this article was written by Stephanie Zonars. You can follow her on Twitter @StephanieZonars

A team can’t develop healthy team cohesion if the leadership team (i.e. coaching staff) isn’t cohesive. [Tweet That!]

Seems logical, yet somehow coaches believe they can still build a unified team despite distrust and other fractures among the staff.

Won’t happen. Can’t happen.

Patrick Lencioni’s The Advantage: Why Organizational Health Trumps Everything Else in Business reviews some of the key points of his other best seller, The Five Dysfunctions of a Team. 

Namely, that the core issue on dysfunctional teams is a lack of trust.

That’s so obvious that you’d think leadership teams and coaching staffs would be pretty good at building trust. Yet, more than often, they aren’t.

In The Advantage, Lencioni says it may be because they have a misunderstanding of the kind of trust needed on teams:

Many people think of trust in a predictive sense; if you can come to know how a person will behave in a given situation, you can trust her….The kind of trust that is necessary to build a great team is what I call vulnerability-based trust. This is what happens when members get to a point where they are completely comfortable being transparent, honest and naked with one another, where they say and genuinely mean things like “I screwed up,” “I need help,” “Your idea is better than mine,” “I wish I could learn to do that as well as you do,” and even, “I’m sorry.” (p.27)

I cannot tell you the number of times I’ve watched vulnerability completely change a team dynamic. One person willing to “go there” gives everyone else permission to open up a little more.

Compassion and empathy develops, resulting in a stronger ability to trust.

I worked with a business team on which many of the individuals had worked together for a number of years. It seemed like they knew one another well and genuinely liked one another. I was a little nervous that my trust-building exercises might fall flat.

What happened blew my mind!

During one of the exercises an individual shared a hardship she was going through. Her co-workers had no idea—even someone who had gone through something similar.

Through tears deeper connections developed that took their team to a new level of trust.

One 15-20 minute exercise Lencioni uses can give your team the opportunity to develop that kind of vulnerability-based trust.

At your next coaching staff meeting, have each person share three things*:

• where they were born
• how many siblings they have and where they fall in the order of children
• the most interesting or difficult challenge they faced as a kid

This simple exercise helps individuals feel more comfortable being vulnerable in the group and develops a new level of understanding, admiration and respect.

Even if you are rolling your eyes right now, and think you know a lot about your staff team, give it a try. It never disappoints!

Then shoot me an email to let me know what happened.

*I recommend having the leader go first.

Change Your Coaching Staff Dynamic (in 20 minutes) appeared first on Life Beyond Sport.

About Stephanie Zonars

Stephanie Zonars helps coaches build and maintain winning team cultures through her business, Life Beyond Sport. Teams at Penn State, Notre Dame, West Point and over 60 other schools have built stronger trust, communication and teamwork through her workshops. Stephanie spent three years on staff with the Penn State women’s basketball team, assisting the team to back-to-back Big Ten Championships. She’s also the author of three books. For more tips on leadership and team culture, visit LifeBeyondSport

If a Teaching Position Is Required with Your Ideal Coaching Opportunity Questions that may be asked of you….

When applying for a coaching position that requires you to teach as well as coach, the following questions may be asked as a part of the coaching opportunity that has become available.  Great coaches are usually great teachers so, not only prepare yourself for questions related to football but questions that may be asked on how you handle the classroom.

Tell us about yourself.  What is your background, education, etc. and why you want to be considered for this position?

What do you enjoy about teaching and what do you believe is the greatest attribute or characteristic that you could bring to the classroom to ensure the success of your students?

What do you need to know about your students in order for them to be successful?

What techniques do you use to motivate students and get them excited about learning?

If you gave a major exam and 35% of your students failed, what would you consider as too high a failure rate and how would you deal with it?

Describe your methods/philosophy of classroom management/discipline.

Explain your approach for communicating with parents about concerns involving students in your class.  Do you consider parent involvement an important part of the education process?  Explain.

Tell us what you know about the following:  Block scheduling and Cooperative Learning.

How do you feel about inclusion and developing modifications for Special Education/504 students?

How do you want your students to view you?

What is your philosophy of classroom management?  How do you handle discipline problems in the classroom?

How do you plan standards-based lessons in your subject area?

Describe a successful lesson that you have delivered.

In what area do you believe you could grow professionally?

When do you contact parents regarding your students?

