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Monday, November 7, 2022

First Impressions

"You never get a second chance to make a first impression."

People constantly judge us...and we judge them. Our judgments aren't necessarily accurate. 

Israeli Defense Forces sought the best possible future military officers. Psychologist Danny Kahneman developed a questionnaire that outperformed interviews. Why? Because in a world of talkers, "confident extroverts" excel at interviews but not always at work. 

Observation. We size up another's general appearance, eye contact, "engagement," speech content, and tone. 

Problem? None of the above measure competence, attention to detail, adaptability, or suitability for many types of work.  

Example. The Admin candidate was well-dressed, poised, and well-spoken. But in practice they lacked the experience and common sense to interact well with customers. 

Get noticed. Two minutes before tryouts began, the twelve year-old approached me, saying, "Coach, I am really excited to be here." Be 'seen' and perform well. Naomi earned a roster spot. 

Chuck Daly reminds coaches, "I am a salesman." What skill am I selling?Our product or service adds value to the purchaser or player. At higher levels, that impacts the player's livelihood and future.  

Understand the problem from the player's view. They may believe that "numbers" define their value. Reorient. Convincing them that winning is primary won't happen unless our behavior (minutes and role) matches our words. 

Make our primary objective the success of the player.

Lagniappe. Energizers. 

Lagniappe 2. Be great without the ball. 

 

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