When managers talk about what matters to employees around hopes and dreams, employees stay. And, when managers have strengths-based conversations, employees work more effectively and stay.

2.     As a manager, say ‘yes, and’ more often. The worst thing you can do as a manager is to hire bright people and then restrict them. Leaders need to develop an ‘art of allowing’. This is a key part of being an authentic leader where you honestly allow people the opportunity to grow and thrive. There is an element of risk taking and letting go but it is well worth it. You build self worth, self confidence and most importantly trust. These are the foundations for more willingness to innovate and build the organization.

3.     Allow people to work on projects that may not be completely aligned with their position description. That’s okay! It may have to be “under the radar”, if the company culture is not quite ready for such an approach. I saw huge benefits of this tactic when I led professional and organizational learning at a global financial services firm. I saw how bright, creative minds love to work on multiple projects and have a keen sense of growing their portfolio. Locking these people into their position description restricts their growth, limits trust, and stifles what they could potentially be offering to the business. And we saw some exceptional outcomes. (Beware, these people tend to leave if they feel stifled).

4.     In some industries, encourage your people to speak at conferences, publish white papers and educate your market. Many of the brightest love to learn and to be seen as experts in their industry. In most organizations I have worked for this has been a stretch for most employees. However, once they get a taste of the joy of sharing their expertise, the personal and organizational growth is rapid. Remember, in the post-knowledge era, an organization that does not learn, dwindles away.

We need to attract people who can cycle fast, creatively and intelligently, and then we need to let them get on their bikes and pedal to their heart’s content!

By Dr. Peter Dry, 2020.

Source: https://news.gallup.com/poll/241649/employee-engagement-rise.aspx

Get on purpose: What are the benefits of knowing your purpose?

A while ago, I watched The Wolf of Wall Street. It was rather debauched and with lots of foul language, sex, and drug use. Certainly not for the faint-hearted. It is based on the true story of Jordan Belfort and tells his rise to a wealthy stockbroker living the high life to his fall involving crime, corruption and the federal government with him ending up in jail. The basic method of his firm was a ‘pump and dump’ scam. To cover these dodgy dealings, Belfort gave the firm a respectable name, Stratton Oakmont. An article in Forbes called Jordan the "Wolf of Wall Street", which resulted in hundreds of highly ambitious young financiers joining his company and making a lot of money.

What struck me was this notion of purpose at Stratton Oakmont. The financiers had a clear purpose in mind: “Sell and make money”. Morals and values didn’t feature. They were not part of the company culture. It was focused on making as much money as quickly as possible. And it did. Because of this laser-like focus which was emphasized by Belfort each week over the microphone as he motivated his people to sell, the company was hugely successful and its traders became very wealthy as a result. Belfort’s staff were in no doubt as to their role; they knew with absolute clarity the purpose of the organization and Belfort reminded them of their focus again and again in his engaging manner. Success was magnified and celebrated. Anyone who did not fit the culture (lacked focus on the purpose) was promptly fired.

Now I am not putting forward the idea that sex, drugs and corrupt behavior is the way to ensure company success. I am saying that crystal clear clarity of purpose does result in success, however success may be defined for your particular organization (in Belfort’s case it was to make money by whatever means possible).

The role of purpose and communication thereof is a critical key to success. Purpose answers the crucial ‘why’ question. Why do I get up in the morning? Why do I go to work? Does my work matter? Is there a purpose in what I do? Why am I on earth? (Belfort’s people knew the answer to this).

Organizations need to know their purpose and have leaders to clearly define and help their people connect with it. Gallup’s recent global study on the changing demands of the workplace highlight employees’ shift from “my paycheck” to “my purpose”. The connection employees have between their personal mission and the company has a lot to do with engagement and performance.

Your people need to know why they are at work. They need to understand what their role is in the greater scheme of things i.e. WIIFM (what’s in it for me?). This motivates and inspires people. When they pick up their bags at the end of their day, they know they have made a difference. No matter how highly paid, or socially valued the job is, or how premium the brand, people want meaning and purpose. As a leader, you have an important part to play in defining company purpose so your people come to work with absolute clarity on their role. Furthermore, it is worth investing in the time to encourage your people to grapple with the notion of living life ‘on purpose’; that is being aligned with their values, mission, and goals. This will enable them to play to their strengths and make a more powerful contribution.

Leaders too, need to know this answer for themselves and figure out what really matters to them. Living on purpose, in accordance with your deep beliefs, results in inner happiness. There is a sense of alignment in life. It helps you assess everything you do. Decisions are made easier as purpose acts as a filter and a guide. Your ability to stay on purpose will affect the fulfillment you feel in life.

David Novak, CEO, YUM Brands says this, “Why am I on earth? I’m on earth to encourage others, lift lives, help create leaders, inspire people, recognize others. When I’m spending time doing that – those are my best days.”

In an article that was written about him, Geoff Colvin, from Fortune wrote, “The deepest explanation of Novak’s success may be that the way he wins – building the recognition culture, spreading the Taking People With You program – is actually fulfilling his life’s purpose.”

Clayton M. Christensen, the innovation and leadership thought leader, says the following in his brilliant Harvard article, ‘How will you measure your life?’,

 “For me having a clear purpose in my life has been essential….The choice and successful pursuit of a profession is but one tool for achieving your purpose. But without a purpose, life can become hollow. I apply the tools of econometrics a few times a year, but I apply my knowledge of the purpose of my life every day.”

While I wouldn’t recommend the movie to my children, it reminded me of the power of purpose and left me with some questions the manager could be asking:

·       Does my team understand the mission and purpose of the organization?

·       What indicates that my team lives out the purpose each day?

·       Am I as a manager/leader living the purpose/mission of my organization?

·       Are priorities being set that emerge from the mission/purpose of the organization?

Dr. Peter Dry, June 2019.