I’ve had a few coaching friends (high school) who’ve been let go the last couple of weeks. It makes me wonder… what went wrong? In both cases, the team had a winning record so, unless the administration expected a championship season, it must have been more than wins and losses involved. The other major area that always seems to come up is what I call The Relationship Factor. Like a friend said the other day when he called to talk about the firings: “He must have really ticked off somebody!” Yep! Probably did!
I love the fact that the Bible is so practical. I’ve shared with groups that even if you’re not a Christian, Biblical principles will still “work” in your life and will help bring you successful living if you’re willing to apply them. I have a few principles that I’d like to pass along that can help your relationships at work or home or anywhere. They will help improve the quality of your relationships.
1) Put others first. One of the key points that Coach Lou Holtz always makes when talking to groups is that a key to his coaching success was that he always tried to find out what his players wanted to achieve and then he would find a way to help them achieve their goals. The Bible says to “Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not men” (Ephesians 6:7). If you incorporate that attitude in your relationship with others, you’re going to be very successful.
2) Always show appreciation. Practice the “3 to 1” principle: 3 positive, encouraging statements for every one critical comment or correction you have to make. Dr. John Maxwell has something he calls “the 101 Percent Principle.” Find one thing you admire in another person… then give them 100% encouragement for it.
3) Forgive it, resolve it and move past it. If someone has hurt you, the sooner you address the issue the better. As the Bible says: the other person doesn’t have to apologize for you to forgive them. That comes from having a forgiving spirit. You forgive the person and move on. As my wife reminded me constantly for 42 years of coaching, “Take the HIGH road, Lew!”
