"What's Up e-Doc?"
A publication
provided by 
Inc.
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Volume
9, Issue 01
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January
2008
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Most people have seen the film called Hoosiers, the Hollywood account of the 1954 Milan, Indiana high school basketball team that became the smallest school ever to win the Indiana State High School Basketball Championship. The film stars Gene Hackman as the crusty old coach who comes from nowhere to guide the team to glory. Gene Hackman's methods are unusual, and his first game as head coach is a total flop. After the game, he calls the team together and gives them the Hoosiers speech. He tells them that he is proud of the effort of some of them. But then he clearly lays out the way in which things have to be done if the team is to become successful. Finally, he gives his team the weekend to think it over. If they decide to return to the team, there should be no question as to focus. If they decide not to return, then that is an individual choice.
These principles have real applicability to the workplace. Say, for example, a new supervisor comes into an underachieving department divided by internal bickering. A poor supervisor will ignore the problem and hope it goes away. A better supervisor will attempt to weed out the troublemakers, discipline the others, and rule with an iron fist. Neither of these situations is ideal in terms of morale and team building, nor for productivity.
Of course, life is not like the movies, and business is not a game of basketball. The supervisor's follow up means more than a thousand speeches. But at least everyone starts on the same page. Every member understands what is expected of them and is given the option to meet those expectations or walk. This holds true in the business world as well as in Hoosiers, and helps managers to develop a "winning team" and give employees the opportunity to work in an environment of which they can be secure, and be proud.
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Needless
to say, today's business managers act under a completely different
set of rules than basketball coaches in 1954. But the Hoosiers
speech does have universal application. First, Gene Hackman calls
everyone together, and makes the same speech to everyone at the
same time. In doing so, he eliminates the possibility of inconsistent
messages. Then, he clearly lays out his expectations. There is
no possibility of misinterpretation. Finally, he gives his players
the option to stay or to go. Those who choose to continue understand
exactly what they need to do, and exactly what is expected of
them.
A
preferable approach may be to gather everyone together and give
a speech á la Gene Hackman in Hoosiers. Like Hackman, the
supervisor should praise the efforts of the team members. Then,
he or she should clearly lay out how things will have to be done
if this team is to be successful. The supervisor must present
expectations in writing, giving specific examples, both positive
and negative, of expected behavior. At the end of the speech,
the group should be given the option to go home and decide whether
they want to continue with this team. If they do decide to stay,
there should be no question as to what is expected of them. If
they decide to leave, the supervisor will try to get them placed
elsewhere in the organization, or help them find a new position.
Matt
Rosen, President / CEO of HR 24, recently received a Senior Professional
of Human Resources (SPHR) certification, the highest level of
certification for human resources professionals. Additionally,
he is certified as a Specialist in Labor and Employment Law by
the Ohio State Bar Association. He is also a frequent author and
speaker on labor and employment law.