Late? Run.
Dropped the ball? Push ups.
No Effort? Run.
Bad Game? Miserable Practice.
Try a new approach and get real, measurable, lasting change that fosters deep connections.
Being on time is common example of a punishment driven expectation. I’ve been late before, it may be out of my control, Or perhaps I estimated time or traffic incorrectly. Maybe I didn't prioritize well. As an adult, we have to do our best to manage our time to be respectful and successful, and we must teach this to our student athletes as an important life skill. Holding our team members accountable is vital to maintain expectations while giving them the tools and guidance for success.
Making the team run when someone is late is often the go to, because it transfers that accountability piece to teammates, and the consequence is immediately and unavoidably felt.
This creates several fear driven motivators that get immediate results.
It creates a fear of:
•making teammates mad
•physical discomfort of the run
•impact on coach’s mood
This may in fact work for getting the team to show up on time. But at what cost? Does it teach a lesson beyond the fear? Does it build trust and connection?When the fear is removed, will they still show up on time? If the consequence were taken away would being on time be a value they have adopted and carry with them? Will it last over time or will the fear level need to be raised to keep the motivation going? Will the people showing up on time every day stop caring about being on time since they know they will run either way? Are we actually de-motivating the ones working hard??
Or how about asking the super important question… is it working and no one is late anymore? If someone were to have an accident trying to not be late- afraid of making teammates mad, would the lesson be worth it? A lot to unpack there.
Ok, what else can we do then? Could we really just not have rules or standards?? While we’re at it, can I drink some kool-Aid out of the participation trophy cup?! That doesn’t work, I get it. So try the 5 C’s approach and follow the arrows to great culture.
Cause —> Correlation—> Conversation—> Care —> Culture.
Before I dig into those further, let’s back up a bit. Why doesn’t just saying “Hey guys be early, be ready to go, or it will hurt practice and it’s disrespectful to your coaches and teammates,” simply eliminate the issue? If only that’s all it took, right?
Well, for starters, they haven’t learned to truly understand and connect with the idea of their individual behavior having an impact on others. That comes from surface deep connections, a culture that looks to and seems to wait for those fear points as motivators, a focus on self and our own needs, and a lack of hard conversations. The bottom line is, your culture creates your environment. Your environment shapes the choices of the team members. The choices of the team members influence the way the team sees things as “the way it’s done here,” and sets the standard- for better or for worse.
Back to the five C’s. This is a brief overview, so let’s look at it from the context of being late.
Start with finding the Cause:
What is causing this person or team to be late? Is it a one time thing or a pattern? Is it a matter of planning or priority, and how is it preventable?
Make the Correlation:
Running is not related to lateness. The most conditioned team in the universe could still show up late. Connection must be made between the action and the impact it creates, not between the action and fear. If I am late, the team is negatively impacted. If it is a one time, rare occurrence, then apologize, get into the practice or whatever it is quickly and work hard. When it’s appropriate, let leadership know it was an exception and how you plan to address it in the future and then follow through on your word.
Have the Conversation:
If it’s an individual or two, a one on one conversation will be the most effective.
If it’s many people and reoccurring, a team conversation is warranted.
Why is the lateness occurring? What would make a difference in getting there on time? What commitment will you make right now to ensure this is no longer occurring? How can you help each other? What can leadership do to support timeliness? (There may be an issue with the schedule vs their classes, for example that you are unaware of.) How will we measure our improvement? When should be look at those improvements and reassess?
Show that you Care:
Promote care within your team, not fear. I care that you arrive safe. I care that you learn the importance of arriving on time and the planning required to make it happen. I care that we look out for each other and make decisions that promote the success of each other and the team as a whole. I care about the team’s goals, purpose, and mission. I care that we can accept mistakes and allow/encourage the improvement of each other through them. This is how we sharpen rather than diminish our teammates.
Create an on time Culture:
As this is discussed, shown as a priority, planned, communicated and shared, it becomes a part of the team culture. Discussion led by team members with your guidance is key. Lectures, threats, shaming and rules do not have the same impact and are too closely related to the fear tactic we are trying to avoid.
“This is how we do things here.”
We show up on time.
We help each other get there on time. We care about each other’s safety and obstacles to getting there on time.
We make our mistakes right and learn from them to meet the expectations of our culture.
These 5 C’s can be applied anywhere improvements need to be made, and opens the doors to deeper conversations, connections and a feeling of unity rather than injuries, exhaustion, frustration, and fear. Let me know how it works for you :)
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