You Win With People

I was a little surprised to find out that the quote “You Win with People” is attributed to former Ohio State University Football coach Woody Hayes. Hayes was a legendary coach that I remember well from my childhood in the 1970’s and 80’s. More recently, acclaimed author and leadership guru John Maxwell has written several books on the same topic.

Success in nearly any walk of life often depends on who you choose to surround yourself with. As the old saying goes…”You can’t fly like an eagle when you’re surrounded by turkeys.” This axiom is relevant in terms of personal relationships and certainly applies to our professions.

As an Athletic Director, I have the ultimate responsibility for the human resources in our department. This is often the most difficult part of my job. When a coach leaves a program or is dismissed there is always some pressure to fill the position quickly. Returning student-athletes are anxious, recruits begin to waver in their commitment, scheduling must be completed, and any number of normal activities are left undone. At small colleges this is particularly true because in many cases we don’t have full-time assistant coaches to handle things in the interim.

Experience has taught me to be patient when filling coaching or administrative positions on my staff. I go into every job search with an open mind and an expectation of what an ideal candidate will look like. Coach Hayes became a legend because his teams often started out with better players than those he competed against. Similarly, I look to build a staff that starts with the best available proven talent. Some of the attributes that I consider when hiring include:

Communication – I need folks that are excellent communicators, confident in front of groups, and who know how to sell. Like it or not, every member of our department is selling our university and, more specifically, our athletic department. Whether it is recruiting, interacting with donors/fans/alumni, or communicating with University administration I need confident leaders who express themselves well.

Connections – We don’t have the human or financial resources on our campus to cover every need within our department. The network of connections that a coach or staff member has can make a huge difference in the success that they will have. This is particularly important in the area of recruiting. Our coaches aren’t going to be able to spend the time on the road recruiting that might be necessary to get the best student-athletes. A coach has to be able, to some extent, to rely on his or her network to help supplement this area.

Versatility – As mentioned above, many of our sports don’t have full-time assistant coaches. I need folks that operate well on their own, have a clear understanding of the needs for their programs, and have the multitude of skills necessary to operate at a high level. Organizational skills, an understanding of technology, and a strong work ethic are a must.

Cultural Fit – Our current staff at Oklahoma City is pretty diverse and highly acclaimed. I have 5 coaches on my staff that have already been inducted into the NAIA Hall of Fame and our University Hall of Fame. Needless to say, this group isn’t easily impressed. They have also set the tone for what can be achieved on our campus. When I’m looking to hire new employees, I try very hard to make sure that they understand the expectations of our department, the challenges that they will face, and I evaluate how well their approach, leadership style, motivation, and personality will fit in with the rest of our department.

Carefully contemplate every person that you hire within your department and every recruit that you allow on your teams. YOU’RE ONLY GOING TO BE AS GOOD AS THE PEOPLE YOU SURROND YOURSELF WITH!! Even still, it’s nearly impossible to know without a doubt whether the person you bring in will ultimately be successful. I’ll admit that I “go with my gut” and “take chances” from time to time.

With this in mind, it’s not just good enough to hire great people. Once you get them hired you have to equip them to succeed and motivate them to keep growing! Here are some of the things that we do to build a culture of success in our department that supports the mission of the university and gives direction to coaches and staff.

Communicate Consistently – I have staff meetings twice per month and individual meetings with coaches twice per month during the school year. This allows us to consistently communicate issues that affect our department, allows time for brainstorming/creating a vision for the future and allows us to stay ahead of any potential threats/issues that affect the program or department.

Promote Growth – My job as Athletic Director is to promote the growth of my staff. It’s important to know the professional goals of each employee and work to help them meet them. In some cases, I help shape those goals by providing additional responsibilities/opportunities for employees to gain experience. I am very engaged in conference/national committees and professional development and I want our staff to be as well. Frankly, I don’t just want them to be involved I encourage them to aspire to lead these organizations. This requires an investment that I think is well worth it for the individual and for our department. Like a head coach, my job is to help my staff grow. As they grow and prosper, so will our programs and department.

Plan for the Long Term – We have several coaches/administrators on our staff that have been here for more than ten years. Consistency is a good thing and is generally a sign of a productive staff member. I want our staff thinking past this week/month/year and to develop plans/aspirations for where our programs will be in 3-5 years. The more you plan for the long term the more you insure that your efforts today are strategic.

Recognize Outstanding Achievement – It’s important to recognize and reward outstanding achievements by staff members. The best reward is financial and naturally this is a challenge for many cash-strapped universities, including mine. Use staff meetings, special events, Trustee meetings, Athletic events, etc as opportunities to recognize the members of your staff. Annual evaluations also provide an opportunity to recognize achievement but I encourage you to not wait until the end of the year to pat an employee on the back.

The best teams have talented players that understand their responsibilities, are committed to a strategy, and are willing to put in the work to achieve their goals. Take the time to carefully consider the people that you invite to be a part of your team, and then make every effort to help them thrive. Your success and the success of your department depends on it.