Friday, November 12, 2010

How the Mind Determines Athletic Success--Morty Lefkoe


about Facebook® Recommend

Oct 19, 2010 -
In order to make this blog post personally valuable to you, I'd like to start by asking you a couple of questions.  First, whatever sport you play, how often do you play up to your potential, in other words, if you rate your best performance a 10, how often do you play at a 10?

The next question I'd like you to answer is: If you can play at a 10 sometimes, why can't you do it more frequently?  You obviously have the physical skills and ability or you wouldn't have been able to do it that one time.

I’d like to suggest that the reason your game isn't consistent and you don't play up to your potential most of the time is strictly mental—specifically, your beliefs, attitudes and feelings—all of which are within your power to change.

Obviously you need the appropriate skills for your sport but, as Jim Loehr (a sports psychologist who has worked with a number of successful professional athletes) points out, "the distinguishing trademark of great players in any sport is not so much their exceptional talent, but rather their exceptional ability to consistently play at the peak of their talent."

Many others agree.  For example, a story in USA Today pointed out: "For years, golf's top players have agreed: little separates the physical capabilities of the world's 100 or so best players.  The difference between success and failure, they agree, largely depends on their approach, their handling of crisis situations on the course, their response to pressure, the ability to handle their emotions and fears and doubts.  In short, it's the mental side of the game."

If you're like most serious amateur competitors, you don't complain very much about your physical limitations.  Here is a list of some of the most common complaints.  Which sound familiar to you?

  • "It's not that I don't know what to do, it's that I don't do what I know."
  • "The harder I try, the worse I seem to perform."
  • "I know exactly what I'm doing wrong on my forehand (or my putting, or my footwork, or my swimming stroke, etc.), but I just can't seem to break the habit." 
  • "When I concentrate on one thing I'm supposed to be doing, I flub something else."
  • "I'm my own worst enemy."
Notice that every one of these complaints is a mental one.  Moreover, all of them are the result of pressure you put on yourself.

In fact, Loehr contends, "If you can take the pressure off yourself, then winning will take care of itself."

Why?  What's the connection between pressure and your ability to perform?

Tony Schwartz points out in a New York Magazine article that "Thoughts about losing or playing poorly may lead to fear and anxiety, which prompt an array of physiological reactions such as increased heart rate, muscle tightness, shortness of breath, reduced blood flow to the hands and feet, and even narrowing of vision.  All of these reactions make it impossible to play up to one's potential. " 

Mistakes
"The emotional downfall for most players is mistakes," according to Loehr.  "Mistakes can trigger strong emotional responses (disappointment, embarrassment, anger, temper, low intensity) that can cause inconsistent or poor play.  For some players, nearly every mistake represents an emotional crisis.  But it's interesting to note that everyone manages mistakes the same way when they're playing well.  They simply turn and walk away confidently, as if nothing happened.  

Ideally, the best emotional response to mistakes is to get challenged.  A mistake is simply feedback to the mental computer that the shot wasn't perfect, that some adjustment is necessary.  And the simple fact is that without mistakes, the learning process would be permanently blocked.  No mistakes, no progress.  But negative emotion also blocks the progress and is a natural response to mistakes.  So what's the answer?  The answer is that players must train emotionally so that mistakes produce the right emotional response."

It might be possible to "train emotionally," but ultimately emotions are the result of beliefs and conditionings.  Eliminate the beliefs and conditionings and the emotions change automatically.  Imagine the following: You have the belief that a ball being hit into the net (or into the water, etc., depending on your sport) is a mistake, and mistakes mean there is something wrong with you.  Now imagine that the ball hits the net or goes into the water.  What would you have to feel? Angry at yourself, annoyed, frustrated, hopeless, etc. 

Now imagine this scenario: You have the belief that there is no such thing as a mistake, that every result that isn’t what you intended is an opportunity to learn how to improve your game.  Moreover, you believe that not achieving your intended result means nothing about you. Now imagine that the ball hits the net or goes into the water.  What would you feel in this situation?  You might find it difficult to imagine right now that there are only outcomes and no mistakes, but just do your best to imagine the scenario I've just described.  Okay? What would you feel?  Challenged, calm, curious, or possibly nothing at all.

What happens physiologically when you think you've made a mistake?  Too much negative energy, which gets translated into being too excited, too angry, too anxious.  Some typical signs of over‑arousal include: 

  • Legs feel weak and rubbery.
  • Difficulty in concentrating and focusing.
  • Everything seems to be going faster than it really is.
  • Inability to think clearly and accurately.
  • Attention gets focused on one thing and refocusing is difficult.
  • Become fatigued very quickly.
Changing your belief about mistakes would minimize these conditions.

Stress is an interpretation
"The greatness of a Gretsky, a Connors, a Palmer, or an Evert is not that they perform well under pressure," Loehr contends.  "No one performs well under pressure.  Their greatness is in their learned ability to take the pressure off.  In the face of great external pressure, these [top] performers felt almost no anxiety.  To the contrary, they felt calm and peaceful inside but also highly energized, positive, and enthusiastic.

"It is this skill that separates the superstars from the troops—they have the ability to take pressure off, transforming crisis into opportunity and threat into challenge.  All that stands between you and that ability is your own head!  Pressure is something you put on yourself."

