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Promoting Intrinsic Motivation

This is a very interesting post between intrinsic and extrinsic motivation from Admired Leaders. When trying to motivate our coaches, players and teams, I think this is often overlooked. We think of motivation as reward, punishment or incentive - giving our kids a penalty if they do it wrong, or a reward if the do it right. But that type of motivation generally helps in the short term, but doesn't last.

Studies have shown that the best motivators are intrinsic - autonomy, mastery and purpose. People are inspired by having control of their work, the ability to do that work at a high level, and the purpose behind that work - as in, what impact is this going to have? Think about that when you try and motivate your players and your coaching staff. A short term reward is nice and has an impact. But over time, what most people are looking for is autonomy, mastery and purpose.

This is a very interesting post between intrinsic and extrinsic motivation from Admired Leaders. When trying to motivate our coaches, players and teams, I think this is often overlooked. We think of motivation as reward, punishment or incentive - giving our kids a penalty if they do it wrong, or a reward if the do it right. But that type of motivation generally helps in the short term, but doesn't last.

Studies have shown that the best motivators are intrinsic - autonomy, mastery and purpose. People are inspired by having control of their work, the ability to do that work at a high level, and the purpose behind that work - as in, what impact is this going to have? Think about that when you try and motivate your players and your coaching staff. A short term reward is nice and has an impact. But over time, what most people are looking for is autonomy, mastery and purpose.

How can you provide that as a coach?

From Admired Leaders:

Rewards and punishments shape behavior in powerful ways, but they often rob people of their internal self-motivation to perform. 

When team members are motivated more by the inherent enjoyment and meaning found in the desired actions than by the material consequences of those actions, they are said to be intrinsically motivated. 

Research for more than 50 years has proven an important point: Leaders who encourage and promote more intrinsic motivations for those they lead can have a profound impact on what can be accomplished. Those motivated intrinsically overcome adversity and generally outperform others. 

In short, because other methods are easier, and they work. Extrinsic motivators such as incentives, increased influence, elevated status, and praise are highly effective, especially in the short term. Moreover, designing ways to promote intrinsic motivation is not always obvious or simple.  

But learning how to motivate team members without resorting exclusively to outcome-based incentives is well worth the time and effort. 

So, let’s start with the fundamentals. Any environment where leaders give team members more autonomy, invest in their competence and enjoyment, and create an avenue for connectedness to peers creates higher levels of intrinsic motivation. 

Of the many ways to promote intrinsic motivation, two stand out. Asking team members what tasks, projects, or work they most enjoy and relish is a shortcut to getting them engaged with those assignments. At least a portion of the everyday challenge for team members needs to include work they take pleasure in. 

Next, investing in the skills of team members through clinics, practice sessions, and outside experts is yet another avenue to promote intrinsic motivation. Once again, knowing what skills team members want to enhance and giving them the time, resources, and expertise to do so is a big intrinsic winner. 

When motivated from the inside, without rewards dangling in front of them, team members expand their potential by working harder and smarter. Task enjoyment and skill enhancement are two important ways to encourage self-motivation. People are born with intrinsic motivation. The best leaders just remind them how to rediscover that inner drive.

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Justin Minaya

In September of 2021, Ed Cooley wanted to have a meeting with his veteran players. We were coming off a below average year at Providence College (the covid year, played in front of no fans) and we had lost our best player, David Duke, to the NBA. We were fortunate that the NCAA granted everyone an extra year due to the pandemic, so Nate Watson and Noah Horchler came back for one more year. They would be our starting front court. We had Jared Bynum, Ed Croswell, and AJ Reeves returning, and we added two graduate transfers out of the portal, Al Durham from Indiana and Justin Minaya from South Carolina. We had seven players in their 4th, 5th, or 6th year of playing college basketball.

