"Our goal is to be great every year and to be able to contend for championships on an annual basis and if we want that, we need to act like it." - Chaim Bloom, Chief Baseball Officer, Boston Red Sox
In Shortcut, John Pollack explains how powerful (and deceptive) analogies can be. Analogy to baseball (three strikes and you're out) fueled lengthy felony sentences, staring in California. Chief Justice Jon Roberts described justices as umpires at his confirmation hearing, not establishing the rules but enforcing them. Neither analogy was technically accurate, but both changed society.
Basketball analogies have power, too.
1. Playing hard is a skill. Talent isn't enough; intelligence isn't enough. Skill comes packaged in different forms, measurable and intangible. Playing hard is a force multiplier as players spread energy and effort. Successful teams play "harder for longer." Care about skills that impact winning; playing hard is paramount for success.
2. Although not war, basketball uses military tactics - infantry, the power game, cavalry, the speed game, and artillery, the perimeter attack. The most effective teams blend elements of each both offensively and defensively.
3. The DNA of an organization matters. Ideas flourish or fail in different ecosystems. The mere presence of organization doesn't guarantee success. Bill Walsh guided the 49ers from obscurity to a championship in three years with Standards of Performance for everyone from the groundskeepers to the players.
Walsh wrote, "You must know what needs to be done and possess the capabilities and conviction to get it done. Several factors affect this, but none is more important than the dictates of your own personal beliefs. Collectively, they comprise your philosophy. A philosophy is the aggregate of your attitudes toward fundamental matters and is derived from a process of consciously thinking about critical issues and developing rational reasons for holding one particular belief or position rather than another…Your philosophy is the single most important navigational point on your leadership compass."
Steve Kerr leads the Warriors using mindset, culture, and mentors. "Cotton Fitzsimmons and Lenny Wilkens couldn’t be more different, personality-wise,” Kerr said. “But they were both great coaches because they were themselves. And that’s what all my mentors have told me: ‘Just be yourself, be true to yourself, stick to your principles, and it’ll work.’”
4. "There is always a pecking order." - Erik Spoelstra Recognize that although we want to treat everyone fairly, that doesn't mean treating everyone equally. Collaboration and connection matter, but the minutes, roles, and recognition never distribute equally. "The shark and remora relationship benefits both species. Remoras eat scraps of prey dropped by the shark. They also feed off of parasites on the shark's skin and in its mouth. Remoras keep the waters clear of scraps around the shark, preventing the development of unhealthy organisms near the shark." Wanting to be a shark won't change a remora.
5. The ball is a camera. Cut urgently to open spots to be seen. Get in focus. Movement makes great pictures. Earn the right to be in the picture. Defenders photobomb the camera's targets.
6. "The ball has energy." When the ball doesn't move, teams struggle. Ball movement energizes players and teams. I watched a high school holiday tournament game tonight and the ball stuck in the first half, with Bishop Fenwick leading 26-25. In the third quarter, the ball came alive and Fenwick won the period 21-5.
7. Cinderella story. Everyone loves Cinderella, the classic underdog story, using pluck and luck on a pathway to success. There are few better feelings in coaching than helping guide a team to overachievement and unpredicted success.
Summary:
- Playing hard is a skill
- Basketball uses military tactics.
- Every organization has its DNA.
- "There is always a pecking order."
- "The ball is a camera."
- "The ball has energy."
Lagniappe. "Inside the elbows, inside the blocks..."
Lagniappe 2. Dream big.
Lagniappe 3. Teach players media relations. How players interact with media impacts how fans and teammates view them. Sharing credit shows maturity, promotes collaboration, and mitigates jealousy. A former player was interviewed after a President's Day tournament yesterday. "It feels great to be named MVP," said Kay. "I have to give a lot of credit to my teammates, because we've got some really great players which makes it hard to stop us."
