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The most frequent answer to my question of coaches and athletes when I ask what would make the biggest difference in performance is positive self-talk. When I press a little further, the diamond underneath is give myself the benefit of the doubt.

It’s a phrase that comes from my two decades of swim officiating. A swim official motto is: the swimmer always gets the benefit of the doubt. If you have to think about what you observed on a turn or stroke, then it didn’t happen. If you cannot raise your hand immediately to indicate a potential disqualification, if you hesitate or wait, then it didn’t happen. The swimmer always gets the benefit of the doubt.

I suggest to coaches and athletes, what would it look like if you gave yourself the benefit of the doubt?

When things don’t go well in a race or competition, go easy on yourself. Give yourself the benefit of the doubt. What does that mean in practical terms?

• Step up on failure. Failure in an event or game doesn’t equate to you being a failure. When failure becomes personal or we think it’s permanent (“This always happens!”), then failure becomes who we are rather than what happened.

Failure is intended to be a teacher, not judge, jury, and executioner. We stretch, and try, fail and learn so that we can stretch our comfort zone. This is the pathway of elite performers.

• Be a beginner. Give yourself permission to be a beginner when you try something new. As a beginner, you wouldn’t expect to do it correctly. Go easy on yourself. Ask for help. No one is supposed to know it all…that’s why athletes have coaches.

I compete in Master’s swimming. I normally practice by myself, but I also check in with several coaches I know for tips and suggestions. Something around arm speed or kick perhaps, and I try it and fail miserably. I either don’t keep it up the entire set or I tire out and because my body and brain are having to work overtime as I train to do something different. I’m a beginner, but I’m not a failure.

• Process first. What I mean is, concentrate on the process that it takes to get to your goal. Pick one thing each practice or each week of practice on which to concentrate: foot position, hand position, turns, release…the list could be endless depending on your sport. Whatever will help you reach your goal of faster, stronger, longer, higher. Achieve that for the day or week and call it successful.

Seek to only be faster and you are more likely to not get faster. Concentrate on the things that will make you faster (stronger, higher, longer), and the end will take care of itself. The process is the focus.

I compete as a Masters Swimmer. I train to stay in shape. I compete to give myself a goal. This past April I was at Y Masters Nationals, seeking to swim a 100 freestyle in 55 seconds because I’m 55 this year. I failed at that goal, going a :56.4. But I won the 200 freestyle, surprising myself. The 100 was the last event. The 200 was the second event of the weekend. The competition was not a failure. I learned valuable lessons, the biggest of which (I think) is to find a meet where I only swim the 100 because I am not able to train enough, consistently enough, to swim multiple events across multiple days.

How will you give yourself the benefit of the doubt? It’s a major difference between average and elite. Embrace who you are and find the gateway to your next level.

The Level Up Process:

My sports clients include: Mason Manta Rays (8th best swim team in U.S.), SwimMAC Carolina (2nd best swim team in the U.S.), University of South Carolina swim teams, Xavier University swim teams, Eastern Michigan University swim team, Denison University swim teams (2019 men’s national champions), Denison University Track & Field/Cross Country, Toledo University swim team, Florida Gulf Coast swim team, Gardner Webb University athletic department (multiple teams, including March Madness qualifier Men’s Basketball), Hudson HEAT swim team, Upper Arlington Swim Club, Dayton Raider Swim Club, Northern Kentucky Women’s Basketball, Countryside YMCA swim team, and…..I can’t wait to tell you who else once they sign on. Let’s get in touch about taking your leadership and performance to a new level.

Jeff@levelupleadershipcoach.com

The great migration of sports coaches – and a few athletes – has begun. Business leaders are finding themselves in new roles, possibly with new companies.

If you’ve decided to leave for a new location, or been given a surprise opportunity to search for a new location, there are some keys to starting well.