In September of 2021, Ed Cooley wanted to have a meeting with his veteran players. We were coming off a below average year at Providence College (the covid year, played in front of no fans) and we had lost our best player, David Duke, to the NBA. We were fortunate that the NCAA granted everyone an extra year due to the pandemic, so Nate Watson and Noah Horchler came back for one more year. They would be our starting front court. We had Jared Bynum, Ed Croswell, and AJ Reeves returning, and we added two graduate transfers out of the portal, Al Durham from Indiana and Justin Minaya from South Carolina. We had seven players in their 4th, 5th, or 6th year of playing college basketball.

Needless to say, all of them expected to be impact players and play a big role. We talked about it a lot that summer, how everyone was going to have to sacrifice. Not everyone could start. Coach Cooley wanted to address that with the veterans, all of whom we expected to play a big role. He brought all seven of them in for a meeting in September to talk about the situation, and to make sure they all understood that no matter who started, everyone was going to play significant minutes. But no one was going to play as much as they'd like.

After Coach spoke to the players, Justin Minaya was the first to respond. "Bring me off the bench coach. I just want to win."

We ended up having a terrific year, winning the Big East regular season title for the first time in school history and advancing to the Sweet 16. The new guys fit in seamlessly with our returning players. We. were tough and connected, as you would hope with one of the most experienced teams in the country. We got off to a great start and never looked back, winning a ton of close games in the process. That team became "Them Dudes" to Friar Nation, and they'll be remembered in Friartown forever. It was a magical ride.

That team seemed to overachieve all year we won a ton of close games. The only way I can describe that team is that everyone was about winning. We had a bunch of veteran players who were over themselves - they had been through a lot as college basketball players, and none of them had really experienced much success. Nate Watson was the only rotational player who had ever played in the NCAA Tournament on that team. They were mature, they were about winning, and they weren't really concerned with who got the credit.

That "Them Dudes" squad was defined by what Justin Minaya said in that September meeting. Statistically we weren't great, and our individual talent didn't scare our opponents on a scouting report. But we kept finding ways to win. And Justin defined that every possession he played. He ended up starting 25 games for us that year because some other guys had injuries, which is ironic since he was the one who volunteered to come off the bench. He ended up being a guy we just needed to have on the floor.

I've always been a numbers guy. I get there are some things that don't show up in the box score, but for the most part you can usually see the level of impact in the statistics. It's a measure of production. But Justin Minaya was different. He averaged 6.5 points and 5.5 rebounds, and I can't imagine another player with those numbers who'll be revered anywhere the way Justin will be in Providence. He was a fan favorite immediately, and he did a ton of stuff that didn't always show up in the box score.

He created a bunch of extra possessions with effort plays. He'd keep plays alive on the offensive glass. He'd deflect a pass in transition to stop a fast break. He'd force the other teams best player into bad shots. And for someone who shot 31% from 3, he hit a ton of huge shots late in close games. All the while he was as good of a teammate as you could ask for. He brought it in practice every single day. His motor never turned off. He never took himself too seriously and always had a positive approach. He was a winner every day who constantly did things that made his team and his teammates better.

Anytime a player you've coached makes it to the NBA, you feel great. They've achieved a lifelong dream. But I was a little more pumped when Justin Minaya got called up by the Trail Blazers for the last two weeks of the season. He's not a kid who anyone saw as a potential NBA player based on his skill set, but the more you are around him, the more you get to coach him, the more you realize he's just got something special. If there was a stat for "Impact on winning that doesn't show up in the box score, Justin Minaya would be an All-American. He helps his team win every day. Justin Minaya, who averaged 6.5 and 5.5 in his last year in college, is an NBA player.

These are qualities that are hard to recognize and even harder to define as a coach. We've all had guys who were just "we're better when he's on the floor" guys. Even though we may not know why. But if we drill it down we should be able to define what makes our team better - what plays impact winning. We see it every day, but I'm not sure we recognize it or understand how to coach it. Justin Minaya - and that team - made me better as a coach, because they made me really analyze different ways we had success. It's our job to win, and to do that we should be able to evaluate and quantify the things that help us win. Every day Justin Minaya helped us win.

