610: Jeff Janssen - The Commitment Continuum, Walt Disney, Holding Others Accountable, Team Captains, & The 7 Secrets of Successful Coaches
Nov 25, 2024
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Jeff Jansen, founder of the Jansen Sports Leadership Center and author of The Seven Secrets of Successful Coaches, discusses the Commitment Continuum. He explains levels from resistant to compelled, urging leaders to assess team engagement. Using Walt Disney's attention to detail as an example, he emphasizes recognition of all roles in a team's success. Jeff also highlights the importance of open communication, accountability, and fostering leadership to motivate team members and align individual goals with group achievements.
Understanding the commitment continuum allows leaders to gauge team engagement levels and tailor strategies for improvement.
Open communication and honest self-assessments are crucial for identifying and addressing team members' motivations and challenges.
Celebrating the contributions of all team members, regardless of their role, fosters a culture of appreciation and enhances overall commitment.
Deep dives
The Commitment Continuum Explained
The commitment continuum categorizes individuals based on their levels of engagement and motivation within a team environment. It ranges from resistant and reluctant individuals, who typically oppose the team's goals, to committed and compelled team members who actively strive for success. Committed members put in extra effort and exhibit a strong emotional investment, whereas compelled individuals are deeply driven to fulfill the team's mission and uplift their peers. Understanding where each team member falls on this continuum allows leaders to tailor their strategies for enhancing engagement and accountability.
The Importance of Open Communication
Open communication is pivotal in understanding team dynamics and moving individuals up the commitment continuum. Leaders must engage in honest self-assessments to gauge their own positioning on the continuum, as their behavior heavily influences team morale. Addressing resistance and reluctance involves dialogue to uncover personal motivations and unmet needs, with the potential for constructive solutions. Establishing a culture of trust and transparency facilitates growth and helps identify whether the team culture aligns with individual goals.
Enhancing Engagement for Existent and Compliant Members
To uplift team members who are merely existent or compliant, leaders should focus on re-engagement strategies that highlight personal motivations and aspirations. By incorporating individual goals and discovering what excites each person, leaders can inspire a shift in mindset from 'have to' to 'get to.' Applying metrics and challenges can motivate these members to strive for improvement and integrate them more fully into the team environment. Cultivating a sense of shared purpose and celebrating achievements can significantly enhance overall team cohesiveness.
Maintaining High Standards Among Committed Individuals
Keeping committed and compelled team members engaged requires continuous challenges and opportunities for leadership. These individuals thrive on metrics and competition, as well as leadership roles that allow them to guide their peers. Involvement in leadership development not only solidifies their own commitment but also creates a culture where standards are upheld collectively. Fostering accountability among peers encourages a supportive environment where everyone strives for excellence.
The Value of All Roles in Team Success
Recognizing the value of every team member, regardless of their role, fosters a strong sense of belonging and purpose. Celebrating contributions from all members—whether they're high-profile athletes or support staff—reinforces the idea that each role is vital to the team's success. This perspective not only builds morale but also aligns individuals with the broader mission and culture of the organization. Creating an ingrained culture of appreciation enhances commitment and drives individuals to take pride in their work, irrespective of their visibility.
Committed - Heart is into it. They do extra. They are bought in.
Compelled (Obsessed) - On a mission.
Do an audit first of yourself. Where am I on that continuum? And then each member of your team. The goal is to get each member closer to becoming committed and compelled.
Team audit - Where is everyone? People can drift down if their needs aren't met.
For existent and compliant - Shift mindset to "I get to be here!"
For committed and compelled - Keep them challenged. Put them in leadership roles.
The art of leadership - Make it easier to move up on the commitment continuum.
Walt Disney - The little things are the big things. Jeff experienced this firsthand when he went on a Disney cruise and saw the workers polishing the railings on the cruise ship early in the morning. The same is true for the janitor mopping the floor at NASA. There’s a story about President John F Kennedy in 1962. He was at NASA and he asked the janitor what he was doing. The janitor replied, “I’m helping put a man on the moon.” The leader should be praising everyone involved in the mission and celebrate their role and its importance.
Holding your teammates accountable - “We’re not calling you out, we’re calling you up.” The encourager and the enforcer help raise the standards and encourage others to aim higher. That’s the role of the leaders on great teams. “We’re not calling you out, we’re calling you up.”
What's our vision?
Am I embodying the standards myself?
Have we clearly set the standards and got buy-in? "These are the expectations and standards of our program."
Performance and behavior metrics
Praise people when they meet the standard
The best teams practice so much that they can't get it wrong.
Team Captain's Leadership Manual. Mike Fox. Can you lead yourself first? Commitment. Composure. When it hits the fan, can you stay poised? Character: Can I trust you?
How do we get people excited to be part of the leadership development program? Make it a privilege. They have to apply and get accepted into the program. They "get" to do it. Make it relevant to their lives. Give real-world strategies.
The encourager - Calls out great work
The enforcer - "We need more from you."
The servant - It's not about you or your stats. It's about serving others.
The Seven Secrets of Successful Coaches
Character-based people. They do the right thing. People trust them.
Extremely committed to the mission and the team.
Competent
Care
Confidence Builder
Communicator (great listener)
Consistent
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