Maybe you’re not moving…these will grow your leadership where you are:

(1) How much change shoudl you make and how quickly? There are two schools of thoughts. One says to establish that you are in charge, so make some changes immediately. The other says to start slow, begin where the poeple are, and move from there. You wil lbe a change form the person you are replacing, bringing enough change with you just by being you. Personality, processes, voice, tone, looks; perhaps you are a morning person and the other person was not. You drink coffee, the other drank tea.

I encourage new leaders to be up front that changes will be made but not immediately. Because one of the great dangers of not making any changes is that your boss, your team members, could conclude that you like everything the way it is.

(2) Ask questions and listen. Answer questions honestly, but take the initiative to ask questions. This is a real art. Keep them short and open eneded. Meet with people and let them know they are heard. Ask for advice. The point is genuine concern for them as poeple, but that doesn’t mean you have to do everything they mention. People want to be heard, to understand that they matter. People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.

(3) Share and answer. I do a training with business leaders, that translates to a sports coach in a new position as well. The training ends with some back and forth between the new leader and new team. The team gets to ask 10 personal questions (favorite food, tell us about your family, why did you decide on this career,…) and 10 business questions (what are your processes, how do you define success,…). You answer them.

Then share 3 expectaions for how the team will work, and 3 expectations for communication (i.e., when something comes up, tell me immediately through text or don’t text after 9 p.m.). These are your ground rules that will help shape your relationships and leadership.

Taking time to do this will solve many issues before they begin.

Good luck with your journey ahead. I look forward to connecting with you.

Jeffery A. Raker, Level Up Leadership Coaching

What if I told you there was a way to save up to an hour per day? Less questions about: “What was it you wanted me to do?” – “I’m not sure how to get started on that?” The constant interruptions, the desire to have an open door but you end up working longer.

I have converstaions with clients and potential clients consistently enough to tell me this is a universal issue. How to balance the desire for communication and relationship with the need to be productive and efficient? It comes down to one word: accountability. The complicating factor is the human being.

Here’s what I mean.

The main reason a leader doesn’t hold people accountable for their tasks and jobs, often just doing it themselves, is because of themselves.

“I know how much stress they’re under and I don’t want to add to it.” All about the leader.

“I feel bad about calling them out for not doing their job.” All about the leader.

“I’d rather do it myself than spend the time to explain it and hope it’s done right (code for my way).” All about the leader.

Accountability isn’t a bad word. Everyone has a space that is there responsibility. Others should not venture in to take over, instead taking are of their own space. It’s like a soccer team trusting each player to do their part, rather than one person running to wherever the ball is because they wonder “will the others do their job?”

If the player (in soccer) doesn’t do their job, a sub comes in. It’s not person, it’s about the team. Same goes for a business. It’s not personal. So don’t make it personal. Ask a question:

“What happened that this didn’t get accomplished?” It’s not personal, it’s about the task.

“What’s your next step?” is a great question for understanding if your direct report knows what they’re doing. It will save you time in the long run to take a few moments to ask and listen.

Subscribe to future Level Up Tips here

Jeffery A. Raker, Level Up Leadership Coaching

“Helping you succeed in what you choose to pursue”

When something isn’t going well, when someone isn’t fulfilling their job to what is needed by the team, a supervisor often will inspect work more closely, observe more diligently at meetings, and critique comments more intensely. These actions will most likely be interpreted as “lack of trust.” The employee will withdrawal and the supervisor will most likely interpret that as proof of poor performance. All of this may easily lead to a lack of confidence, leading to a true poor performance scenario. It’s a vicious cycle.

The solution begins with a mirror and it continues with asking the right questions.

First the mirror. Realize that you may be at fault. Start there. “How am I contributing to this problem?”

The first step on the path to superior supervision is relationship. Do you have a positive relationship with this person? Do you know this person? Do you know their passions in life? What about friends and family? What are their hobbies? Spending the time to develop a healthy, positive relationship is the foundation of successful supervision.

Consider the image of a bus. You, as the leader, are driving the bus (at least you should be). Is everyone on the bus? Do they know which direction the bus is going? Are they in agreement? Do they know how to get on the bus?
If you make decisions too slowly, for instance, there may be people who are walking ahead of the bus, unwilling to wait.

