Details are the difference...

"Details are the difference between champions and near champions."

I heard Chris Mack, Xavier head basketball coach, use this as his quote of the day for one of his practices.  He gains instant credibility with his players after this comment by pointing to the championship banners hanging in the arena.  Xavier’s coaching staff does not simply pay lip service to the details, in fact they value the details by emphasizing and demanding the details be executed properly in every drill they perform.  They also don’t discriminate between the most and least talented player on the floor when correcting mistakes made in execution of these details. 

The details most important to your organization and team are always up for debate, but once they are identified let your actions drive home their importance.  Your team makeup will mirror what you emphasize.  If sprinting to help is important to your defensive philosophy make sure your players understand the importance of this detail by never letting a player slide or jog to help.  Correct it on the spot no matter who failed to execute and soon enough your entire will understand sprinting to help is not a suggestion, but part of this team’s identity. 

What details are you emphasizing on daily basis that is subsequently forging your team’s identity and reputation?

Alison Levine - Goal Setting

Alison Levine is certainly a voice of hope and inspiration.  I was privileged to hear her story while at the Chick-Fil-La Leadercast this year.  Alison has climbed to the highest elevation on all 7 continents. I won't go into the details of her entire story here, but it really is extraordinary and inspiring. 

While Alison was climbing to the top of Mount Everest on the final leg to the summit she used small obtainable goals one after the other to assist her climb.  The final leg is quite daunting considering at that elevation your body is actually deteriorating because it’s not meant to function at extreme levels of elevation.  An oxygen tank is required to breathe and it takes 5-10 breaths for every one step.  The final stage of this climb is 3,000 ft.  Take some time to do some quick math here…3,000 ft + 5-10 breaths for each step = not a quick or easy climb to the top.

Instead of letting the big goal of making it 3,000 ft at such a slow pace in such harsh conditions Alison set a small goal that was in sight (I want to make it to that rock).  Then she set another easier to see/reach goal (I’ll just make it to this curve) until she ultimately reached the top.

What goals should you break down into smaller obtainable goals?

Mack Brown - Recovering from a Dissapointment

Mack Brown and the Texas Longhorns played in the BCS national championship football game in 2010 and lost to Alabama.  The Texas football program was rolling full speed ahead having won 10 or more games in a record number of consecutive seasons (When things get easy, lookout!). The next season Texas won a mere 5 games snapping their incredible streak and failing to become bowl eligible for the 1st time under Mack Brown's tenure. 

Mack Brown's comments on what happened: I pouted after losing the national championship game.  I felt sorry for Colt (star QB injured during the game), I felt sorry for the other players, I felt sorry for the coaching staff who worked so hard and I felt sorry for myself. We still worked just as hard the following season, but we didn't create an edge.  In this game you either re-invent yourself or get passed by.

Good stuff here – Mack Brown as the leader took responsibility for his team’s poor performance. Leaders should always be quick to give the credit away, but shoulder the blame.  The next step was to learn from his mistakes, make changes and move forward. 

I am an SEC fan and often root against the other major conference powerhouses like Texas, but I am anxious to see the changes Mack Brown will make to “create an edge” and I fully expect Texas to rebound with a strong showing under Brown’s leadership.  I think Texas is wise to hold onto to Mack Brown as their football coach. 

What changes do you need to make before the competition passes you by?

Mack Brown - Recruiting

I had the privilege of hearing Mack Brown speak at Chic-Fil-La's recent Leadercast. He touched on numerous topics leaders and coaches must have a plan for (failing to prepare is preparing to fail - John Wooden).

Mack Brown as most of you probably know is the head football coach for University of Texas.  He was asked what he looked for in a recruit. His initial response was 1st the player has to be good enough to play at the level we want to compete at (skill).  He believes that if you can't tell a player is an impact player in 5 plays or less turn the tape off and look elsewhere.  - I believe this is true for most interviewees for the skill aspect of the position they are hiring.  Most people can tell within a 5 minute conversation if you have the skills required to successfully do the job.  However successful companies don't hire bases on skill alone and spend much more than 5-30 minutes getting to know the applicant before concluding they are the right fit. 

Mack Brown's second thought was the player had to have a gpa of at least 3.0.  His logic:  High school is more about effort and discipline than intelligence.  If a student is able to maintain a 3.0 gpa or higher then they are willing to put forth the effort required to see results and used to being disciplined. - Character makeup in my opinion is more important than super skills.  Skills can be improved, but character is who we are.  Character is the choices we make every day (led by our core values) when others aren't watching.  It takes time for character to be revealed, but it always comes to the surface given time. I believe most people lose their jobs or fall out of grace with a company due to a lack of character vs. a lack of skill.

Dave Ramsey certainly believes in being slow during the hiring process.  The longer the hiring process the less likely you are to make a mistake because the more comfortable you become with the potential employees character. 

Is your skill high enough and more importantly do you have the character to be a desired recruit?
Companies are you spending enough time in the hiring process?  Giving enough weight/emphasis on character?