We are talking about communication. Coach to player, player to player, coach to parent; it never ends. Listen to coaches that are great communicators and you realize just how valuable a tool it can be.
Coaches that are in the ocean of life long learning, how can we as humans not continue to get better communicating with each other? And yet, with the advent of the cell phone, our communication skills have deteriorated as a society. Face to face has been replaced by text to text or e mail. Sticky subjects are handled awkwardly on tiny keypads as recipients read emotion into small letters on the 4" screens in their palms. How is this considered communication?
Watching this video, it's hard not to see how our communication or more importantly, our lack of it, has contributed to some of the ills of society. Recently, England appointed a Minister of Loneliness! Think about this for a second...loneliness has become such a social ill that the English Parliament made an office just for loneliness!
As coaches, how can we get better at this skill? Recently we came across a few resources that might help.
Julian Treasure's TED talk called, "How to speak to that people want to listen."
Along those same lines, check out Celeste Headlee's TED talk entitled, "10 Ways to have a better conversation."
Finally, one of our favorite coaching resources, Simon Sinek put out an article of his own on why leaders should talk LAST!
In the never ending coaching quest to be better tomorrow, can you pick up one communication skill today to get better at? Can we become better at HOW we talk to our team...WHEN we talk to them and even WHAT we talk to them about? Maybe even most importantly, can we become better listeners?
Put out phones down, look our athletes in the eyes and give them the attention they deserve? Nothing drives coaches more insane and annoyed when athletes don't look us in the eye? Turn their heads and look away? Look down or have their attention stolen by the smallest of things? It's maddening.
But are they to blame? Go to dinner and look at the restaurant patrons? How many adults are on their phones while their kids are on theirs or just sitting there? How many times has an athlete of yours wanted to talk to you but you were looking at your missed calls, texts and tweets while they talked to you? Don't they deserve the same consideration you are asking of them?
Watching this video, it's hard not to see how our communication or more importantly, our lack of it, has contributed to some of the ills of society. Recently, England appointed a Minister of Loneliness! Think about this for a second...loneliness has become such a social ill that the English Parliament made an office just for loneliness!
As coaches, how can we get better at this skill? Recently we came across a few resources that might help.
Julian Treasure's TED talk called, "How to speak to that people want to listen."
Along those same lines, check out Celeste Headlee's TED talk entitled, "10 Ways to have a better conversation."
Finally, one of our favorite coaching resources, Simon Sinek put out an article of his own on why leaders should talk LAST!
In the never ending coaching quest to be better tomorrow, can you pick up one communication skill today to get better at? Can we become better at HOW we talk to our team...WHEN we talk to them and even WHAT we talk to them about? Maybe even most importantly, can we become better listeners?
Put out phones down, look our athletes in the eyes and give them the attention they deserve? Nothing drives coaches more insane and annoyed when athletes don't look us in the eye? Turn their heads and look away? Look down or have their attention stolen by the smallest of things? It's maddening.
But are they to blame? Go to dinner and look at the restaurant patrons? How many adults are on their phones while their kids are on theirs or just sitting there? How many times has an athlete of yours wanted to talk to you but you were looking at your missed calls, texts and tweets while they talked to you? Don't they deserve the same consideration you are asking of them?