A lot of people ask what made that Providence College team so special, and it wasn't just Justin Minaya. It was an approach that put winning above everything else, with a maturity level that made it possible. Al Durham, Noah Horchler, Nate Watson, AJ Reeves - everybody made it happen. But Justin Minaya defined it. His selfless approach to winning, to team basketball and his willingness to sacrifice was contagious. He made winning plays all the time.

It helped make that team great, and it helped make Justin Minaya and NBA player.

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Team Chemistry

Interesting look at team chemistry from Admired Leaders. Chemistry is a buzzword for a lot of coaches that remains undefined. I really like the idea of chemistry as a "quality of the interaction" between people. I've never been a huge believer in chemistry because I don't think we look at it the right way. We think of it as teams that go out to the movies together and enjoy meals with one another.

Chemistry on the basketball court is about the "quality of the interaction", and not much else. Are we helping each other on defense? Are we keeping the right spacing on offense? Do we sprint back all of time? Do we make the right pass on time? Teams that are fully connected interact the right way on the court, and that has nothing to do with whether they like each other or hang out at night. I've had plenty of great teams with starters who didn't really get along away from basketball, but were locked in on the basketball court.

Interesting look at team chemistry from Admired Leaders. Chemistry is a buzzword for a lot of coaches that remains undefined. I really like the idea of chemistry as a "quality of the interaction" between people. I've never been a huge believer in chemistry because I don't think we look at it the right way. We think of it as teams that go out to the movies together and enjoy meals with one another.

Chemistry on the basketball court is about the "quality of the interaction", and not much else. Are we helping each other on defense? Are we keeping the right spacing on offense? Do we sprint back all of time? Do we make the right pass on time? Teams that are fully connected interact the right way on the court, and that has nothing to do with whether they like each other or hang out at night. I've had plenty of great teams with starters who didn't really get along away from basketball, but were locked in on the basketball court.

"We can experience chemistry with someone very unlike us or who doesn’t share our views because it is first and foremost a quality of the interaction between people, not the tasks or content they discuss or work on."

Admired Leaders

When it comes to social connection, chemistry is a metaphor for things that go together seamlessly. 

Teams and relationships enjoy chemistry when the parties complement each other in such a way as to create an unusual connection. Because it can’t be easily measured or quantified, chemistry is scoffed at in some leadership circles. 

Yet, the metaphor and its impact are described by so many leaders and team members, there must be something there worth considering. Just because something is hard to measure doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist.

The outcomes of chemistry are well-documented. Teams and relationships that experience chemistry work more collaboratively and offer the support that feeds performance. Chemistry ignites engagement and curiosity between people. It’s a hidden differentiator. 

The recipe for chemistry, however, remains somewhat mysterious. It can’t always be created on purpose. A myriad of factors helps to promote it, but no one ingredient creates the unusual affinity chemistry affords. 

In making sense of how chemistry comes about, it may be more useful to understand that it is always grounded in the conversation shared by the parties. That is to say, chemistry is located in the conversation between people, not in the feelings or beliefs people have of each other. At least not initially. 

We can experience chemistry with someone very unlike us or who doesn’t share our views because it is first and foremost a quality of the interaction between people, not the tasks or content they discuss or work on. If the recipe for chemistry always required trust, respect, and like-mindedness, we wouldn’t experience it with people and teams that are new to us. 

The ability for the parties to engage and expand the dialogue and conversation feels less like work when chemistry begins to materialize. Later, once the parties recognize the ease by which they can converse and exchange ideas, they come to realize the conversation is markedly different from others they experience. It is this conversational ease that both reflects and creates chemistry between people, in relationships, and in teams. 