Nothing is inherently stressful.  In other words, stress doesn't exist "out there" and nothing “out there” causes stress.  Stress originates in the mind and exists only in the mind; it's the result of an interpretation.  Change the interpretation by changing beliefs and the stress will disappear. 

For example, assume you had a project to complete and had a number of limiting beliefs, including I’m not capable and Nothing I do is good enough. What would you feel as you began the project? Some level of stress. And it would feel as if the project was causing the stress, wouldn’t it? 

Now let’s assume you had the same project but had the opposite beliefs, including I am capable and Whatever I do is good enough.  If your beliefs made you feel confident that you would do a good job, do you still think the project would make you feel stress? … Unlikely.  Same project, but different beliefs would result in different levels of stress.

By changing your beliefs, something that had been experienced as stressful can be experienced as fun or challenging.

Control your mind, improve your game.  It really is possible.

Thursday, November 11, 2010

The 10 major causes of failure in leadership-- Napoleon Hill

We come now to the major faults of leaders who fail, because it is just as essential to know WHAT NOT TO DO as it is to know what to do.
  1. INABILITY TO ORGANIZE DETAILS. Efficient leadership calls for ability to organize and to master details. No genuine leader is ever “too busy” to do anything which may be required of him in his capacity as leader. When a man, whether he is a leader or follower, admits that he is “too busy” to change his plans, or to give attention to any emergency, he admits his inefficiency. The successful leader must be the master of all details connected with his position. That means, of course, that he must acquire the habit of relegating details to capable lieutenants.
  2. UNWILLINGNESS TO RENDER HUMBLE SERVICE. Truly great leaders are willing, when occasion demands, to perform any sort of labour which they would ask another to perform. “The greatest among ye shall be the servant of all” is a truth which all able leaders observe and respect.
  3. EXPECTATION OF PAY FOR WHAT THEY “KNOW” INSTEAD OF WHAT THEY DO WITH THAT WHICH THEY KNOW. The world does not pay men for that which they “know.” It pays them for what they DO, or induce others to do.
  4. FEAR OF COMPETITION FROM FOLLOWERS. The leader who  fears that one of his followers may take his position is practically sure to realize that fear sooner or later. The able leader trains understudies to whom he may delegate, at will, any of the details of his position. Only in this way may a leader multiply himself and prepare himself to be at many places, and give attention to many things at one time. It is an eternal truth that men receive more pay for their ABILITY TO GET OTHERS TO PERFORM, than they could possibly earn by their own efforts. An efficient leader may, through his knowledge of his job and the magnetism of his personality, greatly increase the efficiency of others, and induce them to render more service and better service than they could render without his aid.
  5. LACK OF IMAGINATION. Without imagination, the leader is incapable of meeting emergencies, and of creating plans by which to guide his followers efficiently.
  6. 6. SELFISHNESS. The leader who claims all the honour for the work of his followers, is sure to be met by resentment. The really great leader CLAIMS NONE OF THE HONORS. He is contented to see the honours, when there are any, go to his followers, because he knows that most men will work harder for commendation and recognition than they will for money alone.
  7. INTEMPERANCE. Followers do not respect an intemperate leader. Moreover, intemperance in any of its various forms, destroys the endurance and the vitality of all who indulge in it.
  8. DISLOYALTY. Perhaps this should have come at the head of the list. The leader who is not loyal to his trust, and to his associates, those above him, and those below him, cannot long maintain his leadership. Disloyalty marks one as being less than the dust of the earth, and brings down on one’s head the contempt he deserves. Lack of loyalty is one of the major causes of failure in every walk of life.
  9. EMPHASIS OF THE “AUTHORITY” OF LEADERSHIP. The efficient leader leads by encouraging, and not by trying to instill fear in the hearts of his followers. The leader who tries to impress his followers with his “authority” comes within the category of leadership through FORCE. If a leader is a REAL LEADER, he will have no need to advertise that fact except by his conduct—his sympathy, understanding, fairness, and a demonstration that he knows his job.
  10. EMPHASIS OF TITLE. The competent leader requires no “title” to give him the respect of his followers. The man who makes too much over his title generally has little else to emphasize. The doors to the office of the real leader are open to all who wish to enter, and his working quarters are free from formality or ostentation.

Wednesday, November 10, 2010

A STATISTICAL LOOK AT THE 2010 NCAA TOURNAMENT

(From Minnesota Duluth Newsletter)
64 GAMES
1. FG PERCENT DEFENSE – KEEPING YOUR OPPONENT’S FG % LOWER THAN YOURS -
.825 52 OF 63 (1 TIE)
2. FREE THROW ATTEMPTS – ATTEMPTING MORE THAN YOUR OPPONENT –
.726 45 OF 62 (2 TIES)
3. FOULS – COMMIT FEWER FOULS THAN YOUR OPPONENT –
.698 44 OF 63 (1 TIE)
4. FT PERCENTAGE – SHOOT A BETTER FT PERCENTAGE THAN YOUR OPPO-NENT –
.689 42 OF 61 (3 TIES)
5. 3 PT FG % DEFENSE – DEFEND THE 3 BALL BETTER THAN YOUR OPPONENT –
.678 40 OF 59 (5 TIES)
6. REBOUNDING – OUTREBOUND YOUR OPPONENT –
.677 42 OF 62 (2 TIES)
7. TURNOVERS – COMMIT FEWER TO’S THAN YOUR OPPONENT –
.579 33 OF 57 (7 TIES)
8. STEALS – HAVE MORE STEALS THAN YOUR OPPONENT –
.537 29 OF 54 (10 TIES)

