Of football and non-profits I blog

This past weekend I devoted a lot of time to watching football.  It’s that time of year when teams face a one-and-done elimination which makes the games more exciting.  I confess to also watching some of the Republican presidential candidate debates but the fact that there will be more and elimination only happens when you run out of money and your numbers are single digits, makes it less exciting than playoff games in the NFL – at least for me.

Back to football.  Here in Denver it’s all about Tim Tebow.  Like him or hate him, we can’t seem to stop talking about him and watching him.  Sports radio hosts and their fans argue for hours about what it is about Tebow that keeps our attention.  The naysayers point to his flaws and the fanatics point to his character.

Truth is, one person doesn’t win or lose a football game by himself.  You win or lose in golf based solely on your own performance – but not in football.  It’s a team effort which, in most cases leads to a win.  Both on and off the field, football teams win when their talent is enhanced by the intangibles – leadership, desire, and a winning attitude.  Some of these are so important they can even overcome lack of talent. 

And in the end, I believe that what makes the biggest difference is coaching – helping players get the most out of themselves.  Football team owners know the importance of coaching.  That’s why when teams do poorly coaches get fired before players get traded.  They call it Black Monday in the world of professional football.

After spending more than 20 years in the non-profit world, I have come to believe that coaching is the key to success there, as well.   I know the mind-set that says non-profits are not like the business world because of the value-driven nature of work in the third sector.  But that doesn’t mean the processes that produce success in business, sports and entertainment can’t also work for non-profits.

Great non-profits have a coaching culture where employees and volunteers are supported and guided toward personal and professional success.

Where a coaching culture exists in a non-profit you can expect that: 

• ·         Staff and volunteers will feel valued and appreciated
• ·         Relationships between staff and volunteer leadership will be more effective
• ·         Expectations will be clearer and misunderstandings less frequent
• ·         A climate of personal responsibility will be evident
• ·         People will feel less stress
• ·         Staff and volunteers will stick around

 Frustration – whether on the field or in the office – comes not from lack of talent, but lack of or poor coaching.  Since everyone working in a non-profit is there for the cause, not the money, what a shame we don’t always give them what they need to succeed.