This week, I had my first meeting with a newly hired assistant coach on our staff. He brings a dozen years of high school and college coaching experience from schools in the mid-west. While he seemed excited to join our staff and learn what we have done to achieve our past successes, I am equally thrilled to hear what he knows and to have him share with our staff what he has learned during his tenure.
Some advice for head coaches hiring assistants and for that matter everyone in leadership hiring anyone to their staff: Do not surround yourself with sycophants. Obsequious assistant coaches may be good for a head coach’s ego, but they offer little value to a program. There is a saying, “if we are all of the same opinion then there is no need for all of us to be here.” Surround yourself with assistants who will offer their thoughts and challenge yours.
While it’s common for interviews to include questions about an applicant’s “strengths and weaknesses,” as leaders it’s often more important to know your own than to listen to an applicant offer platitudes about “working too hard,” or “being a perfectionist.” Particularly after a leader has developed some tenure and a reservoir of experience, knowing your weaknesses helps you hire to fill them.
Be the best you are at what you do, and reinforce your core strengths while hiring to fill gaps in capabilities. In a stadium, where you sit determines what you see… Perspectives matter. As leaders we don’t need someone sitting over our shoulder with the same view and perspective. We need those whose strengths, views, and perspectives differ if we are to truly build complementary staffs, and ultimately teams.
We have stated in previous blogs that together our team is always stronger than any one individual. The same applies to our staff.
Coach Rich Alercio is available to discuss coaching philosophy, X’s & O’s, or teach his O-Line “techniques in the trenches.” Contact Coach at richalercio@gmail.com and share http://www.olineskills.com with your colleagues and friends. Thanks for supporting this blog and joining our conversations, and as always, thanks for your time!
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