The Power Of A Text Message
I have a life outside of REX Roundtables, the Fitness Business Podcast and Active Management.
Recently, I coached my first representative netball team at the NSW State Titles. Nineteen games in three days. It was physically exhausting and mentally draining for the 12 players. The great news, we finished as State Runners-Up which was an incredible achievement.
Seven of those players are also in another representative team I coach and we play weekly. So we’re barely able to celebrate and we must focus on the next game. We’re only a third of the way through that season, so there is another mountain to climb.
This reminded me of many of our departments. They hit their budget or target or goals on the 31st May. Celebrate momentarily and then wake up on the 1st June and have to start again. The finish line becomes the next starting line.
Tuesday morning rolls around and my coaching job isn’t over. I sent every player a personalised text with three things I appreciated about them. Some were about their performance on court. Others were about leadership, attitude, encouragement or the energy they brought to the team. It was not a group message, an individual message.
The responses from the players blew me away with heart felt appreciation that I had noticed them and their contribution to our success.
Their response reminded me that people don’t always need more coaching, they simply need to know they are valued.
Weekly Challenge
Send five personalised text messages to team members sharing what you appreciate about them and the contribution they make to your team.
My team knows there is another mountain to climb and I’m confident that appreciating them will have an impact. People climb mountains better when they know somebody believes in them.
Justin is the Managing Director of Active Management, which he began January 2004. He offers coaching to businesses worldwide in everything from start up and design to marketing and sales systems. Justin also facilitates four Australian and New Zealand ‘fitness industry roundtables’ events, which allows him to see a huge cross section of business models.