Are you interested in coaching/advising any extra-curricular activities?

Give an example of how you are a team player.

What do you feel is the meaning of the document and motto, “No child left behind”, and how does that motto relate to you as a teacher.

About the Author of this post:

Jerry Campbell has over 30 years of high school and college coaching experience. He has experience as a head coach, offensive coordinator, and various position coaches. He has written numerous football coaching articles in various publications, is the author of over 30 books on coaching football, and has produced 12 coaching video series. Additionally, he is a nationally sought after speaker on the coaching clinic circuit.

 

Editor’s Note from Brian: Even if you aren’t looking for a Head Coaching job this year, some of these are really good questions to consider with your staff while working to improve your program, or when interviewing potential new staff members.

The following potential questions come from a variety of coaches who have shared their thoughts with me and other coaches throughout the years I have been involved in football which spans the past 45 years.  When applying for your ideal head coaching position you can never be over prepared.

The following questions are those most often asked during the interview process, be prepared to address each one in some detail if asked to.

Most Frequently Asked Interview Questions For Head Football Coaching Position

Philosophy

What do you do with seniors once the season comes to an end?
Staff development / all sports.
Educational philosophy.
Offensive philosophy.
Defensive philosophy.
Off-season philosophy.

• Tell us about your strengths.

• Organizational skills must be evident.

• Tell us about your weaknesses.

• How would you get the faculty involved in the athletic program?

• What is your primary concern when developing your basic offense and defense?

• Explain your methodology of handling disciplinary cases?

• Why do you want his job? What do you know about the school district?

• How will you handle your football coaching staff assignments and organize your staff among the teams we promote – Varsity, Jr. Varsity, and freshman?

• What steps will you take to insure the academic eligibility of the athletes? What plans do you have for study halls?

• How do you see yourself with the administration at being important to the success of the overall program?

• How should the booster club be set up and should there be one club or a separate club for each sport? Is a school official part of the booster board?  Who holds the boosters accountable?

• If we were to watch a practice what we would expect to see?

• If we were to observe your off-season program what should we expect?

• Do you encourage athletes to play other sports?

• What about the coaches on staff here now.

• Experience with budget

• Discipline procedures

• Getting support of community

• High school program philosophy

• What does your wife do?

• Evaluation of coaches

• How do you balance your teaching & coaching responsibilities?

• Monitor no pass-no play

• Are you a good teacher-examples

• Punishment for kids who break team rules/district athletic rules

• Practice times and schedule (show an example)

• How will you handle the transition and opposition of your hiring

• 5 year plan (educational & coaching goals)

• Will you live in our community?

• How do you teach fundamentals?

• Install equity as AD/HC

• Elementary school involvement

• Kids smoking and drinking

• Girls program-relationship/policies/rules

• Why are you successful?

• Why should we hire you?

• Football in playoffs-kids goes to basketball/wrestling?

• Staff organization-top to bottom

• I am a 7th grade parent convince me my kid should play football.

• Team is 1-6 how do you approach the rest of the season

• 1st thing you will do when you get here

• Alignment of program 7-12

• Is all competition good

• What do you want graduated players to say about you and program

• Seniors after football season-how do handle them and situation?

• College scholarships-procedures etc.

• SAT prep/State Mandated Tests.

• Why you want come here

• Process of hiring staff

• Wife’s role

• Title 9-how will you be legal

• Computer / Video Tech Skills / HUDL.

• How do you have equity in budget with all sports and justify football money?

• If we had an emergency at 10 o’clock on Sunday morning-where would we find you?

• 7th grade athletic periods, your feelings on this.

• Master schedule for athletics.

• Chain of command and who are you accountable to.

• What is a player’s coach?

• Booster club guidelines, please explain.

• Coaches social gatherings?

• Goals of your family?

• Teacher/educational community involvement.

• Date of hire to 1st practice plan.

• Would you like to teach a leadership class?

• Homecoming/parents night/ plan.

• Alumni relationships

• Relationship with middle school principal & P.E./coaching staff?

• Due process of students. (leadership council, players’ cadre)

• Passing State Mandated Tests or winning football games-which is more important to you.

• Do you schedule wins or high competition? (pre-season philosophy)

• High games winning or participation?

• Demonstrate knowledge of State Football rules for athletics and academics.

• Community service activities.

• Board meeting attendance

• Upset parent after the game handling the situation-other coaches involved.

