Thursday, August 17, 2006
TAKING CHARGE
In Indiana, basketball is more than a game—it’s a religion. In small towns in particular, basketball permeates every aspect of life. Important victories become stories of legend, and star players are treated as gods.
In these rural towns, the local basketball coach operates under the microscopic eyes of the entire community. Worshipped for winning and demonized after defeats, a high school basketball coach in Indiana is endlessly scrutinized and second-guessed—especially when the coach is new.
20 years ago, the movie Hoosiers centered upon one coach and one Indiana town’s struggles to adjust to one another. Stepping into new surroundings, Norman Dale, played by Gene Hackman, faces the remarkable pressure and intense challenges of coaching the small-town Hickory Huskers.
In his article “Taking Charge,” featured on www.Govexec.com, Michael Watkins looks at the potential hazards awaiting leaders coming into new, high-pressure positions. His observations echo many of the trying circumstances that confront Coach Norman Dale in Hoosiers.
ATTEMPTING TOO MUCH
Norman Dale’s coaching philosophy requires his team to patiently await high percentage opportunities to score. When his team is too impatient to adopt his system, Coach Dale mandates that they must make 5 passes each offensive series before attempting a shot at the basket. When one player defies this order, Coach Dale pulls him out of the game. A shouting match erupts between player and coach, the town is embarrassed by its team’s play, and Coach Dale is nearly fired as a result. In the end, Norman Dale’s patient style of play proves its merit, but his inability to implement it smoothly nearly alienates his players and costs him his job.
New leaders bring fresh insights and new ways of doing things, but they must manage relationships while making changes. The team may become confused or overloaded during a wholesale transition if the leader does not personally make the effort to relate to them. Remember: people don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.
SETTING UNREALISTIC EXPECTATIONS
“There's a tradition in tournament play- not talk about the next step until you've climbed the one in front of you. I'm sure going to the state finals is beyond your wildest dreams, so let's just keep it right there.” ~ Coach Norman Dale in Hoosiers
New leaders want to prove themselves and make an early impression. With this aim, they will at times fall prey to the trap of making absurd predictions. Setting the bar too high breeds the negative consequences of either burnout or hopelessness among a team. Like Coach Dale, leaders would be wise to focus on achievable and measurable short-term goals prior to tackling their ultimate dreams for the future.
Any Comments or Inputs are welcome
In these rural towns, the local basketball coach operates under the microscopic eyes of the entire community. Worshipped for winning and demonized after defeats, a high school basketball coach in Indiana is endlessly scrutinized and second-guessed—especially when the coach is new.
20 years ago, the movie Hoosiers centered upon one coach and one Indiana town’s struggles to adjust to one another. Stepping into new surroundings, Norman Dale, played by Gene Hackman, faces the remarkable pressure and intense challenges of coaching the small-town Hickory Huskers.
In his article “Taking Charge,” featured on www.Govexec.com, Michael Watkins looks at the potential hazards awaiting leaders coming into new, high-pressure positions. His observations echo many of the trying circumstances that confront Coach Norman Dale in Hoosiers.
ATTEMPTING TOO MUCH
Norman Dale’s coaching philosophy requires his team to patiently await high percentage opportunities to score. When his team is too impatient to adopt his system, Coach Dale mandates that they must make 5 passes each offensive series before attempting a shot at the basket. When one player defies this order, Coach Dale pulls him out of the game. A shouting match erupts between player and coach, the town is embarrassed by its team’s play, and Coach Dale is nearly fired as a result. In the end, Norman Dale’s patient style of play proves its merit, but his inability to implement it smoothly nearly alienates his players and costs him his job.
New leaders bring fresh insights and new ways of doing things, but they must manage relationships while making changes. The team may become confused or overloaded during a wholesale transition if the leader does not personally make the effort to relate to them. Remember: people don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.
SETTING UNREALISTIC EXPECTATIONS
“There's a tradition in tournament play- not talk about the next step until you've climbed the one in front of you. I'm sure going to the state finals is beyond your wildest dreams, so let's just keep it right there.” ~ Coach Norman Dale in Hoosiers
New leaders want to prove themselves and make an early impression. With this aim, they will at times fall prey to the trap of making absurd predictions. Setting the bar too high breeds the negative consequences of either burnout or hopelessness among a team. Like Coach Dale, leaders would be wise to focus on achievable and measurable short-term goals prior to tackling their ultimate dreams for the future.
Any Comments or Inputs are welcome