Monday, November 8, 2010

Thoughts From Dick Bennett

  • Learned everything through trial and error. Early on most of it failed.  You learn the most out of failure, if you can persist through it.
  • "Men who achieve greatness do not work more complexly than the average man, but more simply In dealing with complex problems, with the simplicity that is natural to him he goes directly to the point, unaffected by the confusion of details in which another man would have lost himself."
  • Recommended “War” by Sebastian Junger
  • Collective defense can be so compelling-so addictive, in fact- that eventually it becomes the rationale for why the group exists in the first place. I think almost every man at Restrepo secretly hoped he enemy would make a seriously try at overrunning the place before the deployment came to an end. It was everyone’s worst nightmare but also the thing they hoped for most, some ultimate demonstration of the bond and fighting ability of the men”  From WAR by Junger
  • Used this quote to talk about a defensive identity of a team
  • If you can have a defensive identity then you will enjoy more success then you ever have before.
  • Game Coaching-He was always up when they were on defense because he felt his players needed great motivation from the coaches.  Especially on the road
  • Stay on top of the defense and let the offense take care of itself. (Cant be in their ear offensively)
  • Wanted to make teams play offense for as long as possible, because offense wants to score as quickly as possible.
10 CONCEPTS
  1. Eliminate Losing—What causes you to lose games?  Offensive rebounds, fouls, turnovers, lack of hustle…
  2. Choose Personnel wisely—It’s a team game and everyone must put the team 1st.  More enjoyable to coach & in the long run will make you more successful.  Can’t rehabilitate players at the college level. 
  3. Importance of emphasis—Emphasize what matters most to you.  What is important to you?  It’s not what you know, its what THEY (your players) know
  4. Players must understand
      -Anticipation is to defense as reaction is to offense
      -Getting Back is to defense as taking care of the all is to Offense
      -Protecting the lane is to defense as Penetration is to offense
5.   Rebounding, loose balls, and turnovers are the X factors—IF you chart 1 thing             it should be these things.  Difference between winning and losing.
6.   Need Non-Negotiatbles—Getting Back on Defense & Sureness with the ball.
7.   Offense must offer sound ball handling potential and an inside/outside             scoring potential.   BALANCE
8.   Quality is the standard of measurement… Evaluate Accordingly—“Don’t        accept in victory, what you wouldn’t in defeat.”  Have a standard
9.   Have an identity.
10. Which Character traits are important to you and your team?


  • Everything you do and say has to be teachable
  • Recruit/develop people of character
  • Core Values: Servanthood, passion factor, humility, Unity (the ultimate test of how we play)
  • Unity isn’t during team activities its evident on roadtrips when playing time is handed out.  Talk about unity and insist on it!
  • “Are you gonna get up” talking about after a loss or a setback.
  • Be thankful for defeats because you can learn more from them.

Following is from his last year at Washington State
Defense
·         Get back
·         Set our D
·         Pressure the ball
·         Pack off the ball (1 +4) 1 on ball, plus 4 their to help
·         Block out and rebound
·         Change the game on Defense


       Offense
·         Catch & Pass with Sureness
·         Run hard when we run
·         Break the defense down (Screens, Cuts, Pass, Dribble)
·         Take good shots
·         Get back or get an offensive rebound

        Characteristics
·         We will be humble
·         We will be passionate
·         We will be unified
·         We will be servants
·         We will be thankful

