Key Takeaways:
- Persistence
- 80/20 Rule
- Harvesting Culture
One of my favorite quotes:
Nothing in this world can take place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful people with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent.
Calvin Coolidge, 30th United States President
Plan and pivot. This is the objective of every season – put a plan in place to be successful and be prepared to pivot. Remove all other variables as it relates to the uncontrollable; combine dedication with persistence then results will come to fruition.
As discussed from the TOOLS used to Water The Bamboo, self-discipline is twofold: doing what is necessary for success and avoiding the temptation to participate in the activities that are not conducive to success. In other words, it can be much easier to find a reason not to do something than it is to stay persistent. This has admittedly been a challenge when it comes to this website, hence the inspiration for #52WeekCoaching to have a weekly discussion on coaching issues throughout the natural course of a season.
During this pandemic having been removed from the gym for over 8 months, a key activity that I have worked on in my own personal life is improve efforts of compound interest. This can relate to our finances, nutritional habits, and staying in shape. If I can continue to build on one positive day to the next then months down the road there is a higher likelihood of improvement. Carry this over into an upcoming season starting from day one. Find our foundation getting back to cultivating relationships and developing fundamentals then put an emphasis on marching forward.
Marching forth is a forward-looking concept: it asks, after a win or loss, “Now what?”
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The first day is easy and sets us up for day two, but as the season progresses perspective can wear off. With uncertainties looming and the typical ebbs/flows of a season, compound interest becomes difficult when repetition occurs. The focus remains the same to plan and pivot. The plan is to foster an environment of compound effort – staying true to our expectations, yet having the flexibility to responsibly adjust if required of us.
Face change knowing that you have within you the power to respond to it with grace, flexibility, and strength.
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80/20 Rule
This is where you are what you emphasize comes into play.
The 80/20 rule states that 80 percent of effects come from 20 percent of the causes. Focus your efforts on the 20 percent that contribute to the greatest results.
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At any level, the season has likely been condensed in some capacity: gym availability, schedule, or otherwise. There may not be the same amount of time to put in an additional counter to a series of sets. Or, having the team fully prepared for a unique style of defense could be difficult to navigate early in the season. I have always heard coaches reference the repetition of a concept every day because that is their identity; and I wonder if they actually do that same drill every practice. The larger point isn’t if they are doing the exact same drill every day; rather, emphasizing the value of the concept reiterating to the team how important that aspect is to their success.
For our program, I think two things will be very important early: an entire defensive possession and transition offense. To be consistent, this doesn’t ignore our first steps of re-connecting with the group ensuring that relationships are vital and team chemistry is the real reward of a winning experience. However, initial rust is expected and if our team can prove to pressure an offense to make plays while limiting second chances for easy scoring opportunities then I like our odds. If successful defensively, then we have to be able to effectively flip the floor without turning the ball over and putting too much pressure on our own personnel to make plays against set defenses. And from the looks of watching play from a variety of levels zone seems to be the early ace in the hole. The 80/20 rule narrows the focus on what we believe will be most important to derive positive results, while staying strong enough to handle the rest.
Harvesting Culture
Once you’ve reached the level of success that the harvest implies, that success will keep growing year after year, when you maintain it. You don’t have to start from scratch to see new crops come up; you just have to build on what you’ve created with the first crop.
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The book closes with sustainability. Reflecting from the harvest of the product that has been built and maintaining balance moving forward.
- Take time to rest, relax, and reflect
- Celebrate accomplishments
- Preserve the harvest
The work doesn’t end as soon as the season is over. The good news is what has been built can be a blueprint for future opportunities. Whether unsuccessful in meeting expectations or surpassing them; the experience has provided lessons to improve upon next season. The concept of culture and identity within our programs exist from the continuity that takes place year after year. The objective to build the strongest bamboo by the end of the season. As a program, hopefully, roots are already in place with returning workers to share with the new to teach how things are done. The unknown is constant, but if matched with daily diligence there becomes increased confidence in the team’s overall growth.
Coach's Climb 