Delivering Your Message
“Many communicators try to make themselves look smart. Great listeners are more interested in making their audience feel smart.” - Adam Grant, Think Again
Think about how you deliver your message to your team. What is your goal?
My ability to deliver the right message to my team has evolved over the years. When you first become a head coach you really prepare to make sure you know exactly what you are talking about in front of the team. You think about exactly what you want to say and make sure you are comfortable getting it across. Although it wasn't intentional, my approach was really to make myself "look smart." I was just worried about what I knew, and how I was going to say it.
Over time I started to think more about getting the message across. I could see reactions in the players faces, and I could tell whether or not the message was resonating. Then when we went out on the floor, usually I could see some level of impact in their approach. If the message did get across there would be a tangible response.
John Wooden used to say "You haven't taught until they have learned." There are plenty of times as a head coach where you have an important message to relay, but circumstances may dictate if or how you deliver it. After a tough practice, when your team is dead tired, they may not be ready to receive any message. I've learned any long talks after practice or a game usually fell on deaf ears. It wasn't about the message I was prepared to deliver (and how smart I looked), it was about their ability to receive the message (and how smart they felt).
The quote above from Adam Grant really makes me think about how I deliver the message. Early in my career, I felt good if I got to all of my bullet points and deliver them succinctly and with presence. It didn't really matter how my team felt. But great communicators are also great listeners, and they have a feel for their audience. You should have this type of feel for your team. Your goal, when you deliver the message, is to make them feel smart.