Friday, October 15, 2010

6 types of toughness


6 Types of Toughness: Are You Tough Enough?
Mental Toughness
·         Championship players are continually focused on the areas of their game they can control. They aren’t
·         focused on a referee’s poor call or a teammate’s mistake.
·         These players know they can only control their own effort, enthusiasm, and attention to detail.
·         They keep focus on those areas of their game rather than on other external factors. Are you mentally tough enough to fight through the usual excuses; including fatigue, boredom, and blaming others?
·         Mentally tough players are rocks
Injury Toughness
·         See Steve Nash. Nash’s face has been bloodied and beaten up over the years, and he has a constant back injury.  That must all be very painful; however, it hasn’t stopped him from participating in many games and practices with his teammates.  
·         Are you tough enough to play through a minor amount of pain, so long as no further or more damaging injury could arise?
·         There is a difference between being hurt and being injured.  Throughout the season you will have to battle through pain. Your back will be sore, your legs will be aching, and you will have to be tough enough to play through this.  Practice time is too valuable to miss!
Verbal Communication Toughness
·         Tough players are always communicating; providing verbal instruction and encouragement to their teammates on the court, in the weight-room, and even on road trips.
·         A teammate communicates clearly, concisely, with consistent enthusiasm, and the appropriate tone.
·         Are you tough enough to provide on-going and non-stop communication with your teammates on an
·         everyday and every-drill basis?
·         Do you have enough toughness to tell a teammate that he is not doing something right?  Are you tough
·         enough to take constructive criticism?
Physical Toughness
·         The best players invite and welcome contact.
·         Basketball IS a contact sport.
·          On the offensive end, you have to be able to cut, dribble, and screen with constant contact. 
·          On the defensive end, you have to make the offensive team uncomfortable with your defensive presence.
·         Are you tough enough to not allow a bump on the hip or slap on the wrist from finishing a strong, powerful dribble move to the basket?
Body Language Toughness
·         Psychologists say that over 90% of what we communicate is non-verbal. However, few players are aware that (based on how they stand and position their bodies),
·         Their actions and words are opposite.  What they say and what they do are not compatible. 
·         “WHAT YOU DO SPEAKS SO LOUD, THAT I CANT HEAR WHAT YOU SAY”
·         Older players, you are being watched and mimicked by your younger teammates
·         Younger players, your teammates are watching to see how you are acting.
·          Are you tough enough to act present and engaged in every moment of your life, both on the court and off?
Improvement Toughness
·         Successful people in life have a resilient desire for improvement in every aspect of their life.
·         With improvement comes change, and with change comes the discomfort of the unknown.
·         Special players welcome that awkwardness, knowing improvement is on the horizon.
·         Are you tough enough to face some temporary inconvenience for the end goal of permanent improvement?
·         Are you tough enough to get out of your comfort zone?

Thursday, October 14, 2010

Book Summary: Built to Last--Jim Collins

Be a Clock Builder, not a Timekeeper - All the successful corporations focused on building the organization and company so it would run 'as smooth as a clock.' The visionary companies didn't simply follow others in their fields (watching the clock), but tended to lead the way.


• Your Company must have a set of 'Core Values' - Each of the visionary companies had established a set of core values in its infancy that still survive today. If it ever came upon hard times, the values would still be retained. They would only be modified in the most extreme cases.


• Preserve Your 'Core Ideology' - While the core values stay the same, the core ideology can be modified. The ideology of a company is the stimulus that keeps the company evolving over time. This change usually takes place slowly, one piece at a time, but is fast enough to keep ahead of the competition. Without this constant evolution of products, the company will eventually be left behind and disappear.


• BHAG (Big Hairy Audacious Goals) - In addition to the day-to-day ideology changes listed above, you occasionally need to paradigm shift in your product or service environment. These monumental changes are called 'BHAG,' and are considered clear-cut, compelling, cutting edge goals the company sets to progress forward. Examples of these given in the book are Boeing's BHAG's of building the first commercial jetliner in the U.S. in 1952 (the 707), and the first truly 'Jumbo Jet' in 1965, and the mission to put a man on the moon in the 1960's.


• Have a 'Cult-Like" Culture - This must pervade the company, invading it like a disease. Everyone in the company must be committed to following the path of the leader (similar to a cult leader). They must commit to the same core ideology, must be indoctrinated into the company culture, must develop a tight fit with others in the company, and must think of themselves as the 'elite' in their field. Without a good cohesive staff, the company will be fragmented, non-innovative, and probably won't survive. The best example given was that of Nordstroms department stores, who have the most fanatical, loyal sales persons. Other examples given were Disney with their 'cast members' in the theme parks, and IBM with its early devotion to office machinery.


• Don't be Afraid to Evolve: Try New Things and Use What Works. - All companies have to do this. As the company grows, tastes, preferences, and technology change. The visionary companies keep abreast on upcoming changes, anticipate them, or make them themselves, or else the company's products will become obsolete. You try different things and see how they work, quickly getting rid of the things that don't work. Two good examples given in the test are 3M (evolved from a mining company to a sandpaper company, to an adhesives based products company) and Marriott (from a small chain of restaurants to an airline commissary service to a full service hospitality corporation).


• Look Inside for your Top Management - The study found it is extremely difficult to bring in persons from the outside who can effectively manage a company. Instead, the company should have management development processes and succession plans in place to insure smooth transitions and direction as the company ages. A good example of this is GE, where current CEO Jack Welch started with the company and worked up to CEO. And with GE's management development processes, his retirement should not create a succession problem.


• Constantly Innovate- Without this, the company's products/services become obsolete and lead to a decline. You must constantly keep ahead of the pack, innovating your products to try and keep ahead of the competition. And this involves an investment in innovation that can't be eliminated. The of the examples given in the text is Boeing. They have consistently created innovative airliners, while McDonnell Douglas had simple tried to keep pace. And in the end Boeing Swallowed up McDonnell Douglas.


• Make the Core Ideology/Values a Reality - It is not enough to simple craft vision and mission statements, they must be put in place so that all persons/divisions of the company known what they are and work together toward those vales and ideals. In other words, get everything aligned on the same plain. One example of how this focus was achieved was in Hewlett-Packard. Both Hewlett and Packard initially avoided any outside corporate debt so it's entrepreneurial discipline would not be compromised by the need to maximize profits.
In addition to the things Collins and Porras found that made the visionary company, they also found a few things that these companies did NOT possess.