If you make decisions too quickly, not communicating clearly in the process, there may be people who are running to catch up to the bus.
Either way, they are most certainly NOT on the bus.

How are you at fault in a difficult supervisory role?What is it that you could do differently? This is the first question.

Next Leadership Tipis about the questions for supervision.

“My job would be great if it weren’t for the people!”

It’s been said – or at least thought – by everyone I know. Perhaps it’s just me and my network, but I doubt it.

Supervision is a key component of leadership. You can’t lead well without it. Top level leaders simplify supervision for the sake of everyone. But direct reports often view supervision as “lack of trust.” There is some coaching you can do to help with that. There are also some daily practices that can help make supervision less of a chore

(1) Have a clear set of expectations or metrics. This takes supervision out of the personal realm and into the business realm where it belongs.
When people don’t meet the metrics, it’s a simple decision. There is certainly a place for quetsions – “What happened that you didn’t meet this or that?” Perhaps it was something out of the person’s control. Perhaps it was laziness. The issue will become clear when you ask the right questions.

(2) Give feedback frequently. Let your people know what you are seeing – or not seeing. This is only fair. If people have to wonder how they are doing, you are not being a good supervisor.

(3) Follow a set of known values and policies. If you expect your team and direct reports to observe certain boundaries, then you need to follow them as well. This will create uncertainty and that doesn’t not make for good business. 

(4) Create a safe place for critique and the sharing of ideas. Becoming defensive or criticizing ideas immediately creates a culture that stifles creativity. As a supervisor you want – need – creative thoughts. Allow all ideas to be expressed, without judgment.

(5) Build relationships. Supervision can only happen in a culture of trust and trust is built on relationships, knowing people. If you only meet with your people for a review, there will be no relationship to frame the necessary expectations of leadership. 

Let’s make 2019 a great year with great supervision. It takes time and energy, but the returns are worth every bit of it.

“There is only self-discipline. Far too many coaches and leaders think you can impose discipline on someone. And worse some use it as an excuse to bully and intimidate.” @Fergus_Connolly

Leadership starts with self-awareness and leading yourself. Self-leadership is what leads to mental toughness. All the techniques, tricks, and tips in the world won’t work for long without being firmly rooted in self-awareness.

Recently I posed a question which is quickly becoming a favorite: “Where are you getting in your own way?”

The business leader gets in his own way when he doesn’t understand that he is perceived as angry and short-tempred. His people do what he wants out of fear rather than teamwork.

The athlete refuses to put down her phone and so doesn’t get enough sleep to be at her best. She trains with great effort but performance suffers.

The leader/coach doesn’t realize his concern about reaching the goal comes across as disappointment in a direct report or athlete. It’s demoralizing to the person and the leader/coach doesn’t know the negative impact. 

Sleep, diet, self-care, self-talk, blame, each of these are ways we create headwind, where we get in our own way.

When we don’t like what someone did or the way they did it, we’re stubborn, our ego flares up, and we resist even though following through would be helpful. We get in our own way.

When a person has difficulty accepting feedback, critique of their presentation or performance, it creates headwind.

The biggest obstacle to success is yourself. Where are your habits creating headwind for you. Where are you not helpful to your stated goals? Every leader has blindspots, which is why coaching works. I’d love to talk with you about how 2019 could be a more successful year for you. 

At a recent national swim meet in North Carolina, a group of officials was talking during a break. Someone asked if I had any “word of inspiration.” Never one for a lack of words, here’s what I shared: 

In swim officiating, our mantra is “the swimmer always gets the benefit of the doubt.” During this Christmas season where we hear more about generosity, what if we were generous with those in our lives, as well as with ourselves, and gave the “benefit of the doubt?”

I remember many times when my wife woudl be later getting home than she said she would be. Not only would I have her 6 feet under, I would also have negative thoughts: “She’s deliberately not calling me. How inconsiderate.”

