Elizabeth and I went to the last University of Louisville home basketball game this evening. It was the final home game for our sole retiring senior, Taquan Dean.
Before the game, Coach Rick Pitino led a celebration of Taquan and his family before the sold out crowd at Freedom Hall. He began by saying …
“What if you went to work every day and you had an employee who
- shows up early every day
- never calls in sick
- gives you 100% every day
- when you give him credit, he passes it on to his team mates
- is a leader on the court and off
This is our team leading player, Taquan Dean.”
The coach never mentioned his won and loss record, his record as the all time three point shooter a U of L, or his other statistics. He focused on Taquan the person.
As we listened to Coach Pitino talk about his retiring player, Elizabeth said to me, “There’s a story for your BLOG.” This is not a sport story. It’s a leadership story.
What would it be like if you have a home health agency full of Taquan Deans who …
- show up early every day
- never call in sick
- gives you 100% every day
- when you give them credit, they pass it on to their team mates?
You’d have a superstar home health agency.
It’s possible. It starts with recruiting and selecting the right players. Developing a clear game plan. Teaching and coaching your home care team. Measuring performance every day and giving immediate feedback. Being their biggest cheerleader.
I know many of you get upset with me when I use sports analogies in my presentations. But I find there are real lessons to be learned form championship sports teams. So get over it already! Quit taking yourself so seriously. Have some FUN! and Play to WIN!