• No Strong Dynamic Leader Necessary. - Many of the companies did not have a well known 'figurehead' in the CEO/COO position. Most top executives were too busy 'building the clock' and innovating to do extensive PR work that would promote themselves.


• No 'Great Idea' Needed to Start a Company. - Many of the companies' founders did not start the company with a set idea. The best example given in the test is Hewlett-Packard. Both of these friends did not have an idea for what their product would be before starting their business. They tried making a few interesting products until they developed a piece of military hardware that caused their business to start growing

Wednesday, October 13, 2010

Bobby Knight Quotes

  • "The will to succeed is important, but what's more important is the will to prepare."
  • "As I've said, basketball has been, I think, a real cooperative venture. There have been a lot of people that have been involved in it: coaches, administrators - not recently - fans and nobody, nobody any more so than students over the years."
  • "You don't play against opponents, you play against the game of basketball."
  • "I don't have to wait until the next morning to regret something I did that was kinda dumb."
  • "Everyone wants to be on a winning team,but no one wants to come to practice."
  • "Mental toughness is to physical as four is to one."

Tuesday, October 12, 2010

jon gordon-10 rules for the ride of your life (from: THE ENERGY BUS)

10 Rules for the Ride of Your Life

#1 "Your the Driver of Your Bus." - This is the most important rule: Take responsibility for your life. Take control. Don't subject yourself to whimsy of others.
"You don't have to sit passively by like so many souls who let life create them. You can take the wheel and choose to create your life, one thought, one belief, one action, one choice at a time. It's your bus and your the driver and you choose where you are going and the kind of ride it's going to be." - The Energy Bus, chapter 7.
#2 "Desire, Vision, and Focus Move Your Bus in the Right Direction" - Create your vision for your life by determining where you desire your bus to go. Then turn you vision into reality by focusing your thoughts on that vision.
#3 "Fuel Your Ride with Positive Energy" - A formula for life; Having a positive energy with allow you to experience a more positive life.
#4 "Invite People on Your Bus and Share Your Vision for the Road Ahead."- The more people who join your bus the more positive energy you will have to fuel it. Share your vision and ask the people in your life to get on board.
#5 "Don't Waste Your Energy on Those Who Don't Get on Your Bus." - Not everyone is going to want to get on your bus and you shouldn't worry or try to force them on. This will only drain your your energy.
"Don't take it personal. Maybe they are meant to get on another bus. Maybe if they got on your bus they would ruin your ride." The Energy Bus, chapter 17.
#6 "Post a Sign That Says No Energy Vampires Allowed on Your Bus." - Don't include negative people on your bus. Be strong enough to kick them off. Your team only has room for people united with your vision.
#7 "Enthusiasm Attracts More Passengers and Energizes Them During the Ride." - Enthusiasm and positive thinking is contagious. Show enthusiasm for life and give your full heart to it. Become a "Chief Energy Officer," someone who shares positive energy and "communicates from the heart."
#8 "Love your Passengers" - Genuinely love and care for the people in your life this will inspire hard work and loyalty; it will keep them on your bus.
#9 "Drive with Purpose" - Focus on the bigger purpose and vision for life not on the the things/jobs that can get old after awhile. Giving purpose to our lives will keep life fresh and inspire us.
"When you fuel up with purpose you find the excitement in the mundane, the passion in the everyday, and the extraordinary in the ordinary. Purpose is what life is all about. Every one's out there trying to find their purpose when all you have to do is find the bigger purpose in the here and now and your purpose will find you." - The Energy Bus, chapter 29.
#10 "Have Fun and Enjoy the Ride" - Live your life and enjoy every moment. Don't stress about little things and don't dwell on regrets.

Monday, October 11, 2010

5 qualities of top teams-Brian Tracy

Five Qualities of Top Teams
By Brian Tracy

Over the years, exhaustive research has been done on top teams. There seem to be given characteristics or qualities of peak-performance teams that you can incorporate into your own business. Here they are:

Shared Goals and Objectives
In a smoothly functioning team, everyone is clear about what the team is expected to accomplish. The goals of the team are shared and discussed by everyone. Each team member gives his or her ideas and input into how the goals and objectives can be best achieved. Each person feels like a part of a larger organization.

Shared Values and Principles
In excellent teams, there is regular discussion about the values, principles, and behaviors that guide the decisions of the team. The leader encourages values such as honesty, openness, punctuality, responsibility for completing assignments, quality work, and so on. Everyone discusses and agrees on what they are.





Shared Plans of Action
In this phase of team building, you go around the table and have each member of the team explain exactly what part of the work he or she is going to accept responsibility for completing. At the end of this discussion, each member knows what every other member is going to be doing and how his or her own work fits in with the work of the team.

Lead the Action
There must always be a clear boss or leader in any organization. Democracy is a fine concept, but it goes only so far in business. Someone must be in command and take charge. And that someone is probably you. On a good team, everyone knows who is in charge. The leader sets an example for the others. The leader becomes the role model.

Continuous Review and Evaluation
In this final phase, the team regularly evaluates its progress from two perspectives. First, is the team getting the results that are expected by its customers or other in the company? In dealing with customers, does the team set up mechanisms to continually ask customers, "how are we doing?"

