If you have ever been lost on a road trip you know you don’t really start to feel better until you have your new coordinates and can clearly see your path home. There is something comforting about following those GPS directions that are clearly mapped out for us, turn by turn, with that comforting robotic voice (or cookie monster, whatever you want). What can still be distracting is staying focused on the path itself. There are still so many options along that road. There are detours, scenic byways, historical landmarks, places to eat, maybe a quick cup of coffee. The worst is believing there are shortcuts (like that playbook you just downloaded) to getting where we need to go. In our minds, it’s one thing to get there, it’s another to make a great time!
As we run our programs, coach our players, and teach our students, we are faced with many of these same distractions and opportunities to take shortcuts. Even if we know where we are and where we are headed, we still have to stay focused to stay the course and be clear in how we want to get there. These daily distractions take many forms, but turn into The messages, directives, and communication in and around our program. THese things are are vital to keeping us on course. These are the directions to our team so we can all stay in the caravan together.
A lack of clear and aligned communication is a severe gap in the directions on our map (think: Michael Scott driving into the lake when his GPS says “turn right”). Even worse, a miscommunication sends us the wrong directions and puts us on the wrong path that takes twice as long to correct. We are, in a manner of speaking, creating activity without accomplishment - we are actively getting further away from where we need to be.
Mixed signals and messages can create so much more chaos to our players and students that it leaves them guessing and wondering if each turn is the right one. We are guessing. We are leaving our destination up to chance. We rely on hope.
Think of asking someone for directions in a place with which you may be unfamiliar. “take a right out of the parking lot, head straight for a mile or two, take a left at the light, the blinking light, not the stoplight, you’ll go down a bit and pass a green sign when you see that green sign, keep going, but only a little bit more then take a left at the red sign, then pull up to the 4th cabin on the left.”
How many of us would be able to take those directions and make it to the 4th cabin on the left on our first try - with no issues? further, how many of us would be able to execute those instructions confidently and not be second-guessing whether you passed the green sign or if you made the proper turn?
Now imagine a typical huddle or assignment you give kids in class. How often is what we are saying understood accurately 100% of the time? Or are we leaving this to chance? (hint: if your kids ask, “wait, what are we doing?” right after you finish…that’s what we’re talking about.).
This unfinished business of a program is extremely detrimental, and unfinished business always comes out. Think of the times a player has missed an assignment in a game or been late to practice. this is usually because either communication did not take place, the wrong information was given, or the right information was understood incorrectly. We are all familiar with these scenarios. The point is to create clarity in our language and climate in order to remove roadblocks to understanding. In order to have a healthy, homeostatic culture, we must attend to each piece of business by putting it all together and creating Alignment.
Are you ready develop the clarity your program has been missing? Click here.
Stay Essential,
Kyle Kavanaugh
Be on the lookout for Part 4 of the pyramid pathway: Alignment! did you miss part1 (reflection) or part 2 (awareness)? Click here.
