Winning Ways: An Agile Mindset

So who's this happy guy? His name is Graham Potter and he is the coach of Chelsea?FC, one of the world's most famous soccer?clubs. Never heard of him? Not many people had until his surprise?appointment in September this year, but he has made an immediate and thrilling impact at Chelsea. He has taken a group of elite players who had underperformed last year and made them winners again. Last month, Chelsea beat AC Milan both at home, and away. That takes some doing.

So how is a guy we’ve never even heard of turning things around?

Alongside his obvious tactical expertise, Potter has employed many of the mindset principles that we depend on with Agile ways of working.?

Many feel Potter’s focus on mindset stems from his Master’s Degree in Leadership and Emotional Intelligence gained from Leeds University. Having been a good but unspectacular professional player in the 90’s, Potter went back to school to learn about human psychology and high performance. The methods and mindset he developed during that time fundamentally changed his approach to coaching. And the results starting coming: he took lowly Swedish side Ostersund to back-to-back promotions; Ghana’s national team to the Women's 2007 World Cup; York City to the UK 3rd Division, and underfunded Premier League side Brighton to their highest ever finish in the Premiership.

Here are four things that I think are secrets to his success that resonate well with my own personal focus on Agile mindset, team work, collaboration and the culture of high performance:

Diversity of experience is a super-power

Agile ways of working promote diversity. Potter has very deliberately chosen to manage teams from all divisions, all over the world. Unlike many ex-players who feel they ‘deserve’ only the top jobs at the best clubs, Potter has never been scared to make a sideways move. He has coached both men’s and women’s teams; professional clubs and university part-timers; from the snow of Sweden to the soaring heat of Ghana. This diversity of experience has created a powerful playbook for the game, unlike any other manager in the Premiership today.

Off-the-pitch is just as important as on-it

Agile ways of working thrive on human connection. Potter is famous for pushing his players way out of their comfort zone off the pitch. He deeply understands the value of personal connection to team performance. His unusual methods included getting the squad at Swedish side Ostersund to put on a performance of Swan Lake and music concerts for the local community. One of his former players, Tom Pettersson said: "It wasn't always fun when you had to practice these things for three hours on a Tuesday afternoon but it was helping us. When we had our big performance at the end of the season, even though you suck at rapping, you felt 'if I can do this in front of a 1,000 people or more, I can do whatever I want on the pitch'." Potter is a master at connecting with his players on a personal level: former captain and Iranian refugee Brwa Nouri described Potter as “one of the best men I’ve ever met”.

Listen more than you speak

Agile ways of working require you to listen to understand. ?In a sport full of flamboyant and outspoken coaches who scream their way around the sideline, Potter has a very different approach. As former player Ash Allanson explains: “Potts was a lot calmer, quieter than coaches I’d had before. What struck me straight away was how thought-provoking he was. He was very observant. He’d often be stood on the side with his arms folded, not saying anything. When he did speak, you listened”. Potter even makes his teams practise their passing drills in silence, forcing them to not rely on shouts but to ‘look up and be more aware’ of their surroundings.

Experiment constantly, with clarity

Experimentation is a cornerstone of Agile ways of working. Potter is not scared to try different formations, and to change his approach to any game. While most managers wait till the 70th minute to make tactical substitutions. Potter moves faster than that. In the Manchester United game this past weekend, he knew his starting formation was not working so he changed it after 20 minutes. “If the data suggests”… then change it. Of course, some of his plans don’t work. The recent experiment of Sterling at right wing-back during?the recent win over Aston Villa?was not a success. Marc Cucurella also had a tough game at left centre-back and Potter was quick to make changes. Interestingly, that level of decisiveness has made the players respect him more. Team over individual. We not me. Potter does not get emotional if a game becomes difficult, he simply reacts and sorts out the problem.

These are just a few of the Agile mindset principles that I’ve noticed Potter uses, and there are surely others. It’s going to be interesting to see how the season progresses, with all its ups and downs. I think journalist Jacob Steinberg recently summed up Potter’s impact on Chelsea FC perfectly:

"Graham Potter hasn’t waved a magic wand. He hasn’t revived?Chelsea?with revolutionary training sessions or era-defining tactics. Instead, Potter has done something simple and sensible: he has been himself. This is a man who understands people, knows how to communicate and values emotional intelligence."