As I watched the game, I kept thinking that the college basketball deals with the same two major problems that most organizations deal with, talent management and succession planning.  A college basketball team has only 4 years to maximize an individual’s talent and develop them for a leadership role in their final years of playing.

Since business has the same issues, what can we learn from this team?  How do they achieve results year after year?  Let’s examine 7 keys you can pick out watching the games and reading the press.  First is the recruiting program.  Players are selected not only for their talent, but more importantly how they fit the UConn style of basketball.  The staff knows exactly what they are looking for to fit the team.  Once on campus, team members practice, practice and practice.  The coaching staff knows that the more intense the preparation, the better the performance. 

Players are treated as individuals as is evidenced by player interviews and remarks.  The staff understands that one style of motivation does not fit all, but that everyone is expected to perform at their best.

The attitude is extremely positive and players are coached to develop their strengths, to be great at a few aspect of the game and not average in all.  The game is a team sport and players are always looking for the open team member to take the high percentage shot.  The team assist average is usually double their opponents.

Finally, the on-the-job training and mentoring are crucial to the team’s success.  In the Notre Dame victory, most of the starting player spent about 20% of the game on the bench so that the younger players could gain the experience that only comes from playing.  One of the two seniors is always ready to provide guidance and mentoring both on the court and off the court.

How can you apply these seven success keys in your organization?

So I got in the long line to see an agent. It was 7:30 am and by flight was 8:45am, no problem I thought. Early morning at JFK is loaded with departing flights and it was 8:00 by the time I reached an agent. I was frustrated that the technology was not functioning and not too happy about waiting in line for 30 minutes. I voiced my frustration to the agent and she was very understanding. She issued my boarding card and requested my photo ID. As she was reading the ID, she said, “I know why the Kiosk didn’t work, it was so that I could wish you a happy birthday.” She then turned to the other agents and said, “Guys, wish Don a Happy Birthday.” They all did and I said to the agent, “You are good you just created a positive customer experience.”

As I walk to my flight I thought how quickly she turned a potential problem into a positive customer service experience. So easy to do, but it is the exception and not the rule.

Now, I know that 15 minutes doesn’t sound and a lot of time and you’re probably wondering what you can accomplish in that short amount of time.  Well let’s do the math.  If you read 15 minutes a day, 365 days a year, you have spent 91+ hours reading.  If you stayed with one area of interest, for example leadership, you would accumulate a significant amount of information on that one subject.  In fact if you read at 300 words a minute, then each night you would read about 20 to 24 pages of an average book.  That means, on average, you would read a book every 15 days or 20+ books a year.  Think you would know something about leadership after reading 20 books on the subject?  It adds up quickly. 

There are two secrets to this habit.  First, you rarely read only the minimum once you develop the habit.  I find that my nightly reading varies between ½ hour and one hour.  If it averages 45 minutes a night then that is 273 hours a year or 6.8 work weeks a year.  What could you accomplish in that time?

On a personal level, after years of reading I am amazed at the amount of information I can retrieve and the quotes and anecdotes I recall.  I frequently receive feedback from participants in the seminars I conduct on my ability to pull a story from memory that fits a question or concern of the group.  I thank them for the compliment and then inform them that if they read every day for 15 minutes for a number of years, they could do the same thing.  We can never overuse the capacity of the human brain.  

Second, besides the knowledge you will acquire, you will be doing your brain a world of good.  Your brain is like a muscle in that the more you exercise it the better it performs.  Reading is one of the best exercises for the brain.  Your brain activity is dramatically increased when you read and you make connections with earlier learning.  This process of interconnection improves your creativity and problem solving skills. The research seems to be saying, use it or lose it.

If you have someone who influenced you like Father Nadeau did me, please share your story.  And to all the individuals like Father Nadeau, who make a difference, Thank You.

Over 137 years later a young doctor wondered why so many patients in the hospital were developing infections after having an intravenous line.  Like any good researcher, he observed what was happening before, during and after an intravenous line was inserted into a patient. Sometimes, procedures that were common knowledge were not being utilized. 

 As a result he created a simple five point checklist to avoid infection when inserting a line. 1. Wash hands with soap; 2. Clean the patient’s skin with antiseptic; 3. Place a sterile drape over the patient; 4. Wear a sterile mask, hat, gown and gloves; 5. Put a sterile dressing over the catheter site.

 This simple idea is credited with saving 1,500 lives in the first 18 months of implementation and the young doctor was named in 2008 to Time magazine’s list of the World’s 100 Most Influential People.  The doctor is Peter Pronovost, a critical care researcher at John Hopkins University, who was born and grew up in Waterbury, CT.

 The lesson of this story is that you should not assume that knowledgeable people always remember to do what they know.  The checklist insures that all the necessary steps are performed.  By the way, Dr. Pronovost used an idea from a different field to create his checklist.  The doctor is also a pilot and would never take off without going through the pre-flight checklist.  What checklist would help you achieve greater results?

