Relationships: A Catalyst For Performance
The NCAA basketball tournament always gets a ton of press and TV time. It’s exciting to see the men’s and women’s college basketball teams compete at such a high level. And to see small universities start their “Cinderella runs” or watch David knock off Goliath in the early rounds.
In the men’s final this year, Kansas overcame a 15-point deficit at halftime to beat North Carolina. This was a classic example where the will to win overcame the hurdle Kansas found itself facing. Watching the players and the coaches in that game was particularly eye-opening: how the coaches interacted with their players and how they motivated their players to perform at the highest level. It got us thinking.
What can leaders learn from March Madness?
If you have followed sports, you’ve likely marveled at the relationships that exceptional coaches have with their players. Think of Phil Jackson leading the Chicago Bulls.
The great coaches give all the praise to their players for the wins, and they take responsibility for not getting the players ready for the game when they lose. You can see from both their comments and the nonverbal interactions with their players that they have a strong, personal bond.
The relationship-building skills that good coaches practice to forge strong bonds with their players are a catalyst for performance and creating change within an organization. We have much to learn by observing excellent coaches who achieve great wins with their players.
Leaders in organizations can take on this “coach” role and call on their teams to reach new heights. At the core of these strong relationships are vulnerability and rapport. Let’s look at actionable ways leaders can model great coaches and practice vulnerability to establish rapport with their teams.
Clarity: They communicate clear performance expectations to their players. They are methodical about explaining what they need and what they expect their players to do.
Consistent Feedback: They provide regular and ongoing feedback. They talk to their team about how they are doing, even showing them what good performance looks like and coaching them on the details.
Curiosity + Listening + Compassion: They know their players well. They know them both on the court and personally. They understand that not everyone is the same and that people need different types of support. And they care about them genuinely.
Opportunities: They provide opportunities for growth and professional development based on what their players need – pushing them to the edge of their abilities and reminding them they can do it.
Recognition & Reward: They recognize and reward high performance. That means giving their players credit for big wins or great games and ensuring they get recognized for their contributions, including the different types each player contributes.
Strong relationships are a prerequisite to asking your employees to step outside their comfort zone. When things get hard, as they inevitably will at varying points, strong relationships can be leveraged to get through it and bring teams closer together. Whereas, frail relationships during hard times lead to disconnection, resentment, and burnout.
The art of coaching has become a popular tool for leaders during the past several years. A recent study by Gartner of over 7,000 employees found four distinct kinds of coaching profiles used by managers. They include a Teacher Manager, an Always-on Manager, a Connector Manager, and a Cheerleader Manager. The titles are self-explanatory and show that different coaching styles can be effective in the workplace.
Interestingly enough, the Always-on Manager was least effective because they were perceived as providing too much feedback, didn’t spend time assessing their employee’s skills, and failed to realize their personal limitations or realize they didn’t know all the answers to solving a problem.
There is much to learn by watching excellent coaches who elicit incredible performance from their teams. They are engaging with players in a way that helps each individual achieve their best – recognizing that teams win games.
When leaders can support and align their teams with the organization’s purpose and goals, there’s no limit to what can be achieved.
Ready to better understand how you can help your team achieve their best?
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