|| COACHING

THERESA “ TREE ” BEECKMAN // TRUE NORTH SPORTS TEAM SPECIALIST

“ The person with the most power in any relationship is most responsible for the level of authenticity of the feedback they receive .”

The line between cult and culture is razor thin . In a time where leadership and authority are afforded a lower level of baseline trust than ever , it could not be more important to learn how to create an environment for your teams and programs that invites , welcomes , and celebrates open and honest feedback to flow as easily toward you , the leader , from your players and staff as you would like it to flow from you to them .

On the Dare to Lead podcast , Dr . Brené Brown , shame researcher , sat down with Adam Grant , author and organizational psychology professor at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania , when the topic of feedback came up as they discussed his book Think Again . In talking about organizations and their cultures , Grant talked about crystallization and intensity of culture . Crystallization refers to how clear people are about the organizational culture or identity , while intensity refers to how passionate the people are about that identity . In cultures that are highly crystallized and intense , it can be hard to voice questions or doubt without there being a threat to your status . Because at their core , humans have a deep need to belong to a group . So the very things that drive a culture ’ s behaviors can become its undoing . When we lose “ the freedom to question some of those comments and convictions ,” says Grant , referencing an organization ’ s culture , the culture loses the apparatus needed to grow . The stronger the culture , the bigger the risk of this cult and culture line being crossed .

And that right there , folks , is a mic drop moment that every coach should pay very specific attention to . I see it in my work ALL THE TIME .

: An Essential Skill for all Coaches

One of the biggest differences between average and good coaches , or good and elite coaches is the nature , tone and timing of how they give feedback to their athletes . As I rose through the coaching ranks , my skill in giving feedback was where I noticed my most significant growth . In fact , when I say that I learn more from athletes I ’ ve worked with than they ’ ve learned from me , most of what I ’ m referring to is the skill and artform that is giving productive feedback as I coached them . Unfortunately , I believe we in athletics often fail to recognize that feedback can and should run in a complete loop . So often in athletic coaching , feedback only goes in one direction : top down — coach to athlete . There are certainly coaches who have long created cultures of feedback , but I would argue that the culture of athletic coaching as a whole is one that includes a general fear of or disdain for diversity of thought from those not in charge . For the sake of the coaching profession , growth in this area is a must .

Often as I ’ ve addressed coaching audiences , I have pointed out that for Boomers and even for my Generation X , players showed up for practice and often trusted their coaches until those coaches gave them reason not to trust them . In recent years it often feels like the reverse is true . That players coming in the door do not trust their coaches until those coaches give them ample reason to trust them . And , oh by the way , they have to keep re-earning that trust on a daily basis . As a coach , it ’ s often hard not to take that personally , but it ’ s not personal . The erosion of trust in systems , structures and authority is the result of

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