Mullins says that the first step in the recruiting process is for the coach to communicate his vision in a compelling and concise fashion. The coach’s ability to convince recruits to be part of a team is the first challenge he must face as a leader.
The most elementary ingredient of good recruiting is a compelling vision for a recruit to embrace. In the business world, this vision is often grossly predictable: money and more money later, says Mullins. The accompanying assumption is that the bigger the check, the more appealing the offer. Yet the best recruits are no longer buying into that notion.
According to Mullins, today’s top recruits want something more than a big paycheck; they also want more than the promise of a promotion. Paychecks and positions produce short-term enthusiasm, but they lack long-term appeal. If only money and status land you recruits, then more money and higher status will take them away. If you attract people to your team with something deeper, something more intrinsic, something linked to their sense of need and purpose and meaning, they will work harder and stay longer.
The question is: does this mean that income shouldn’t be part of your recruiting pitch if you’re a corporate leader? No, according to Mullins, but it does mean that the vision you communicate to recruits must find a place in their hearts as readily as their pockets.
As a coach, you can offer only intangibles such as trust, hope, unity, possibility and opportunity. Such intangibles, says Mullins, often promote commitment and loyalty better than anything else. In short, one must speak to an individual’s sense of purpose and meaning.
In communicating one’s vision, it is essential that honesty be the key ingredient. A coach should not make any promises like guaranteed minimum playing time for the player. What happens when the player is not playing well or is deliberately not playing well or is not feeling well?
All the coach has to say is "This is what our system is all about. As a student-athlete, these are your responsibilities and these are mine and these are the responsibilities of the school." All that the coach should offer is the opportunity for the player to be part of a great team and an excellent school, nothing more.
Coach Steve Spurrier (of Florida), one of those interviewed by Mullins says, "I always felt that honesty was the first fundamental key to recruiting. Coach Tom Osborne states, "I think maybe one of the most important things was that when we recruited a player, I never promised him anything other than an opportunity. More recently, in the last part of my coaching career, the more common recruiting deception many coaches used was promising kids they would start, that they would be given playing time, or that they would get to travel abroad. The problem is that those promises are very hard to keep — so you might recruit 20 players in a season and find that two years later you’ve got none of them left. This usually happens if you break trust with them and they find that you’ve lied to them. They’re not going to play for you."
Another step in good recruiting is connecting on a personal level. Mullins narrates the story of Bill McCartney of Colorado who said that in each home (of a potential recruit) that he went into, he would place a chair directly across from the kid. He would then look into the prospect’s eyes but position himself where he could also turn and look at the kid’s parents. He and his parents would then hear McCartney tell the recruit that he believed in him, that McCartney needed him on his team. McCartney says that that guy has got to know the four most powerful words in the entire English language which are, "I believe in you." McCartney says, it’s only when you communicate ‘I believe in you’ that you can recruit.
Step three is to use the team approach in recruiting. Mullins states talent attracts talent, so the team should always assist the coach in recruiting. It is advisable that recruits spend time with their potential teammates. Current team members may recognize characteristics about recruits that the coach may not. Team members are also able to better convey the working environment and set accurate expectations. In addition, according to Mullins, they can put a real face on the opportunity the coach is offering.
The last step to recruiting is recruit diversity. Mullins says that to effectively recruit, you have to identify the specific talent that is necessary for your team’s success. Don’t recruit people because they’re like you, lest you end up with a one-dimensional team. Rather, rely on new people’s strengths instead of shoring up the existing team’s weaknesses. It is imperative therefore that the coach comes to terms with their teams’ shortcomings and surround themselves with people who complement their weaknesses, not merely confirm their strengths. Mullins emphasizes that recruiting for diversity brings balance to a team, and balance is essential for long-term stability.
Next week, the six other principles of effective coaching.