Communication Lessons from the Locker Room
Featuring Minnesota Vikings Head Coach Kevin O'Connell
Football season gives us countless opportunities to watch coaches communicate.
In this post, Kevin O’Connell is going to teach you about the importance of positioning and movement when speaking to groups.
The Lesson: Constant movement creates a poor listening experience.
It’s important for you to experience Coach O’Connell’s speaking before reading on. Please double-click each of the videos below to watch on YouTube.
When you watched the videos, you saw Coach O’Connell pacing back and forth as he delivered each of his locker room speeches.
If you were to ask him why he was doing that, he might say…
“Because we just came off a win and I wanted to capitalize on the energy.”
“Because I wanted to engage with all of the guys in the circle.”
“Because I think better when I’m moving around.”
“Because that’s how I move when I speak.”
And in response, I’d ask him: “How do you think your constant movement impacted your players’ listening experience?”
Put yourself in the shoes of one of those players, and here’s what you’d experience:
You’d have to visually track Coach O’Connell with your eyes, which makes it more difficult to listen and process his words.
You wouldn’t be able to read his facial affect or body language for 50% of his message — because his back would be turned toward you.
The volume of his message would go up and down depending on his proximity to you.
When you put all of these together, it’s a poor listening experience.
Please don’t mistake this as me saying they weren’t ‘good’ speeches. They were. He was passionate and clear. But effective communication isn’t just about what you say, it’s also about how you say it.
What would I coach him to do instead?
Pick one spot to stand in around the edge of the circle. While speaking, use his eyes to engage with the players to his left, center, and right. I would also tell him to convey his energy through his voice and gestures (not his feet).
Stand at the ‘front’ of the room and ask his players to face him.
Elevate himself slightly above the group (on a step, bench, etc.). Some of you may feel turned off by this option, and that’s fine. Do what feels culturally appropriate for your group.
In closing…
If you’re a coach, you’re public speaking every day.
An edge will go to the coaches who learn how to articulate their messages in ways that create understanding, buy-in, and energy.
Speaking skills are the next great frontier in sports. Are you ready to develop yours?
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