The next time you experience or observe chemistry between people, watch how different the interaction is. It flows, as if it is lubricated by some unknown spirit. The underlying accent of the conversation is chemistry in action. Or perhaps it is chemistry itself. 

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General James Mattis

"Engage your brain before you engage your weapon."

Fascinating words from General James Mattis to his troops on the eve of battle:

I sat in the hard pebbled sand eating cold vacuum-packed hot dogs as I watched Peter Jennings about 10 feet away from me broadcast live from Kuwait. It was mid-March 2003. How surreal this was, being the center of the world’s attention.

After he wrapped up, I walked back to our Hummer. The officer in charge of our detachment walked up to me with a stack of papers.

“General Mattis wants every Marine to get a copy. Make sure our guys get some, Sergeant,” he said.

I looked at my copy and read:

"Engage your brain before you engage your weapon."

Fascinating words from General James Mattis to his troops on the eve of battle:

I sat in the hard pebbled sand eating cold vacuum-packed hot dogs as I watched Peter Jennings about 10 feet away from me broadcast live from Kuwait. It was mid-March 2003. How surreal this was, being the center of the world’s attention.

After he wrapped up, I walked back to our Hummer. The officer in charge of our detachment walked up to me with a stack of papers.

“General Mattis wants every Marine to get a copy. Make sure our guys get some, Sergeant,” he said.
I looked at my copy and read:

(I urge you not to read this from the POV of present day or with 20/20 hindsight or a political view. Imagine you are a Marine on the eve of battle when the future is still unknown.)

For decades, Saddam Hussein has tortured, imprisoned, raped and murdered the Iraqi people…. invaded neighboring countries without provocation…. and threatened the world with weapons of mass destruction. The time has come to end his reign of terror. On your young shoulders rest the hopes of mankind.

When I give you the word, together we will cross the Line of Departure, close with those forces that choose to fight, and destroy them. Our fight is not with the Iraqi people, nor is it with members of the Iraqi army who choose to surrender. While we will move swiftly and aggressively against those who resist, we will treat all others with decency, demonstrating chivalry and soldierly compassion for people who have endured a lifetime under Saddam’s oppression.

Chemical attack, treachery, and use of the innocent as human shields can be expected, as can other unethical tactics. Take it all in stride. Be the hunter, not the hunted…. Never allow your unit to be caught with its guard down. Use good judgment and act in the best interests of our Nation.

You are part of the world’s most feared and trusted force. Engage your brain before you engage your weapon. Share your courage with each other as we enter the uncertain terrain north of the Line of Departure. Keep faith in your comrades on your left and right and Marine Air overhead. Fight with a happy heart and strong spirit.For the mission’s sake, our country’s sake, and the sake of the men who carried the Division’s colors in past battles…. who fought for life and never lost their nerve…. carry out your mission and keep your honor clean. Demonstrate to the world there is “No Better Friend, No Worse Enemy” than a U.S. Marine.

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Lower Your Voice to Get Heard

Really good stuff from Admired Leaders. Worth thinking about for a lot of coaches and leaders.

Common wisdom tells leaders that if they want everyone’s attention or to make their advocacy land with force, they must increase their speaking volume. Multiple people in a room or a meeting turn their attention to the loudest voice and often stop talking themselves when one voice dominates.

The intensity of the language the leader employs, as well as the emphasis they place on specific words and phrases, gathers attention like a magnet. Experience informs leaders that getting heard in a crowded room is never an easy task and they must resort to more extreme amplification of their points.

Really good stuff from Admired Leaders. Worth thinking about for a lot of coaches and leaders.

Common wisdom tells leaders that if they want everyone’s attention or to make their advocacy land with force, they must increase their speaking volume. Multiple people in a room or a meeting turn their attention to the loudest voice and often stop talking themselves when one voice dominates. 

The intensity of the language the leader employs, as well as the emphasis they place on specific words and phrases, gathers attention like a magnet. Experience informs leaders that getting heard in a crowded room is never an easy task and they must resort to more extreme amplification of their points. 

