*Note – this
letter was written several months ago but never shared with Pr1me. It recently came to my attention again while
cleaning out some old files. A
resounding increase in the teams on field communication was noticed which
ultimately assisted with our recent success (improvement) at WCO
Riverside. I thought it tied in well
with the previous two blog posts and have decided to share. You will notice words like culture,
leadership, family, consistency etc. Now that you know the chronological
history, please proceed….
“People need to be reminded more often than they need to be
instructed.” - Samuel Johnson
This is a quote used by an Executive I work with as he
addressed his direct reports earlier this morning. It stuck with me, not because Samuel Johnson
essentially wrote one of the most widely used English dictionaries in existence
but because of two questions I was asked at practice earlier that weekend. First, I was asked how I felt about being a
coach. Then I was asked by one of my
players, "What do you see that we aren't seeing?" in reference to how
his line was playing. I tried to answer
both questions as best I could while trying to stay focused on a number of
other tasks. Admittedly, I was not fully
engaged and I believe I answered them from a literal sense and to the best of
my ability at the moment. But hindsight
is always 20/20 and if you give me enough time, I will study (translation: over
analyze) something until I have an answer that satisfies me. So I started
looking at this from a communication perspective. Here is what I have come up with:
As a leader, you can ensure that your message becomes a part
of the culture of the team through repetition.
(We have built a culture here. I
can explain that further if you wish - let me know if you need clarification). The key factor is to make sure you don't
become frustrated when you have to say something more than once. This can be applied to leader, coach,
captain, player...you get the picture. Repetition can change people by reinforcing
the message (or at least, it should it depends on certain variables which I
will address later in this letter).
Solid leadership communication is about repetition, whether we like it
or not. A good example of this would be
close order drill performed in the United States Marine Corps. Now, repetition might sound boring to a lot
of people but it has been my experience that it is one of the most effective
communication tools in a corporate environment.
So why can't it work with our program?
Well, I think it does. I believe
our program is a good example of that actually.
If we really want our team to experience an organizational
alignment, collaboration so to speak, with high performance results than
repetition is indispensable. If we say
it again, and again, and again or practice it again and again and again, a
person who is diligent will see the results.
They will begin to internalize it as they hear the same message over and
over and over again. They will see the
results of their lanes, their snap shooting, their communication improving as
they drill, drill and drill. They will
hear that “voice”. The concept is quite simple
really.
Another factor and probably the most important aspect of
this communication is to pick the right message. You want to make sure that the message isn't
something that you are afraid to repeat everywhere/anywhere all the time. Integrity is paramount. And we should say it every time with the
utmost conviction and sincerity.
This, by no means, lets the listener off the hook. Communication is a two way street. There is the messenger, there is the medium
used to communicate said message and then there is the receiver/target of the
message. The receiver must play a role
as well, they must be vested. They must
understand the message then recognize that message for what it is and how it
pertains to them. Then they must
acknowledge it and provide quality feedback.
I want to be a good leader (who doesn’t?). And I
want to be a good player. That means I
need to repeat the key takeaways I want you as a team to have. It means I must listen and understand the
feedback. But you also came to Prime to
be a better player, a better person, a winner... right? You have invested time and energy to meet
these goals, correct? We need to make
sure we are all getting what we want out of this symbiotic relationship because
that is what this is. We use the term
family to define us. We are the Prime Family...
Families fight and disagree but in the end, blood is thicker than water. So let’s agree that we all want the same
thing: to be successful in our endeavor of becoming better paintball players
and winning.
I didn't realize this would be a book so let me try and sum
this up. Simply, you will get out of
Prime what you put into Prime. I, Mikey
and the McGowan family have put a lot into this program as have many of you. Through clear communication and repetition
between and among the team members, we can create an environment of
consistency. That consistent environment
will breed winning. And winning makes us
all happy.
So let's make ourselves happy. Let's practice hard. Let's create a consistent winning
environment. And let's listen to what's
being said, taught, and shown, etc. You
want to be better? Well, you get what
you put in.
Be water my friends…
Bianca
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