High Performance Planning
Your planning maps your direction.
Planning, defined as a noun, is the process of making plans for something. This is quite the generalization of something we spend so much of our time doing.
Organizations across the spectrum from hospital nursing leadership to engineers at Space X look to their planning to lead an endless list of activities and projects. Sport is equally reliant upon the planning process. Coaches spend time daily planning practices, planning talent development, planning compliance with League policies and infinite industry content items. Placing a high value upon the planning process by organization leaders is an important foundation of successful sports organizations. What does a high value planning process look like?
My experience is that planning should begin with an evaluation of the current status of the very activity, project or organization for which you are planning. Various models are available for a status check, such as a S.W.O.T. analysis. Having a discussion or spending time on an exercise to cull the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. A high majority of organizations I have been involved with, and their planning, focus upon the weaknesses.
In sport I focus upon competitive success as the measure, as the goal of all planning. How does the discussion, activity, plan impact team success. Developing a High Performance Plan (HPP) is a model utilized by many sporting organizations including across the United States Olympic Committee. The HPP document drives all activity and decisions over the life of the HPP. It is an intentional roadmap for the organization inclusive of the fiscal allocation to the various tactics of the HPP.
Building a High Performance Plan is an energizing exercise, something I truly enjoy.
In my current role at Butler University I have the opportunity to bridge the services I manage with my role as part of the Senior Leadership team with the sport coaches. My position provides me the opportunity to discuss with coaches something they covet… competitive success.
The HPP can follow the findings of your SWOT analysis or a specific season or process you are looking to improve. I typically begin the HPP process by asking these basic questions:
Let’s assume we are focusing on athlete talent in this example.
Q: Specific to competitive success, what are the discussions you as a coach (player, AD, owner, GM) have with your confidants? An example of an answer might be, from you baseball coach, “our middle infield doesn’t have the lateral quickness needed to compete”.
Approach in the HPP would be to be intentional about this question. Seek solutions from talent identification in recruiting to functional movement screening as part of your athlete development program. This might lead to a discussion important for your HPP. Are you a developmental program or do you win and lose on who you recruit?
The High Performance Plan can drive robust discussions that are intended to drive your actions as an organization. I am a frequent leader of HPP discussions and developing these plans. I’d like the opportunity to tell you more. Reach out when you are eager to develop a plan that leads you to competitive success.
