4DX Plan - Flipping the Practice Field #TriangeTough
Influencer Model and 4DX
During football season, I would describe our jobs as coaches as a typhoon, instead of a whirlwind. However, if we want to elevate our team from good to great, implementing a WIG or two is necessary. It will be important to utilize both the influencer model and the 4DX model to make it happen. While the Influencer Model focuses on the emotional part of initiating change, the 4DX deals with the actual process and strategy. Planning for both is necessary to make our goal a reality.
The 5 Stages of Change:
As in most professions, coaches also feel that there is not enough time in the day to get the things done that are already necessary. Every minute of every day seems to be planned out, with little flexibility. While I believe that my WIG will increase efficiency, therefore creating more time, it will be important for me to realize the 5 stages of change as I pull a team together to begin the process. Change does not happen in a vacuum, so awareness and planning will be critical. With the goal being moving this WIG from conception to habit, the following 5 steps will be critical.
Stage 1: Clarity
It is critical that all members of the team understand the goal. By beginning small, with the defensive coordinator and defensive backs coaches, a team that already works well together with a strong mutual trust, it will be easier to achieve buy in and commitment. By scheduling a small part of an already scheduled daily defensive position meeting, we will be able to work together to develop our WIG, lead and lag measures, and the scoreboard.
Stage 2: Launch
This phase will require a lot of energy and focus from the team leader. It will be critical to identify any potential resistors to get them back on board quick before infecting others. The leader must remain positive and proactive.
Stage 3: Adoption
Through proactivity, and the knowledge that change is not easy, we will continue praising the positives and smoothing ruffled feathers as we watch the process work. Those involved begin to hold each other accountable. As resistance fades and supporters and detractors alike begin to see the positive effects, this, too, will move toward becoming a habit.
Stage 4: Optimization
As the team begins to realize the positive results of their actions, and the benefits of the plan, there is more of an engagement in their work. They begin to celebrate their successes.
Stage 5: Habits
As the team sees a permanent rise in their performance, this WIG becomes a habit. And because of this success, implementation of the next WIG will be easier!
4 Disciplines of Execution
Discipline 1: Focus on the Wildly Important (Getting Clear)
Choosing multiple WIGS will fall into the law of diminishing returns. It is important to start with no more than 2 or 3 WIGS (McChesney, Covey, & Huling, 2016). We will focus on one wildly important goals, narrowing our focus so that we can put all our energy into it. After the team feels the success, it will be easier to get buy-in on the next one or two.
WIG: Increase the efficiency and effectiveness of team practice and team meetings while decreasing on the field errors on our football team, beginning with the defense.
Our Lag measure will be increased efficiency on the field during team practices. This will occur with players self-analyzing their errors through film review prior to practice sessions.
Discipline 2: Act on Lead Measures (Launch and Adoption)
Lead measures are those behaviors that you control and are most connected to your ability to achieve that goal (McChesney, Covey, & Huling, 2016). The leads are the things that need to be done to achieve the Lag. The lead measures need to be measurable and achievable.
Discipline 3: Keep a Compelling Scoreboard (Optimization)
Most people enjoy good competition. This will work well in our environment, as athletes, by nature, love to complete. I envision competition between defensive positions, as well as competition between offense and defense once we are in full swing. This would include athletes, as well as their position coaches. Just like in the actual football game, for our participants to remain engaged, the “scoreboard” must be current and visible to all. If the scoreboard isn’t visible and updated frequently, participation can fizzle (McChesney, Covey, & Huling, 2016). The scoreboard must be simple, visible, and display the lag and lead measures.
Scoreboard: Our scoreboard will include the number/percentage of each position players that self-corrected/reviewed their play each day, as well as the number of times position players had to be corrected on the field (offensive backs, defensive backs, O line, D line, etc…).
Discipline 4: Create a Cadence of Accountability (Habits)
Because defensive and offensive coaches meet daily, a set number of minutes will be set aside for WIG sessions. Additionally, defensive and offensive team members meet daily. Both of these settings will positively impact the execution of the WIG. This will aid in both accountability and execution.
References:
Grenny, J., Patterson, K., Maxfield, D., McMillan, R., & Switzler, A. (2015). Influencer: The new science of leading change. North Ryde, NSW: McGraw-Hill.
McChesney, C., Covey, S., & Huling, J. (2016). The 4 disciplines of execution: Achieving your wildly important goals. New York: Free Press.