COACH/MANAGER PRIORITIES:

1.1 HELP PLAYERS COME BACK (AND REMAIN)  IN SHAPE

Mental and physical wellness initiatives are a key part of team preparation and support. Without this, players cannot perform at the top level.

Discussions and initiatives around workplace wellness have become a foundation and a priority, in both sport and business teams. 

In a business team, wellness is a shared responsibility of the individual, the company and the team manager.

1.2 CREATE AND COMMUNICATE A SHARED VISION

Tactical clarity from the Head Coach helps players feel settled and gives a reference point to build their game; It provides the structure for self-expression and personal development.

The New Way to Play starts with a reflection on past performance but also a blank sheet in terms of what will fit  the new season — even established, senior team member mindset may have changed, and new team members are joining a business team at a time of significant transition. 

A shared vision from leadership is different from micro-management. 

The last thing a collaborative work team needs is to feel they are being micro-managed into a new Hybrid Work Model. 

The way a vision is shared is important.

“Communication leads to Community…”  Rollo Reece.  

And, ultimately, a sense of team belonging is a key to and individual’s love of the game.

Shared Vision/ Tactical Clarity needs to focus on “THE WHY” around a new work formula, policies and practices.

1.3 CARVE OUT AND PROTECT TIME AND SPACE FOR SMALL GROUP INTERACTION

The Head Coach/Team Manager needs to help players visualise and feel the New Way to Play — not just show them charts and concepts.

In the new Hybrid Work Model, a key role of the team manager is to carve out and protect the live/in person time and space for purposeful, playful connectivity and collaboration

Sport team coaches and business team managers  have many other important and time-consuming outward facing responsibilities on top of their team development work.

But teams need the personal, catalytic involvement of the team coach, particularly in times of transition: helping individual players to meet their personal needs and gain confidence, and to bind as a team.

Assistant Coaches/Managers need to be key allies in synch with the Head Coach. Distributing some of the team development load.

Everyone interacting with players needs to be moving in the same direction.

A team leader/manager can lean on their senior team members to step up as New Season leaders within the team — solving internal frictions before they become a time-consuming demand for the head coach.  

Senior members should be recognised for this. 

Not everyone is going to be happy with the New Way To Play.

But negative influence from unhappy team members needs to be personally addressed by the team manager— earlier rather than later.