The General

Last weekend my Dad and I went to a Pac-10 Men’s Basketball game for the first time in years. Come to think of it, it may have been the first college game I’ve been to since I was playing almost 10 years ago (holy crap that went fast.)  Anyhow, I saw a great effort by one team and a downright pitiful effort by another. The biggest problem with the woeful performance was a total breakdown on the defensive end of the floor.

While these guys played a zone all night (for some reason they never changed strategy even though they were getting killed) the problem I saw applies to zone or a man defense. The key to a great defensive team is the center, they are the “General” of the defense.

The General is the key communicator to the rest of the troops. Since he is in the middle and closest to the basket, the center can see everything that is going on out in front of him. They are the one who gathers all the information and directs the troops accordingly to make the plays necessary to win the game.

Coach Swen told me that one of the best players that UCLA ever had, Bill Walton, was one of those guys, constantly talking and communicating to the guards and forwards like a conductor to his orhecstra.

As a business owner or employee with management status, isn’t the same true? You are relied upon to take in all the information, process it and delegate the right people to the right job. As the “overseer” you must see the big picture and how all the interconnected parts communicate, relate and function as one team.

So is that the postion you have in your company? If not, then it is time to do some serious revaluation. The major purpose of having employees is to one, create a reliable, knowlegdable group of people to help make the vision you have for the company a reality. Two, to delegate activites, so you can concentrate on the things that make your company the most successful/profitable.

An effective General will delegate with clearness and conciseness what needs to be done. The more effective the message, the more time the General can spend on the right activites.

The General approach can find it’s way into your home as well. I’m not talking about 5 am wake up with role call. As the leader of your family, or in a joint effort with your spouse, we need to see the big picture in regards to finances, who and where we spend time with, activites, etc. Families need goals too, because without goals and vision, our families will parish, just like any individual would.

Becoming a better General takes some practice. One of the best resources that I have read is Dale Carnegie’s book “How to Win Friends and Influence People.” By no means is this a book about deception and pulling the wool over someones eyes, but it is a philosopy on human interaction and behavior. Think of it as a tool box to communication and relationship building, keys to becoming the best General you can.

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