How to Build an Enduring Winning Program by Establishing and Enforcing Your Core Values
Jeff Janssen, Janssen Sports Leadership Center
Look closely at all the successful programs and you'll find a set of core values that form the foundation for everything they do. Core values are the bedrock principles, attitudes, and beliefs that you hold sacred in your program and ultimately define your team's culture and success. While not always overtly stated, these core values manifest themselves in a variety of ways including how the team: - trains and competes - holds members accountable - responds during adversity and crises - values academics and community service - handles victory and defeat. The core values often imperceptibly but powerfully dictate virtually everything a team does. Solid, clear, and consistent core values form the foundation of success. Weak, fuzzy, or inconsistent core values virtually guarantee turmoil, frustration, and failure. It's almost always the head coach who first establishes the team's core values and then drives them throughout the rest of the team. It's then the captains and assistant coaches who help echo, enforce, and extend these core values to all corners of the team.
DEFINING YOUR PROGRAM'S CORE VALUES Because your core values are so critical to your success, take a moment to think through and answer the following questions: 1. What exactly are your program's core values? 2. Have you invested the time to think through and write down your core values? 3. Can each of your athletes and staff members clearly articulate your core values? 4. Have you selected team members and staff based upon these core values? 5. How do you further inculcate these critical core values in your new team members? 6. How do you model, monitor, and reinforce your team's core values throughout the year? 7. How do you intentionally or unintentionally reward, ignore, or undermine those who best live your core values? 8. How does your program and/or school stack up?
If your core values are not yet fully established, embraced, or enforced by you and your team, which my guess is true of roughly 80% of all programs, then this article (and more so the actions you take as a result of reading it) could be the biggest key to helping your program make a significant leap forward. The rest of this article provides several great ideas on how you can better establish and enforce your all-important core values using the strategies of some of sport's top coaches.
THE CORE VALUES BEHIND 19 NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS Certainly there is a solid set of core values that undergirds 19 National Championships. Carolina women's soccer coach Anson Dorrance is a firm believer in establishing and enforcing core values. Dorrance has invested the time to put together a detailed list of 11 core values that form the foundation of his dynasty. Not only has Dorrance listed the program's core values, he has also worked with his players to find an inspiring quote that exemplifies each one. He feels the quotes are often easier to remember and better capture the essence of the core value. CHAMPIONSHIP COACHES NETWORK BONUS: Our Championship Coaches Network members can view the UNC Women's Soccer program's 11 Core Values and accompanying quotes at: http://www.championshipcoachesnetwork.com/members/356.cfm Anson takes it another step further by insisting that his players memorize a set of the core values and their accompanying quotes. Each of his classes is assigned three core values that they must memorize over the summer and be prepared to recite at a moment's notice when they return in the fall. They not only preach the core values at Carolina but are also expected to practice them daily. Players receive anonymous feedback from their teammates via a Peer Rating System as to how well they are demonstrating the team's core values. These ratings are not posted for the team but are shared with athletes individually. With this feedback, players clearly know how well they measure up to the key qualities of the program. Finally, based on the Peer Rating System, Dorrance has created a post-season award for the person who best exemplifies the core values as voted on by the team. This highly coveted award has as much significance as any other award given out by the program.
THOUGHT OF THE DAY Similarly, Carolina men's basketball coach Roy Williams provides his players with daily doses and reminders of his core values through the Thought of the Day. The Thought of the Day is listed in the locker room and on top of the day's practice schedule. Like Dorrance, Coach Williams' players must memorize the Thought of the Day and be prepared to recite it when asked at any time during practice. Those who dare not to take the memorization seriously are reminded of its importance by running after practice. Coach Williams selects the Thought of the Day each day depending on what he feels his team needs most at that time. It's a practice he first picked up from his mentor Dean Smith. Interestingly, the U.S. Military Academy also requires its cadets to memorize a series of speeches, rules, and principles that form the foundation their core values. While committing these things to memory may seem annoying and trivial at first, these core values are so important to a program's foundation that they justify being memorized -- and ultimately internalized.
CORE VALUES DEFINE EXPECTATIONS AND GUIDE DIFFICULT DECISIONS By reflecting on, continually discussing, and rewarding your core values, you help your athletes learn what is expected of them both on and off the court/field. Solidifying your core values also helps you make difficult decisions throughout the season. Your core values are your compass when it comes to making cuts, determining playing time, dealing with conflict, etc. The core values serve as a practical decision-making guide. As Roy Disney once said, "It's not hard to make decisions when you know what your values are." Coaches are continually faced with challenging issues including alcohol issues, Facebook postings, hazing and initiation, etc. Discussing your core values will oftentimes help you prevent these problematic issues ahead of time -- or provide you with a strong guide on how to handle them should they occur. Florida State football coach Bobby Bowden's core values are a part of his team's rules. "My rulebook contains several non-negotiables that should not be transgressed. Drug abuse, academic negligence, dissention, stealing, lying, and major crime will get a player kicked off the team. Laziness, cheating, immorality, and illegal activity will get a coach dismissed." No matter how talented the player, there are certain core values and non-negotiables that cannot be bent or broken to preserve the core values and integrity of your program.
12 TIPS FOR ESTABLISHING AND ENFORCING YOUR CORE VALUES Use the following 12 tips to help you establish a solid set of core values for your program. 1. Invest the time to reflect on the core values you feel are essential to your program. 2. Study the core values of successful teams, schools, businesses, and organizations. 3. Put down your core values in writing. 4. Discuss the core values with your team and provide them with a copy. 5. Work with your athletes and staff to find quotes and stories that epitomize the core values. 6. Encourage your athletes to memorize a portion of the core values each year. 7. Use your core values in determining your team rules and as a decision-making guide. 8. Do not take on staff or athletes who oppose your core values. 9. Identify a group of leaders on your team who best exemplify and enforce your program's core values. 10. Partner with your leaders to have them help you drive the core values into every corner of your program. 11. Set up a Peer and Coach Rating System to provide feedback to your athletes on how well they are living the core values. 12. Acknowledge and reward those who best demonstrate your core values on a consistent basis. Investing the time to establish, teach, reinforce, and enforce your core values could very well be the most important thing you do this season and for many years to come.
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