However, if I was generous toward her, I would be more positive with thoughts of, “I hope she’s ok.” And when she arrives home, it’s not a barrage of “how upset and worried I was,” but of “it’s good to see you.” Because it is.

The benefit of the doubt saves us worry and anxiety, lessening stress and helping us live in deeper joy.

How can you give the benefit of the doubt to your employees? To you boss? Then what about to yourself?

The swim officials gathered around that day, when I mentioned applying this to yourself, nearly sucked the oxygen out of the natatorium! “We are so hard on ourselves,” they said.

Here’s one way to apply this personally. Don’t judge your throughts. They are just thoughts.

“I shouldn’t feel this way.”

“I know I need to do this but I just don’t feel like it.”

Ok. That’s the way you feel. That’s the thoughts you have. It’s real. It’s there. Don’t judge it but rather move on from it. Give yourself the benefit of the doubt during this season when generosity is such a big theme. It’s the best present you may ever receive. Lead yourself before you try to lead others.

Recently, while speaking with a group of sports coaches about leadership, we got into a conversation around Comfort Zone. This is one of the 7 level of Personal Accountability that I train, but was using it there as a question and thought to help coaches understand where their comfort zones lie. I linked this to understanding how each of their athletes deal with change.

One coach said, in context, “But aren’t we supposed to keep our athletes uncomfortable to some degree?”

Yes. No peak performance ever happened inside a comfort zone.

But speaking with coaches about leadership (not coaching – I don’t try to tell coaches how to coach but I do help leaders with leadership), every coach must be aware of their own comfort zone.

For instance, some have a comfort zone that loves change. They change things up every day, coming up with a new idea to implement. In the middle of a new drill or set, they might be very comfortable with stopping in the middle because they noticed something that could “make it even better,” without realizing that over half the group (if statistics and research are correct, and my experience says it is) is still trying to figure out the drill and now you’re changing it. It’s out of their comfort zone, in what I think is a negative way.

This is where the comment/question came: “But aren’t we supposed to keep our athletes uncomfortable to some degree?”

Some coaches don’t like to change at all. This can also be a problem. One coach I worked with for years is a High S on the DiSC Assessment. I suggested he consider changing some things up, learning some new things, being open to new possibilities. “Why would I change when it works?” he replied.

Good point…to a point. He develops very good athletes. Why mess with success. He did say, proudly, that he changes things up sometimes, but only on Thursday! A classic High S response.

Comfort Zone. Coaching absolutely means getting athletes comfortable with being uncomfortable. Things change, plans never go according to design. Deal with it.

Coaches – leaders of business – must also know their comfort zone and realize that, just as athletes and direct reports need a nudge to get outside of theirs, well….Don’t go the Panic Zone, just simply the Learning Zone, which begins one step out of Comfort.

 

It’s Thanksgiving Day in the U.S., a day dedicated to family, friends, and food; parade, football, and shopping. Let’s play a children’s game – which of these is not like the other?

Thankfulness, I have found, is like a muscle. When I exercise it, it grows stronger, i.e more frequent and easier. The more I am thankful the more things I recognize I’m thankful for.

Curiously, in the circles I am surrounded with, the thankful things tend to belong to the 1st world: house, food, things that money can buy, travel, safety,…These are things that much of the world does not experience in any kind of abundance. The bridge between my usual world and the rest of the world I have found is relationships – family – friends.

No matter where I go in this world – Haiti, Guatemala, Appalachia, U.S. Indian Reservation, Russia, Estonia, Qatar, Canada, Great Britain, Germany, Belgium, France, Italy, Spain, Mexico – or across the street or to another U.S. state – it’s relationships that are common to us all.

As you in the U.S. give thanks this year – and friends, colleagues, and acquaintances around the world join in – let me encourage you to think outside the usual box. Where are your relationships good – and  you are thankful? Where are they not so good – and what can you do to take a step toward wholeness?

Each new day is an opportunity to grow a relationship, repair a relationship, honor a past relationship, and create new relationships. I’m thankful for the chance.