Good Coaching brings out the best in the team.
Both coaches John Harbaugh and Jim Harbaugh exhibited great leadership as head of their teams. Throughout a long season they each demonstrated their ability to adapt, accept change, develop new initiatives, new action plans, skills and reactions to threats/problems in a changing and highly competitive environment. During a recent interview Coach Harbaugh mentioned that he will “lead” his team and welcome change because: “You can’t do today what you were doing last year—or last month—it probably won’t work the same way anymore.”
In the Contact Center business, change is the constant. As Managers, we have to adapt, develop new plans and continually re-force skills and train our teams.
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The Team wants to be “Inspired and lead.”
Just like the players on football teams that played Sunday February 3rd, they “want and need help/show them how to succeed & achieve.” No matter how good any individual player is, he is part of the team. The team practices, has plays, makes adjustments and continues to strive for 100% effective execution on each play. It starts with “drawing up plays” then practicing and having the knowledge of “what to expect” during the “heat of battle.” The same is 100% true in the Contact Center. No matter what level of manager you are, we have goals, with the idea of leading our teams to success on behalf of our clients and their customers who are on the line. The leadership is a key and from interviews held during the season both Harbaugh brothers were saying much of the same things on a consistent basis . (Not surprising since they grew up in a football family with their dad being their coach, example and mentor.) Some of the philosophies they share are:
- To effectively develop Coaching skills, Leaders must “personally grow themselves.” They change their image, behavior and methods, but always remain true to their vision of helping their team succeed.
- They Transform Their Environments: They create an environment that’s conducive to improvement: They ask: What can we do Better?
- They Create an environment of Standards & expectations with their staff and continually communicate to: Celebrate small improvements , progress & ultimately, victories
- They foster responsibility & accountability….which creates “learning and improvement ” vs. excuse making. In effect the embrace “mistakes” as a “coachable” moment.
- They do not accept mediocrity….They continually “upgrade” their teams….even changing Quarterbacks mid-season. They are secure in themselves, and surround themselves with excellent people who are talented to cultivate and inspire others around them.
The Bottom Line
Two teams with good talent took advantage of their situations, guided by great coaching and leadership to get to the pinnacle of their profession. Undoubtedly, from day one in practice these two very special coaches consistently created beliefs for themselves and made sure people not only see the vision, they lived and breathed it until they reached their destination.
So what can each of us learn from the coaching and leadership of the Harbaughs and translate it to your Contact Center team? My opinion is that it’s about the belief we have in our people, coaching them to get them to perform at the levels that they are capable of; celebrating small improvements and victories and adapting to change, which is the constant in the Contact Center business. Here’s the challenge: pick one or two items from the Harbaugh list. Put it in your personal “playbook” this week. Practice it, modify it, improve it…and celebrate the “victories.”.
