A Coach's Diary

The most valuable lesson I learned this week is that one of the keys to being a better communicator is to speak slower, less, and with more confidence. In the video above, Codie Sanchez talks about how we can be a better speaker or communicator. She says there are 7 speaking patterns that quietly sabotage us. Trap 1: Excessive Hedging You are graded on your competency and confidence. Excessive qualifiers — too much talk and qualifiers — limits your credibility. Say less and say it more confidently. If you’re going to hedge, be smart and strategic about it. Trap 2: Over Explaining Smart people love clarity, and they hate being misunderstood, so they talk too much trying to avoid both. Keep it short and simple. Easy. Meaningful. Compelling. Deliver the correct idea precisely and pause and let the silence do the work. Shorter sentences. Concrete nouns. No jargon. White space. Speak slower. Remove filler words. Trap 3: Talking Too Fast When we get anxious, our heart rate rises and our brea...

The most valuable lesson I’ve learned this week is how being a better communicator can lead to a better life. In a video on YouTube titled: “Leveling Up Your Life = Leveling Up Your Communication,” Myron Golden says, “If you learn to talk better, you will do better. In fact, the fastest, best, and most thorough way to level up your life is to level up your ability to communicate. The quality of your life is always going to be in direct correlation to the quality of your communication.” Golden says there are two types of communication: Internal Communication: What we say to ourselves External Communication: What we say to others. Internal communication is made up of our beliefs — the stories we tell ourselves about our expected outcomes. Most people tell themselves unfavorable stories and wonder why they get undesirable outcomes. If you get better at communicating with yourself and telling yourself better stories, every part of your life will get better. Positive thinking doesn’t nece...

Geno Auriemma was asked why players don't do what coaches ask.  Here was his response: I had a conversation with the parent of an incoming 9 th grade student last week, and it was centered around him coming to meet his new teachers and his lack of wanting to speak with them.  He is a shy and quiet kid who just does not like casual conversation.  I told him that communication is an important skill to grow and learn for so many ways. Communication is the key to everything as a coach and a leader.  Nobody knows what is going on in your head – you have to communicate in a way that they understand fully what you expect and in a way that they can do fully what you expect.  A lack of clear communication of expectations is one of the quickest and biggest ways to create a disconnect between player and coach.  I heard Geno Auriemma once say that a kid either can’t do what you want her to do or just won’t do what you want her to do.  I think tha...

"So if you’re just brutally honest with guys, when they do well, love them and touch them and praise them and if they do poorly, get on their [butt] and let them know it and let them know that you care. And if a player knows that you really care and believes that you can make it better, you got the guy for life.” - Greg Popovich Read more:  http://www.businessinsider.com/gregg-popovich-is-the-best-coach-in-the-nba-2014-10#ixzz3GdE6h87N