#160: Coach Phil Jackson: Forming team identity

Sport and the Growing Good

A key charge for coaches is bringing their teams together to form a collective identity. Team identity formation is a complex process that can shape the group’s journey in profound ways. In this session, Coach Jackson offers some insights on team identity formation.

1. What is worth noting early in an NBA season.

2. Setting the tone for a new season: Speaking with the team about pressure.

3. Visualizing the new season ahead. What did Coach Jackson visualize? Pre-mortems. “How do we incorporate new people into the system? We start with their habits. How to build skill sets…Doing that goes through some basic drills to get your body in shape.”

4. What intangibles do you look for in getting the individuals you want for your system? Looking at how individuals handle mistakes. “We used to watch players’ demeanors on the floor.”

5. Dennis Rodman’s impact upon team identity: “He was going to extend the effort.”

6. Off-seasons can create individuals who are isolated or even egotistical. “As a coach, you want to get that taken care of. To make them part of the group.”

7. Functional diversity. Valuing different roles on the team.

8. The “dark night of the soul.” Leading teams through difficult times.

9. A team bonding through its punishment by the coach.

10. Building incremental evidence of a team’s identity.

11. Punctuated equilibrium. Rapid and radical identity change of a group.

12. Group identity formation being impacted by the competition. “It’s a standard that your group has to live up to.”

13. Responding to the Pistons’ intimidation attempts. “We’re standing our ground. We’re not going to be intimidated by you. But we’re not going to make a big issue out of it … We’re peaceful Warriors. We’re going to contest you and resist you. But we’re not going to stand up and get in a brawl. That’s not necessary… Those are little things that you see as a coach that you’ve got to have some resolve and some ideas about how you want to present yourself as a team.”

14. Identifying the “essence” of our opponents and ourselves. Pressure as a key construct in one’s essence. Talking to players, “How do you feel about pressure?” The coach has to be able to discuss this. A team must be able to “join together to collaborate under duress to be successful.”

15. Being able to sell what you’re going to teach.

16. The coach as “horse rider” metaphor. Understanding the student and how they best learn.

17. John Wooden: “My coaching was done in practice.” Players led the way during games because they’d been coached.

18. What did Coach ask prospective players? “How do you see yourself fitting in with our group?” This question gets perspective on the player and how they understand the team.

19. Meditation routine with teams. Body check. Breathing. “One breath, one mind.”

20. Understanding teams deeply in order to get through difficult times.