Written by When you start a sentence about your team, do you start with an I or we? But let me ask two further questions:
When you are speaking about your team’s successes, do you say that we (As in all coaches and athletes) have made it this far, or do you say something to the effect of I coached Sue to be the athlete she is today?
When talking about failures, do you say that I failed, the athletes did not come to play, a player made a mistake, it was the official, or that we did not succeed?
I just asked two questions that probably made you think a little bit, maybe even some self-reflection, and will also vary with each person. But these questions really point to how athletes view the culture that you created. Please let me explain a little further.
When your defensive line makes several explosive and game defining stops at the end of the game, do you take credit for your strategic genius? Or when you are giving the after game interview you called out the defensive coach and players who were all equally contributing to the success? Or maybe you gave all of the coaches and athletes, even the practice squad players, accolades for a job well done.
While a coach may feel that a simple press interview, or a discussion with an athletic director, GM, president, or owner may not be an important reflection of the team culture, it certainly is. How a coach feels about athletes, coaches, and support staff’s contributions ultimately dictates the environment and culture. Does the coach frequently thank everyone for their contributions to the team? Does the coach punish everyone for the loss, inefficiencies, or poor leadership?
Just think about how you work with each of the members on the team next time you encounter one of them. Will you tell Bill that he contributing to the team’s success or will you just walk by and ignore him? While I am simplifying this quick encounter, something will happen, and you have to decide what kind of environment and culture that you will be facilitating.