Preparing Your Company For Change

Index

1. The Evolving Game
2. The Cost of Losing
3. Coach or Manager?
4. Choose the Playing Field
5. Know Your Players
6. Pick  Your Lines
7. Assign Your Captains
8. Draw Up the Game Plan
9. Play the Game

The Game Plan

The game plan is the responsibility of the Coach. All too often, the Manager draws up the game plan, then leaves in the third period. Coaching is a hands-on job. Your players need the assistance of the Coach at all times during the game. The Manager is usually too busy running the daily corporate affairs of the team to be on the bench. By assigning a Coach and empowering him to execute the corporate strategy for change, you will have taken a huge step forward. The Coach then creates the game plan, teaches the overall plan to the players and books practice time.

A good Coach knows that players resistance to new plays usually stems from two factors: the fear of the unknown (and hence the fear of failure in using the new technology), and the mental and physical energy involved in learning new ways of doing things. The Coach recognizes these reasons for resistance, and then works to overcome them ahead of time, in practice.

The Coach knows that fear of failure can hinder the performance of his athletes, often leading to risk-aversion, inaction, or even attempts to block the implementation of new plays or game plans. He makes it clear to his players
that he will give them the time and latitude required to learn new skills or plays – including the freedom to make mistakes. At the same time however, he sets the expectations for achievement.

An even more difficult problem than the fear of failure is the unwillingness, on the part of some players, to expend the effort required to learn the new plays. Unfamiliar ground can be stressful and confusing, particularly those more comfortable with the old ways of doing things. Other players may view the learning process as an unnecessary intrusion on their time that prevents them from focusing on their own game or skills. The smart Coach overcomes such resistance by outlining how learning new plays and skills will benefit them personally in the career.