"Buying In" is something coaches say around the world to players on their team or program. That statement is one of the hardest things we deal with today when it comes to our teams and maybe even staff members. You ever ask yourself, "what is it I need to do for my team or staff members to buy in to the vision I am trying to put forth?"
First thing is you first have to distinguish between buying in to you the individual and buying in to the program. As much as those two categories are similar, they are very different but both very important. A big difference between buying in to the individual and the program, is the individual sets the vision and the program is the vision and also will still be established or around if the individual who sets the vision has gone elsewhere. It's not enough to just give commands and expect to be standing with a victory of buy in at the end of the day. However, showing banners and trophies is not enough either. One tip I can give you to get the "Buy In" you want for your program is a simple word called invest.
I encourage all coaches who are trying to build a strong culture with everyone from the staff members to the players on one accord to invest into them. If you show investment in others, others would invest in you and that would make it much easier to get the "Buy In" you are looking for. If it's a staff member, invest some of your time in them. Invest your open mind. Invest your trust in them. If it's a player, invest some of your time in them. Invest your trust in them. Invest the encouragement of them taking ownership in their team. Invest in them that you care if they are enjoying playing the game they love.
Being a coach is so hard at times. As a coach, we all know we wear so many different hats added to just the pressures of wanting to win, building great programs, and building a great legacy. However, when it comes to that phrase "Buying In" we must never forget the investment it takes to accomplish this and we can't be stuck in our ways so much that we miss out on the things that caused us to have a vision for our program.
