- | 8:55 am
What managers can learn from a former Olympic coach
Want your team to crush big, audacious goals? Here’s what you can learn from Olympic coaches.
Behind every Olympic athlete competing in Paris this year is a team of coaches who helped them get there. From training plans to accountability and emotional support, coaches are a necessary part of successful performances in sports.
The same is true of businesses. According to data analysis from DDI, a leadership development firm, companies with strong coaching cultures are 1.5 times more likely to be among the top 10% of organizations in financial performance. They’re also 2.9 times more likely to be capable of engaging and retaining top talent.
However, nearly 40% of leaders report inadequate coaching from their managers. Former Team USA Olympic Cycling Coach James Herrera says the skills he used to train athletes who competed in BMX events in the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, 2012 Olympics in London, and 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro translate to the workplace.
BUILD CULTURE AROUND GROWTH MINDSET
“Whether it’s leadership in the workplace or professional sports teams, you’ve got to create a culture for success,” says Herrera, who is currently the physical health and wellness vice president at Wounded Warrior Project, a nonprofit organization for veterans. “You’ve got to create the right environment.”
Olympic-level BMX is a counterculture sport, explains Herrera. “It’s X Games-ish and attracts kids who take to the sport because mainstream team sports are not their thing,” he says. “To bring a degree of professionalism, work ethic, training, and sports psychology to that group was very interesting. These are athletes who aren’t used to adopting new tactics.”
Herrera created a culture around a growth mindset. Previously, BMX athletes would train until they physically couldn’t, but their traditional approach would require extra recovery time. Herrera introduced strategies used in other sports, like a heavy training day followed by a light training day, and sports medicine like time in an ice bath. He got the athletes’ buy-in by directly connecting the new routine to their success.
“We were laying out a recipe saying, ‘You can get to 90% of your capability using what you’re doing, because you’re already world-class in terms of having the genetics to be an Olympian. If we’re going to get that last 10% out of you, let’s get 1% from sports psychology, 1% from proper nutrition, 2% from the right strength training plan, and so on,’” Herrera says. “The athletes with the growth mindset were able to squeeze out of themselves an extra 1% to 2% in different categories.”
The same can be true in the workplace. By explaining how new strategies can contribute to individual success, managers can not only help their teams excel; they can motivate employees with learning and development initiatives.
CUSTOMIZE COACHING STRATEGIES
Another strategy Herrera learned during the Olympics is that there isn’t one way to coach. People are individuals, and they’re motivated to train, learn, and perform differently.
“Too many coaches, executives, and leaders try to implement a one-size-fits-all approach, and that works with a handful of people that happen to be of the same receptiveness or personality type as that leader,” says Herrera.
Some people respond to a strict drill sergeant style, while others may need more nurturing. It’s important for the leader to listen and develop better strategies on how to communicate across a range of personalities. Pay attention to how employees respond and be willing to experiment with different strategies.
“Everybody needs a little pushing sometimes, but start in phases, dose it appropriately, and see what the response is like,” says Herrera. “If someone shuts down with that type of input, then shift gears and try something else.”
Coaches create a game plan, but they also need to be receptive to the input from the individual. Herrera recommends asking for input from the athlete on what they need. “Listen to your people, because they’re the ones that are going to give you the best information about what’s going to work,” he says.
SET AUDACIOUS GOALS
Winning an Olympic medal is an audacious goal and part of the game. Everyone who competes works with their coach to go after the same goal. Leaders in the workplace should set audacious goals for their team members, too, says Herrera.
“People are often willing to sit in complacency or comfort,” he says. “I don’t ever want people to settle for what they think is acceptable or for the status quo. Push the limits, turn things over, poke and prod, and figure out if there’s a better way.”
Whether it’s climbing the ladder or just getting better within your existing role, Herrera helps his team get out of their comfort zone by helping them set audacious goals and creating challenges like he did with his cyclists. He also says it’s important to practice what you preach. During his time as a cycling coach, he would get up hours before his team to go for a trail run.
“Leading from the front, that buys you credibility,” he says. “Some coaches tell you to do stuff, but it’s more impactful when you live it, too.”
Good coaching helps teams win—and the rewards go both ways. “The most gratifying thing I’ve ever done is to take the knowledge I learned building strong, high-performing teams in a high-stakes setting and use it to create an environment that creates the best programming for our veterans,” says Herrera,