1. Focus on only one resolution.  Most people try to accomplish too many resolutions and get overcome with trying to keep all of them.  Pick the one resolution that will give you the biggest return on your investment of time.
2. Keep it SMART.  That stands for Specific, Measured, Achievable, Relevant and Timed.
3. Set up reminders.  Psychologists tell us that it take 21 to 34 days to develop a new habit.  That’s really what a resolution is, a new habit.  If you don’t remind yourself of the desired change you may fall into you old habits.  Put a sign up in your work area as a reminder, program reminders into your computer every week and post a note on your bathroom mirror.
4. Start strong.  A strong start will help you maintain the awareness that this is important.  Let others know what you want to accomplish so they can support you. 
5. Try an accountability partner.  We have used this concept successfully for the past 20+ years.  Contact a friend and ask them to check in with you twice a week for a month to see how you are doing.  You can also help them stay on track for their resolutions.  If you have to report your progress to someone you are more apt to keep doing the new behavior.  After the first month, decide if the arrangement is working and if you want to continue.  
6. Enjoy the ride.  Achieving a resolution, developing a new habit is a process.  Enjoy and celebrate each success along the way and at the end of the year you will be a better you.

HAPPY NEW YEAR

1. I know what is expected of me at work.
2. I have the materials and equipment I need to do my work right.
3. At work, I have the opportunity to do what I do best every day.
4. In the last seven days, I have received recognition or praise for doing good work.
5. My supervisor, or someone at work, seems to care about me as a person.
6. There is someone at work who encourages my development.
7. At work, my opinions seem to count.
8. The mission or purpose of my company makes me feel my job is important.
9. My associates or fellow employees are committed to doing quality work.
10. I have a best friend at work.
11. In the last six months, someone at work has talked to me about my progress.
12. This last year, I have had opportunities at work to learn and grow.

_{Copyright © 1992-1999 The Gallup Organization, Princeton, NJ. All rights reserved.}

Kipling’s thoughts are as relevant today as when they were written.  In interpersonal communication, four of those questions take center stage, What, Who, How and Why.  After many years of observing human behavior, I am convinced that we can improve our interpersonal communication if we just focus on these four questions. 

Most people rely on two of the four questions most of the time when communicating.  The key to effective communication is to answer the other person’s questions first and then deal with your own questions.  Once their questions are answered they are willing to listen and answer your questions.

Let me offer an example: I have a client/friend that I have worked with for many years.  She is extremely capable and detailed and in our communication she is always interested in the How and Why of the project.  My questions tend to be the What and Who of any project.  Although we look at the world differently, we work extremely well together because of our mutual respect and trust.  As long as her How and Why questions are answered she if eager to listen to my What and Who.  Because we deal with all four questions we make a very formidable team.

I am frequently asked for strategies on dealing with a team or one-on-one encounters that are stuck.  There are road blocks and people don’t know how to get passed them.  Here is a strategy that has worked.  First, acknowledge that the process is blocked.  You might say, “We seem to be at an impasse.”  Then say, “May I ask a question” and ask “At this moment which of the following is most important, What, Who, How or Why”.  In most cases this will move the discussion along and the other individual(s) will get their needs met.  Once everyone has their question answered the process can continue and you will achieve your objectives.

                                      Ralph Waldo Emerson

“The friends who listen to us are the ones we move toward, and we want to sit in their radius.”                            Karl Menninger

“It is better to remain quiet and be thought a fool than to speak and remove all doubt.”

                                      Abraham Lincoln

“Listen long enough and the person will generally come up with an adequate solution”

                                      Mary Kay Ash

“People who accomplish things do more listening that talking.”

                                      Irving Shapiro, former chairman of DuPont

“The key to success is to get out into the store and listen to what the associates have to say.”                     Sam Walton, founder of Wal-Mart

“You ain’t learnin’ nothin’ when you’re doin’ all the talkin’.”

                                      President Lyndon B. Johnson’s office sign as a Senator

“People will flood you with ideas if you let them.”

                                      Peter Smith, General Signal

“A single conversation across the table with a wise man is better than ten years’ study of books.”                         Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

“The way to stay fresh is you never stop traveling, you never stop listening.  You never stop asking people what they thing.”

                                      Rene McPherson, former chairman, Dana

Here is a little MAP to help with listening. M is for mental aspect of listening. Keep you mind focused on what is being said and resist mental distractions. A is for attitude. Create the desire to want to listen. We have all had the experience of really listening when dealing with a distraught family member or friend. At those times we listen because we know that it is important. The P is for the physical side of listening. Maintain eye contact, lean into the conversation, watch for nonverbal signals and react to what is said.

Try this MAP and watch your listening ability improve.