A Multiple Metaphor Approach to Team Building
By my final year as a coach I started each practice with deep breaths, and “put your superman on!” poses. There are many reasons that this was brilliant in my view.
- Controlling physiology is huge in athletics and in life. And since I was more interested in their big game. This was something that got into their nahgans early enough that maybe they will remember it someday later when life is a bit hairy. Being centered.
- It got them into their bodies.Starting any event in a feeling powerful state is always a good thing. There is no time in athletics to think about it. And again, its about the big game.
- Probably the most important item here falls under the category of cult building. In football we call it the “buy in”. Its an abused cliche. Buy into what? If the system was something that was weird enough to stretch them. And they found when they stretched, it was not only better but it was fun. Then I had them, and the rest would easily fall into place. The faster the buy in the faster the progress. The key was always getting them to give it a shot, feel the fun, and feel that it works. And then I wasn’t just some big snarling dude with absolutely bizarre ideas. And my guys would do more for me, and their teammates above their own self. It expands their self view of their limitations.
By the way most of my posts on football directly correlate over to marketing online. I use the word cult very much on purpose. How can you use something unique to stretch your potential peeps? That when they buy in, not only are they better for it, their clients are too.
Most post Cat Pictures or their dinner. How can you move your audience?
