Leaders ... Don't Boo Your Own People
People are not perfect and we are mistakes. It’s the magnitude of those mistakes and who makes them that matters. Individuals in leadership positions are expected to perform at a higher level. Not “average” or “normal”. Better is expected of them.
Criticizing one’s team in public is generally not a good idea. People on that team (be it a business, a department, sports team or some other group) tend not to react well when someone calls them out publicly.? Most of the time people know what the problem is - rarely is it beneficial for it to shouted in the echo chamber of public opinion.
This is a principle the head coach of the NFL team Las Vegas Raiders Antonio Pierce seemed to miss recently when his team played poorly. And lost to a winless team for what should have been a winning home opener. Here is what the head coach had to say (quoted from an article on nfl.com) :
"We got our ass whooped," the Raiders coach told reporters, via the team transcript. "We got to put pads on, I don't know, got to get on the sled. Same group that's, for the most part, all come back and same technique, same coaches, it's not a different scheme, so obviously we have to coach better and be some hard asses on the guys, and guys have to take some rough coaching because just didn't see that on either side of the ball. We had an opportunity to run the ball and we didn't. Didn't do that at all. We tried and tried and tried, and I would have booed us, too. Offensively, defensively, we didn't do a good enough job up front, not good enough."
Nothing wrong with acknowledging a bad result occurred. To do otherwise is disingenuous.? But there’s a way to do it while being direct, accurate, and professional. However, that is different from vacating one’s role as a leader. Not one time in this diatribe did Pierce take responsibility for this loss as head coach.
He was big on saying how poorly they did as “we”. The team plays as a group. I get it. But to say it over and over? Through experience, finesse, and some savvy, good leaders understand when and how to talk about their people versus themselves. Especially in negative situations.
Sometimes it’s best to say little then move on. But this was not even his biggest offense. These were:
Two more statements worth examining. Next, this one…
"I think as the game went on -- I don't think it was the team, I think there was definitely some individuals that made business decisions, and we'll make business decisions going forward as well."
First, the team lost. So it was you as a team. Win as a team, lose as a team. Public threats to players?? Best move to make?? Bigger concern is how did the team culture devolve to tolerate “business decisions” being made that negatively impacted the game? Sounds like one or more players should have be sat down…at least long enough to send a message that is not acceptable behavior.
Last comment. When asked what positives he could take away, Pierce responded, “Nothing.” This was a great opportunity for him to be self-deprecating and begin creating a mindset for improvement. He could have said something as simple as “It’s a long list of things for us to get better at.” True statement. Or he could’ve commended the Panthers with “Any team can win any game. This is the NFL.”? Again, a true statement. This was a great opportunity to demonstrate grace and sportsmanship .
As a leader at this level, it’s not wise to depend on “bygones” or “oops” or “I was upset…shouldn’t have said that…” types of excuses. You’re hoping people forget certain things were said. And that it’s not lurking in the back of their mind. Better is expected of people in these roles at these levels.
Upside is there is a clear path for Coach Pierce to become a better communicator and coach. He needs to work on composure. Before speaking under stress, get your headspace straightened out. Coach needs some coaching.
I haven’t been to Vegas in a couple of years. Just saying…
CEO & Founder at Briton Media Group | Empowering Businesses Through Podcasting
1 个月Hi Chad, it's true that public criticism can be counterproductive, especially if it's not done in a constructive way and is made in front of others.