Bringing the Team Together
One of the most important things you do in building a peak performance organization is to hold regular staff meetings. Bring your people together weekly, at a fixed time, to talk, discuss, catch up on progress, learn how the company is doing, and generally share ideas, opinions, and insights.

Friday, October 8, 2010

Jon Gordon--20 Ways to get mentally Tough

20 ways to get mentally tough
  1. When you face a set back think of it as a defining moment that will lead to a future accomplishment.
  2. When you encounter advertisty remember the best don’t just face it, they embrace it. Knowing it is not a dead end, it’s a detour to something greater and better.
  3. When you face negative people know that the key to life is to stay positive in the face of negativity not in the absence of it.
  4. When you face naysayers remeber the people who spoke postive words and believed in you.
  5. When you face critics, remember to tune them out and focus only on being the best you can be.
  6. When you wake up in the morning, take a walk of gratitude and success.
  7. When you fear, trust. Let your faith be greater than your doubt.
  8. When you fail, find the lesson in it and recall a time when you have succeeded.
  9. When you head into battle, visualise success.
  10. When you are thinking about the past or worrying about the future, instead focus your energy on the present moment. The now is where you power is the greatest.
  11. When you want to complain, instead identify a solution.
  12. When your own self doubt crowds your mind, weed it and replace it positive thoughts and positive self talk.
  13. When you feel distracted, focus on your breathing, observe your surroundings and clear your mind and get into the zone. The zone  can be created.
  14. When you feel all is impossible, know that all things are possible.
  15. When you feel alone, think of all the people who love you and have helped you along the way.
  16. When you feel lost, pray for guidance.
  17. When you are tired and drained remember to never, never, never, never give up. Finish strong in everything you do.
  18. When you feel like you can do it, know that you can do all things through him who give you strength.
  19. When you feel like your situation is beyond your control, pray and surrender. Focus on what you can control and let go of what you can’t.
  20. When you are in a high pressure situation, remember to smile, have fun and enjoy it. Seize the moment.

Thursday, October 7, 2010

11 traits to be the best you can be--Jon Gordon

Some Great thoughts from Jon Gordon
11 traits to be the best you can be
  1. The best know what they truly want
  2. The best want it more
  3. The best are always striving to get better
  4. The best do ordinary things better than everyone else
  5. The best zoom focus
  6. The best are mentally stronger
  7. The best overcome their fear
  8. The best seize the moment
  9. The best tap into a power greater than themselves
  10. The best leave a legacy
  11. The best make everyone around them better

Wednesday, October 6, 2010

Peter Senge-Cornerstone of Learning Organziations

Systems thinking – the cornerstone of the learning organization

A great virtue of Peter Senge’s work is the way in which he puts systems theory to work. The Fifth Discipline provides a good introduction to the basics and uses of such theory – and the way in which it can be brought together with other theoretical devices in order to make sense of organizational questions and issues. Systemic thinking is the conceptual cornerstone (‘The Fifth Discipline’) of his approach. It is the discipline that integrates the others, fusing them into a coherent body of theory and practice (ibid.: 12). Systems theory’s ability to comprehend and address the whole, and to examine the interrelationship between the parts provides, for Peter Senge, both the incentive and the means to integrate the disciplines.
Here is not the place to go into a detailed exploration of Senge’s presentation of systems theory (I have included some links to primers below). However, it is necessary to highlight one or two elements of his argument. First, while the basic tools of systems theory are fairly straightforward they can build into sophisticated models. Peter Senge argues that one of the key problems with much that is written about, and done in the name of management, is that rather simplistic frameworks are applied to what are complex systems. We tend to focus on the parts rather than seeing the whole, and to fail to see organization as a dynamic process. Thus, the argument runs, a better appreciation of systems will lead to more appropriate action.
‘We learn best from our experience, but we never directly experience the consequences of many of our most important decisions’, Peter Senge (1990: 23) argues with regard to organizations. We tend to think that cause and effect will be relatively near to one another. Thus when faced with a problem, it is the ‘solutions’ that are close by that we focus upon. Classically we look to actions that produce improvements in a relatively short time span. However, when viewed in systems terms short-term improvements often involve very significant long-term costs. For example, cutting back on research and design can bring very quick cost savings, but can severely damage the long-term viability of anorganization. Part of the problem is the nature of the feedback we receive. Some of the feedback will be reinforcing (or amplifying) – with small changes building on themselves. ‘Whatever movement occurs is amplified, producing more movement in the same direction. A small action snowballs, with more and more and still more of the same, resembling compound interest’ (Senge 1990: 81). Thus, we may cut our advertising budgets, see the benefits in terms of cost savings, and in turn further trim spending in this area. In the short run there may be little impact on people’s demands for our goods and services, but longer term the decline in visibility may have severe penalties. An appreciation of systems will lead to recognition of the use of, and problems with, such reinforcing feedback, and also an understanding of the place of balancing (or stabilizing) feedback. (See, also Kurt Lewin on feedback). A further key aspect of systems is the extent to which they inevitably involve delays – ‘interruptions in the flow of influence which make the consequences of an action occur gradually’ (ibid.: 90). Peter Senge (1990: 92) concludes:
The systems viewpoint is generally oriented toward the long-term view. That’s why delays and feedback loops are so important. In the short term, you can often ignore them; they’re inconsequential. They only come back to haunt you in the long term.
Peter Senge advocates the use of ‘systems maps’ – diagrams that show the key elements of systems and how they connect. However, people often have a problem ‘seeing’ systems, and it takes work to acquire the basic building blocks of systems theory, and to apply them to your organization. On the other hand, failure to understand system dynamics can lead us into ‘cycles of blaming and self-defense: the enemy is always out there, and problems are always caused by someone else’