But some leaders have learned a different secret. Under the right circumstances, actually lowering volume gains more mindshare from others. Leaders who normally don’t employ high volume often find that when they lower their voices and speak very slowly, others lean in and hang on every word.

Leaders who decrease their volume force others to dial down their own vocals in order to hear what is being said. Lower volume then demands more attention, not less. Suddenly, everyone’s focus is on what the leader is saying, exactly as planned. 

Unfortunately, this tactic doesn’t work for leaders who turn to higher volume most of the time. They unintentionally train colleagues to listen only when their volume rockets, which it usually does. The lesson is clear: How leaders get others to tune into what they are saying speaks volumes about who others think they are. 

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Proactivity

"Criticize yourself out loud, which shows people you’re open to being challenged."

https://characterlab.org/playbooks/proactivity/

"Criticize yourself out loud, which shows people you’re open to being challenged."

https://characterlab.org/playbooks/proactivity/

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FAU/SDSU

With a six second differential, down by 1, I didn't think SDSU had to foul. But I did think they should have pressured the ball and trapped. I don't think you can just let the other team run their offense comfortably and hope they miss, you get the rebound, and get an opportunity on offense with just 6-10 seconds left. At the very least I would try and make them uncomfortable and get them out of rhythm.

If you think about it, if FAU gets an offensive rebound the game is just about over. An average team gets an offensive rebound on 20-25% of their misses. You are staring at 80% right there. Not to mention their offensive efficiency and the odds that they score on any given possession. Your chances of getting the ball back down by just a point are below 50% for sure. Likely close to 30%. And given that, you have to go the length of the floor in ten seconds or less and get a good look, even if you do get the ball back. It's not a high percentage situation. I'd have to trap, make them uncomfortable, and try and get a steal.

With a six second differential, down by 1, I didn't think SDSU had to foul. But I did think they should have pressured the ball and trapped. I don't think you can just let the other team run their offense comfortably and hope they miss, you get the rebound, and get an opportunity on offense with just 6-10 seconds left. At the very least I would try and make them uncomfortable and get them out of rhythm.

If you think about it, if FAU gets an offensive rebound the game is just about over. An average team gets an offensive rebound on 20-25% of their misses. You are staring at 80% right there. Not to mention their offensive efficiency and the odds that they score on any given possession. Your chances of getting the ball back down by just a point are below 50% for sure. Likely close to 30%. And given that, you have to go the length of the floor in ten seconds or less and get a good look, even if you do get the ball back. It's not a high percentage situation. I'd have to trap, make them uncomfortable, and try and get a steal.

It obviously worked out great for SDSU. The best thing they did was not call a time out. They had a time out left, but Brian Dutcher let his team play. I'd love to see the odds on offensive efficiency, late in games, off of a dead ball versus playing it live. I'm convinced the offense is much better off playing it out rather than coming out of a time out.

Think about it - if you were FAU, you would rather have just had a shot clock violation than what just happened. Just let the clock run out and set your defense in the full court against SDSU's attack. I know you aren't going to do that - you have to try and score - but you'd feel a lot better on defense if there was a whistle and you had a chance to get set. I always feel better that way. So why does the offense almost always call time out?

Give Brian Dutcher a lot of credit. He let his team play, he didn't give FAU a chance to get set, and one of his kids made a play. Prepare you team in practice for those situations and let them go.

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The Easy Way To Do It

(From Admired Leaders)

Bill Gates prefers to choose a lazy person to do a hard job because a lazy person will find an easy way to do it. There’s wisdom in that idea, even though Gates says it to make a point about efficiency in thinking and not about rewarding lazy people. 

The hardest way is rarely the best way, and too many people like to make things harder than they need to be. 

