Are You Ready?

Readers of this blog may recall that I’m not a sports fan, but when John Wooden, famed coach of the UCLA mens basketball team, died last June, I couldn’t read enough about him.  The results he got and the loyalty he built were inspiring.  One of his most famous lines struck a chord:

FAILING TO PREPARE IS PREPARING TO FAIL

Recently I’ve been delivering performance review training.  While the content is helpful, the most valuable part of the class is the time to prepare.  Managers get to think through their key messages (even write their opening line) and practice with a peer.  

It can take as little as 20 minutes to do this, and the payoffs are big – you’re calmer, your message is clearer, you’re able to respond more effectively to questions (even if they’re “out of bounds”), and you increase the likelihood of getting the changes you want.

So the next time you have an important message to deliver (in a review or any setting), take some time to prepare and practice.  What worked for the winner of 10 national championships should work for you!