Tuesday, October 5, 2010

jeff jannsen 7 C's of Team Building

The Seven “C’s” of
Championship Team Building
By Jeff Janssen, M.S., Peak Performance Coach

Former Boston Celtics basketball Coach Red Auerbach once remarked “Some people believe you win with the five best players, but I found out that you win with the five who fit together best.” Like championship sports teams, successful businesses must have employees who work well together to achieve a common goal. While talent is definitely important to be successful, the business with the most talent does not always make the most profits.
Talent without teamwork is trouble. I have seen too many businesses who had highly talented individuals, yet were unable to perform to their potential because of selfishness, jealousies, conflict, and people who were unable to accept their roles. Likewise I have seen teams with solid but not superior talent, rise to a championship level because of teamwork. Thus, teamwork becomes a sort of “wild card” factor whether you have great or average talent.
In working with many high level sports and business teams across the nation, I have discovered seven important factors that distinguish winning teams. It is these seven areas that I seek to improve when I consult with teams and that you as a leader must continually monitor. As you read the description of the Seven “C’s” of Championship Team Building, take a moment to assess how well your business team is doing on each of the characteristics.
Seven “C’s” of Championship Team Building
1. Common goal
Championship teams have a singular, common focus. Obviously, for many organizations the common goal is to serve the consumer, maximize profits, and become the dominant leader in the industry. These are the company’s primary, specified, overt goals and all other goals revolve around them. The goals are firmly embraced by all members of the team, from the CEO to the interns. Everyone understands the direction and destination that the company is moving toward. The employees understand that their individuals goals must fit within the framework and mission of the company.

“A true vision gives the team more than just a target to shoot for; it gives the team a mission, a sense of purpose to get excited about.”
Pat Williams, Senior Executive Vice President,
Orlando Magic

2. Commitment
While some seasons may start with the entire team focused on a common goal, rarely do they end up that way. Commitment is probably the single most important factor that differentiates championship teams, coaches, athletes, businesses, schools, marriages (you name it) from the mediocre. It’s much too easy to say you want to win the championship and its a whole other thing to put in the blood, sweat, and tears necessary to pursue a championship - especially when obstacles and adversity strike. Continual commitment to the team’s common goal is one of the toughest areas of team building.
Championship teams buy into the mission at every level and make the mission their own. The players and coaches work hard and pay their dues because they want to, not because they have to. In addition to their commitment, the team members feel a sense of personal and group accountability. The players have a clear understanding of how their individual choices and decisions influence the collective psyche and success of the team. There is a true sense that if an player is slacking off, she is not just hurting herself but her entire team. The players feel a sense of responsibility and obligation to give it their best.

“Individual commitment to a group effort - that is what makes a team work, a company work, a society work, a civilization work.”
Vince Lombardi, Green Bay Packers

3. Complementary Roles
Championship teams are comprised of several individuals who willingly take pride in a playing a variety of roles. These roles, when played in concert and harmony lead to team success. Thus, each player is assigned specific positions and responsibilities that help determine the entire team’s success. While individually they are not solely responsible for the team’s success or failure, collectively each role forms a synergistic whole that is greater than the sum of its parts.
The major difficulties in developing complementary roles is that some roles get more attention and praise thereby making them seem more important. Championship teams however realize that all roles are critical to the overall team’s success and willingly accept and value their individual roles.

“I knew that the only way to win consistently was to give everybody - from the stars to the number 12 player on the bench - a vital role on the team.”
Phil Jackson, Los Angeles Lakers

4. Clear Communication
A fourth characteristic of championship teams is clear communication. Successful teams communicate successfully both on and off the field. The on field communication helps them perform more efficiently and effectively. Players must communicate signs, the number of outs, where to throw the ball and call fly balls to perform successfully. Off the field, players need to continually monitor the team’s effectiveness, modify things when necessary, and celebrate successes.

“You can only succeed when people are communicating, not just from the top down but in complete interchange.”
Bill Walsh, San Francisco 49ers

5. Constructive Conflict
Along with effective communication, championship teams have the ability to keep conflict under control. Often, coaches and players are able to use conflict constructively to further develop and strengthen the team. It is not that championship teams never experience conflict, because this is impossible. Instead they are able to handle the conflict they experience and do not let it interfere with the team’s common goal. Championship coaches and players make sure that their common goal always takes precedence over any conflict.

“My job is to avoid or resolve conflict if possible, because our mission is to win.”
Chuck Daly, USA Basketball

6. Cohesion
A sixth characteristic shared by many championship teams is that they genuinely like and respect each other. The players like to spend time with each other outside of scheduled practice and game times. They find reasons to stay together like going to the movies, studying, hanging out, etc. This is not to say that every single player is a part of the group, but that a majority of players tend to socialize together. While it is not absolutely necessary, cohesion is a factor that often will help your team perform at a higher level.

