The Growth Mindset
A Sport Psychology Blog
4 Strategies Coaches can use to increase Psychological Safety on their team.
In last weeks blog I introduced the concept of psychological safety and how a coach can determine how safe their players feel (you can check it out here https://evolutionmpc.com/how-psychological-safety-impacts-team-culture/ ). This week I am going to examine 4 techniques that coaches can utilize to increase the feelings of safety for their athletes.
1. Involve your athletes in the decision making process.
When coaches consult their athletes about rules, tactical decisions or logistics on road trips the message that athletes receive is that their opinion is important. This increases their connection to the team and increases their feelings of safety. This is not something that is difficult to do but it can’t be tokenism. If you solicit their advice you need to really commit to incorporating their ideas in what you do. I have had success having the team set the rules and expectations, it makes it easier to enforce them because they were set by the athletes and not by me. Other ways that I would suggest giving control to your athletes would be simple things like deciding where your team eats on the road. As you learn more about your players knowledge about the game it becomes easy to have honest conversation about what tactics & strategies work best for them in games. It really doesn’t matter if you love a play or set but if the players don’t trust it or like it they will not execute it to the best of their ability. Conversely, when a coach allows the players to decide on a play or tactic they will be more invested in the outcome because they chose it. I am not suggesting that with 3 seconds left and the game on the the line you give up the reins but the more you involve your players in the decision making process the greater their feelings of safety and commitment will be.
2. Invest in relationships with your players everyday and be consistent in your interactions with your players.
When coaches spend time building relationships with athletes it lets them know that you care about them as people first and athletes second. It also is directly tied to athletes allowing coaches to hold them accountable and bring out their best. Athletes will respond to coaches who they feel safe with. Coaches like Greg Popovich can be fiery but his players know he cares about them because of this investment in them as people. Popovich is known for fostering relationships within his team by hosting great team dinners, talking about politics, current events and advocating for social justice. That does not prevent him from getting on a player for blowing a defensive rotation or giving anything less than their best effort. When working with younger athletes it is really important that you are consistent in your actions. When your emotions aren’t consistent with the situation or the way you normally handle a situation it impacts the feelings of psychological safety of your athletes. This does not mean that coaches should not get mad or coach players hard but it is important that athletes understand what is behind the behaviour of their coach. A really important part of this is being vulnerable and honest with your athletes. Young people today have really honed their ability to sniff out insincerity and a lack authenticity. This does not need to be a disclosure about painful experiences in your life but letting them know how it felt being in their shoes when you were an athlete or how life as an adult affects who you are as a coach can only strengthen your relationship with them. Even little things like letting them know that your day has been hard and because of that you’re not at your best helps them understand your behaviour and increases their feelings of safety.
3. Watch your negative Body Language during games.
Buzz Williams the men’s basketball coach at Texas A&M has a great saying that I have loved and used since I first saw it a few years ago. “Body Language doesn’t whisper it screams!” Coaches get wrapped up in the heat of competition and when this happens they can join their athletes on the roller coaster. It is great to express the positive emotions when things are going well, but your athletes are highly tuned to pick up on your negative body language. Despite the fact that body language may scream it is not always clear to athlete what it is specifically screaming about. When coaches express negative thoughts, feelings and body language athletes struggle to understand what exactly their coaches are communicating. Athletes will wonder is their coach they mad at a player for making a mistake, giving up on the game because they are losing, angry at referees or the opponent. When they see negative body language it is natural for humans to start assessing their safety in the group. That is not to say that you should not be angry or not use stern words with your team but it should be used selectively. When things are at their worst your players need you to dig deep at that point and find some positivity and encouragement. Also it is helpful to explain to your team the way you feel and why. One really helpful activity is to leave a video camera trained on you and watch the way you carry yourself on the bench during the game. The first time I did this I was really surprised to see how animated I was in the course of a game and it certainly was not all positive. It is really interesting to see how you communicate with your team.
4. Help athletes realize that they are part of something bigger than themselves.
Owen Eastwood introduced me to the concept of “whakapapa” in his recent book Belonging. Whakapapa is a Maori term which explains your place in the world, family and community and is closely tied to where they come from. Eastwood is a mental skills coach who has worked with the English national Rugby and Soccer teams along with the South African Cricket team. His first step with all of these teams is to help them understand the history of their team and the stories of the athletes who came before them. This can be accomplished through several different strategies. Reach out to alumni and have them have come speak to your team and tell their experiences in life as well as in athletics. Find old team photos, jerseys or team gear and take some time examining and learning about those teams. I am fortunate in this area. The high school basketball team I coach has had two coaches since 1974 and the coach who proceeded me kept meticulous statistical records. This includes a top 100 of the highest scorers, rebounders and assists. I have continued these records for the past 20 years and it is now really hard to get in the top 20. It is a great way to link the past and present. The kids love stories about the guys high on the list who I coached and they strive to join them. It has really created something that is bigger than our team. I have players whose fathers or uncles are on the list and it is a great way to link the past to the present. If you are not as fortunate as I was to inherit a team with such a rich tradition and heritage you can lean into starting your own traditions. At one point our top 100 was a top 25. Another activity I have been working on is getting alumni to write a letter explaining what their time on our team meant to them. My goal is to have a binder of letters for each of the 15 numbers that we use on our team. I think this will be a great way to connect the players who came before to my current team.
