In this episode I talk to Daryl Gibson. Daryl is a former New Zealand All Black and Super Rugby Champion with the Canterbury Crusaders. More recently Daryl has held the role as head Coach of the NSW Waratahs before stepping down after a losing season. Daryl has gone on to research what elite teams do during a losing streak and his findings are brilliant. Whilst there is a plethora of research into successful teams and cultures, the originality of Daryl’s work looking at how to successfully cope with a losing streak will provide much insight for many coaches going through this difficult period.
Some of the key takeaways for me were that there is no one losing streak that is the same. Each situation has its own individual differences and challenges however there are commonalities around the mistakes that coaches make during losing streaks.
Its important to establish a team identity and keep revisiting it throughout the season, and set up some plans for when adversity strikes.
Planning for adversity requires setting up a failure plan. What do we do in the event of a loss -how do we talk to the team, how do we address the media, and how do we address failure.
This includes consistency in analysis and interpretation of a loss.
Complete buy in from all members of the team is also vital so that all can be accountable rather than turning to blame which often happens in a losing streak. The best coaches revisit their purpose and buy in on a daily basis.
Personal meaning within the team – so when things go bad that personal meaning will be called upon. Do we want to have a victim culture or a champion culture that responds to adversity by owning your role on the team.
During losing streaks some common responses tend to be
-Blame
-Excuses
-Denial
-Criticism increases
-Withdrawal from the group/team
-Isolation
-Silo mentality
-Loss of respect
-Belief of the coach to work harder - when in reality the coach should be looking more closely at team dynamics.
If you would like more information on Daryl’s research you can email me at:
James @thecoachdoctor.com.au
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