“Respect is essential to building group cohesion... You don’t have to like each other. But you do have to respect your colleagues’ opinions and decsions, because your personal success depends on commitment to the overall plan and doing your part to make it work.”
Pat Summitt, Tennessee Women’s Basketball

7. Credible Coaching
Finally, it takes a credible coach to develop, orchestrate, and monitor all the other “C’s” of Championship Team Building. You as a coach play a critical role in helping the team arrive at a common goal, monitoring and maintaining your players’ commitment, assigning and appreciating roles, communicating with the team, keeping conflict under control, and promoting your team’s chemistry and cohesion. The team must have a leader who they believe in and has the skills necessary to get the most from the team. A credible coach creates an effective environment that allows the team to perform to their full potential.

“It doesn’t matter whether you are in football, real estate, or electronics, the people who work for you will be happier and more productive if they feel they have value to you beyond what they can do for you on the job. They want to feel that they are important on a personal level.”
Marty Schottenheimer, San Diego Chargers

Championship team building is a complex process which must be continually monitored and improved. Regardless of your talent level, invest some time and tap into the power of teamwork to help your team perform at a higher level. By recognizing and working on the Seven “C’s” of Championship Team Building you can create a more motivated, committed, and cohesive team.

Monday, October 4, 2010

3 Truisims of Kevin Eastman

TRUISM # 1: There is a direct correlation between the number of ball reversals and defensive breakdowns.

Our players have to understand that the hardest thing to do defensively is to close out — to be running out at a player from the help position. Having said that, we need to understand that an advantage our offense must look to create is to get the defense to close out as often as possible; we want the ball to be reversed from side to side. With our team I can tell you that our scoring proficiency goes up as the number of passes and ball reversals goes up. Of course we have a shot clock that forces us to shoot the ball quicker, but we still would like a minimum of 3 passes as we then know the ball is getting reversed. When we only throw 1 or 2 passes we find that it is very easy for the defense to load up to the ball


TRUISM # 2: The closer you run your offense to the basket, the more physical your screens can be.

We have found that the officials are more apt to let contact go when it is closer to the basket as they are used to seeing more contact down there as opposed to out by the 3 point line. We feel that is why the flex action is allowed to get away with some physical baseline and pin down screens, and why we have to be careful when setting a back screen out by the 3 point line. So give some thought to having some part of your offensive system where you run your stuff closer to the rim.

TRUISM # 3: The faster the ball moves, the closer the defenders stay to their man.

We have found that when we move the ball a little faster, the defensive players are more concerned with staying up with their man and tend to not jump to the ball and get in help position. We also feel that that leaves us with more room to drive it as the defenders are out of position just enough to allow us to get a good driving angle on them. I would say if you do not have a good scoring post man, you should look to move the ball a little faster at times and create driving opportunities. If you do have a good post man you would want to slow it down and give the post man a good look.

Friday, October 1, 2010

The learning organization

I had the opportunity to do some research on Peter Senge and his thoughts for my grad class.  It really is some great stuff. 

According to Peter Senge (1990: 3) learning organizations are:
  • …organizations where people continually expand their capacity to create the results they truly desire, where new and expansive patterns of thinking are nurtured, where collective aspiration is set free, and where people are continually learning to see the whole together.

  • The basic rationale for such organizations is that in situations of rapid change only those that are flexible, adaptive and productive will excel. For this to happen, it is argued, organizations need to ‘discover how to tap people’s commitment and capacity to learn at all levels’ (ibid.: 4).

  • While all people have the capacity to learn, the structures in which they have to function are often not conducive to reflection and engagement. Furthermore, people may lack the tools and guiding ideas to make sense of the situations they face. Organizations that are continually expanding their capacity to create their future require a fundamental shift of mind among their members.
  • When you ask people about what it is like being part of a great team, what is most striking is the meaningfulness of the experience. People talk about being part of something larger than themselves, of being connected, of being generative. It become quite clear that, for many, their experiences as part of truly great teams stand out as singular periods of life lived to the fullest. Some spend the rest of their lives looking for ways to recapture that spirit. (Senge 1990: 13)

  • For Peter Senge, real learning gets to the heart of what it is to be human. We become able to re-create ourselves. This applies to both individuals and organizations. Thus, for a ‘learning organization it is not enough to survive. ‘”Survival learning” or what is more often termed “adaptive learning” is important – indeed it is necessary. But for a learning organization, “adaptive learning” must be joined by “generative learning”, learning that enhances our capacity to create’ (Senge 1990:14).
The dimension that distinguishes learning from more traditional organizations is the mastery of certain basic disciplines or ‘component technologies’. The five that Peter Senge identifies are said to be converging to innovate learning organizations. They are:
Systems thinking
Personal mastery
Mental models
Building shared vision
Team learning
He adds to this recognition that people are agents, able to act upon the structures and systems of which they are a part. All the disciplines are, in this way, ‘concerned with a shift of mind from seeing parts to seeing wholes, from seeing people as helpless reactors to seeing them as active participants in shaping their reality, from reacting to the present to creating the future’ (Senge 1990: 69).