• Relationship with local law officials.

• Steroid prevention.

• Management and leadership-what styles do you use?

• Local youth coaches-How do you handle them, involve them, and communicate to them.

• Travel Itinerary and transportation issues-rules for bus.

• Activity fund management.

• Student trainer and manager policy (girls)?

• Pep rallies-players involved or not and why.

• Wednesday night church and practice.

• Method to get numbers up for participating in athletics.

• Monitor other sports-how?

• Fundraising efforts? Why, how, how much -relationship with other school programs efforts

• Concession stands.

• Band relationships and communication -halftime; parent nights, traditions, football player’s play at halftime.

About the Author of this post:

Jerry Campbell has over 30 years of high school and college coaching experience. He has experience as a head coach, offensive coordinator, and various position coaches. He has written numerous football coaching articles in various publications, is the author of over 30 books on coaching football, and has produced 12 coaching video series. Additionally, he is a nationally sought after speaker on the coaching clinic circuit.

The following information should be questions asked and answered when considering your choices for the right school to be the head football coach at:

What is the administrative feeling towards athletics?  What part does athletics play in the total educational program?  What are the school’s philosophies, goals and objectives concerning athletics?

How is the continuity among coaches?  Do animosities exist between coaches of different sports?  How many of the current staff will be returning?

What is the administrative policy concerning discipline?  Who has the final say in regards to discipline matters?

What is the breakdown of administration?  Who am I responsible to? What is expected of me?

Does the faculty have a positive or negative feeling towards athletics?

What support does the school receive from the student body, parents, boosters, and community?

What is the attitude of the athletes?  Are they familiar with a winning program?  If a losing program how much time will they give you to turn the program around?

What current disciplines have been established in athletics concerning training rules, conduct, quitting, failure of classes, alcohol, drugs, etc?

What is the social atmosphere among the students?  Are there complications due to cross-cultural rivals?  What are the socio-economical backgrounds of the students?

What types of off-season programs are available?  Is there a summer weight program and if one is in place what has been its attendance?  Does the program provide athletic periods?

Must I keep from the old staff?  Will I be allowed to bring coaches with me (offensive and defensive coordinators)?

When keeping members of the old staff they must be able to conform to a new philosophy and new ideas.  A Head coach must determine if the old staff can be loyal to change and his ideas for running his program.

Does the district allow time off for professional development (clinics, seminars, etc.)?  Does the school provide funds for coaching clinics?  If not, may coaches use sick leave time to attend clinics without negative pressure from the administration?

What are the expectations of the Head Coach and the football program in regards to fundraising (How much)?

Are there any traditions that can’t be changed (are any sacred)?

What is the policy concerning budgets?  What is the football budget?  What are the procedures for outside fundraising activities?

What facilities are available?

Practice fields                                     Equipment?
Game field (lights)                             Basic football gear
Locker rooms                                      Sleds, Storage
Varsity room                                       Football dummies
Training room                                     Media – Video, editing systems
Weight room                                       Game day headphones
Gyms or field house                           Training supplies
Coach’s offices                                    Uniforms game, practice

If facilities are not available, can compensation be made through a booster club or maintenance department?  Does the administration welcome improvements and ingenuity?  A head coach needs to improve on his facilities annually.

What are the policies and procedures concerning scouting, travel, buses, equipment maintenance, field preparation, meals, filming, etc?

Does the school allow a summer camp? 7 on 7? May a fee be charged?

Does the school have any special regulations other than those specified by the district or state association with regards to eligibility?

What are the salary ranges for teaching and coaching?  What are the other responsibilities accompany teaching contracts? (Club supervision, committees, etc.)

Is the school willing to support a strong winning football program?  Do the administrators, teachers, students and community want a strong program?

A football program should be managed with a business like approach.  It should be well organized to function in a smooth, progressive and systematic manner.  It should support the philosophy of the school climate, highlighted by accelerated goals, ideas, and its people.  The ultimate goal of the school and the football program should be to meet the needs of the community and to become the best it can possibly be in a highly competitive environment.

About the Author of this post:

Jerry Campbell has over 30 years of high school and college coaching experience. He has experience as a head coach, offensive coordinator, and various position coaches. He has written numerous football coaching articles in various publications, is the author of over 30 books on coaching football, and has produced 12 coaching video series. Additionally, he is a nationally sought after speaker on the coaching clinic circuit.