The truth is there is nothing lazy about taking a more obvious or simple path to solving a complex problem or task. For those engaged in solving a problem, that means eliminating steps. Two actions are always superior to three actions in a solution. 

Preferring more straightforward solutions is not a mindset reserved only for lazy people. All good leaders prefer uncomplicated answers, solutions, and decisions. 

Making things easier when it comes to problem-solving begins by looking for the lowest hanging fruit. Instead of embracing the complexities of the problem, search for what is obvious and workable. Removing any unnecessary items, features, options, and actions while discarding any superfluous information is the recipe for simple. 

Pairing a problem down to its essential elements is somewhat of an art form. Accomplishing it sometimes means removing a colleague who likes to add complexity and overthink matters from the process. 

Making things simple is the hard work. Anyone can create a solution more complex than the problem requires. 

Simple and easy solutions are elegant. Turning a complicated problem into a workable and elegant solution takes creativity. It also requires a preference for a straightforward answer. The best solutions are always simple. 

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The Soldiers In The Trench

There was a man on horseback who saw a group of exhausted soldiers digging a trench. On the side is their section leader who was barking orders.

The passerby asked the leader why he isn’t helping his team. The leader just said that he is in charge and tells his people what to do.

The man decided to pitch in and help the soldiers dig until the trench was finished. After that, he approached the commander on foot and told him that the next time their rank prevents them from supporting his men, he should notify the top command – and that he will give a permanent solution to it.

The section leader then realized that the person he was talking to was none other than General Washington.

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8 Essential Qualities of Great Leadership

A good list from a few years back.

I think Managerial Competence too often gets overlooked. Most professions promote people to leadership positions based on how good they are at their job. But production in the workplace doesn't necessarily connect to leadership responsibilities. The best sales guy in the company isn't necessarily equipped to run the company. That mistake is made way too often because we want to be "loyal" to the people who have done a good job.

Producing for an organization and leading an organization are two very different things.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/kimberlyfries/2018/02/08/8-essential-qualities-that-define-great-leadership/?sh=7d78c9723b63

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Fouling Up 3

From Seth Davis:

I’ve seen a bunch of studies done over the years, including Ken Pomeroy’s work in 2013. Unlike other studies done at that time, which argued that fouling up three was the preferred strategy, Ken’s findings were basically inconclusive. But last fall, Nicholas Canova of CBB Analytics published a study that was far more definitive. Canova’s conclusion: If a team fouls up three in the final seconds, it basically doubles its chances of avoiding overtime.

To collect his data, Canova studied more than 15,000 Division I men’s games over a four-year period. Here’s what he found:

  • 0-4 seconds: The game went to overtime 16.9 percent of the time when allowing a 3-point attempt, but only 8.7 percent when fouling
  • 4-8 seconds: Game went to OT 18.9 percent of the time when allowing a 3-point attempt versus 7.6 percent when fouling
  • 8-12 seconds: OT in 18.3 percent of the games when allowing a 3-point attempt versus 9.4 percent when fouling

Bottom line: If you foul up three, you double your chances of avoiding overtime.

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NCAA Coaches and Officials

Seth Davis on NCAA coaches behavior towards officials:

The behavior from college basketball coaches towards referees has been too awful for too long. NBA coaches don’t act this way. A huge part of the problem is that coaches have a lot of sway with league supervisors as to who gets assigned games, so refs understandably feel that their ability to garner plum assigments is dependent on currying favor the coaches. So all but a few are reluctant to take appropriate action when the coaches get out of hand.

My hope, then, is that when the NCAA men’s basketball rules committee gathers for its annual summer meeting, it issues a very clear point of emphasis that instructs referees to be a lot quicker when it comes to calling technical fouls on coaches. When coaches wanted the hook-and-hold move taken out of the game, the committee made it a flagrant foul, and now we hardly ever see it anymore. There’s a place for a dialogue between coaches and officials, and I understand that things can get a little heated. But this has gone on for too long, and it needs to stop.

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