John Wooden and The
Big Picture
Swen Nater
After retiring from the NBA, I coached college basketball in
San Diego and made regular trips to Los Angeles to meet with
Coach Wooden in his Encino condominium. On one occasion, the Lakers were in the
NBA finals and I excitedly asked Coach if he was planning on watching the game
that evening. I was hoping to watch it with him.
Because NBA basketball had too much one-on-one play, where
passing was option B, Coach Wooden despised it with a passion and rarely watched
a game. He was a believer in team play where all members eagerly sacrificed
what they could do, for what they should
do to help the team.
Coach Wooden often preached, “Make each day your masterpiece,”
and he practiced it religiously. For him, a perfect day was all about
self-improvement and, therefore, included reading from the Bible, strengthening
friendships, spending quality time with family, and doing something for someone
who can’t repay you. Watching an NBA game peeved him like fingernails on a
blackboard and did not have a place of priority in his schedule.
Coach Wooden saw the big picture, self-improvement, and the
activity options available for him on any given day were thoughtfully weighed
against it. Everything he did was perfectly in line with his objective, to make
each day his masterpiece, something he learned from his father, Joshua Wooden.
Managers of people can take a lesson from the Coach and
improve their businesses. Sometimes we managers keep adding programs and
departments, forgetting to stop and ask, “Are they necessary to help my company
move toward its goal?” We don’t look at the big picture.
If you are in business to make a profit, the big picture is
making money. Everything you do should be there because it helps you make
money. If something you do does not directly or indirectly positively affect
the bottom line, should it be there?
You treat your employees and customers right. You provide
value and a customer service program, geared to eagerly elevate each person to complete
satisfaction. You expand your business responsibly to increase stock value,
taking care of your stockholders. You practice high-level ethics and go above
and beyond to ensure you are doing things the right way. When you do all of
that, you believe it will build customer and employee loyalty which brings you
business, and business brings you money.
Jimmy Johnson, head coach of the Dallas Cowboys Super Bowl
champions said,
“Jettison everything that does not have anything to do with winning.”
So what exactly did Coach Wooden say when I asked him if he
was going to watch the Lakers game that evening? “Not if I can help it.”
By the way, I’m pulling for the Spurs to take the
championship. Shhh.
Swen
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