This post was inspired by my third read of Adam Grants great book - Think Again and conversations with coaches and administrators over the past few weeks. It is the time of the year when we are earnestly planning for the next year, debriefing the last year and the last Olympic cycle. One thing I know for sure no matter how successful you or your team has been you must change to be better. It may be small incremental changes or a complete about face from what you have done before.
Here are some of the statements you will hear when you want to change or innovate:
We don’t do it that way here.
That’s the way we do it here.
That’s the way we have always done it, and we have been successful, so why change?
The other teams don’t do that.
Another team tried that and they lost every game.
We can’t do that that they have better facilities and more money.
We tried that before and it did not work.
These are progress stoppers and innovation killers. If you want to lead meaningful change then change the narrative. Because we have never done that way before represents an opportunity, Change is a constant that be uncomfortable. If you don’t change in today’s world the world will pass you by. Coaches are change agents so get out in front of change and lead or you will be left in the dust.