Some chemistry happens naturally while other chemistry is developed through communication and patience. The more you get to know somebody and understand them, the better you can work with them. It's the same advice we give to our players but this can be challenging for any staff.
Here are some key points to building chemistry on a staff:
1) Communication is Key - talk to each other and get to know one another for better understanding. It's important for everyone to have a good relationship with each other and with the head coach. Relationships take hard work and time so be patient.
2) Respect Each Other - this does not mean being a "yes man" or agreeing with everything someone says, it just means listen and hear one another. It's ok to agree to disagree but all communication needs to be with respect.
3) Capitalize on Strengths - once you conquer the first two this third key will come to the forefront with time. Some strengths are easy to find while others may take trial and error to find. Figure out what each staff member is good put them in position to be successful. This will create a more functional staff and create symmetry within the program.
4) Encourage the Positive Openly - this is a concept that works well with players too and catches on pretty easy. Find something positive that someone is doing and acknowledge it - this makes others want to do the same and increases productivity. People will want to be around you and want to listen to you. This is a concept that cannot be faked and made up. It will cause people to shut down if you are lying or making something up. They will also shut down if you constantly give credit to one person so be genuine and all inclusive.
5) Conflict Resolution - Understand --> Conflict is natural and normal but it cannot be ignored. It's great if coaches can resolve things without always alerting the head coach but sometimes it's inevitable. Head coaches have to address problems from a neutral perspective and come to a resolution. It's not about who's right, instead get to the bottom of what is right vs. what is wrong. People will only trust and commit a program that operates in honesty and integrity.
6) Get Over Taking Credit - the more credit you want, the less credit the team will have. In order to have a successful program or team, everyone must be willing to sacrifice and the return will come in wins!
Remember: You should rather have a championship team than an All American or MVP on a losing team. The difference is all about a selfless mentality and sacrificing personal gain for the team's success. It's exactly what we preach to our players and the best way to get them on board is to lead by example.
