Handling a Losing Streak

Former heavyweight boxing champion Mike Tyson once famously said, “Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth.”

When things are going well, life is easier. When things are going poorly, that becomes the true measure of our leaderships skills.

Everyone has a bad quarter in terms of earnings, or a bad season if you’re in the coaching community. Losing streaks are going to happen to the best of the best, no matter how hard we try to avoid them. What matters most is how we deal with the downturns. Our reaction becomes a test of our character as well as our commitment to our beliefs. If one punch in the mouth can alter the direction, then there wasn’t a true direction.

So, what is the plan when facing a losing streak? Here are some ideas and suggestions on what to avoid and how to best behave.

THOUGHTS FOR COACHES… LOSING STREAK

1. Teams that lose often do so because they cannot focus on the task at hand. The loser’s syndrome is when others are talking more about getting fired than finding ways to win.

2. Must continue to emphasis personal development of the players, act as if this is day one of summer camp — teach, teach, teach. 

3. Don’t personalize the losses. Use the three most effective survival tools---composure, patience and common sense. 

4. Maintain your standard of excellence---the standard is the standard. Remind yourself every morning before work begins, you are undefeated and vying for a playoff spot.

5. Don’t sell quick fixes. It’s never one reason why you lose, or one player. Don’t fall into the gimmick syndrome. Fundamentals and basics are always the solution, not new plays. People who want to avoid responsibility and discipline look for a quick fix. 

6. Stay out in the open, don’t isolate yourself from others. Don’t close the door to your office. 

7. Put more effort into teaching the game plan than ever before—focus on your execution, not the opponent. 

8. Take winning the next game out of the conversation. Win the next ten minutes. 

9. NEVER NEVER NEVER PLEAD with the players. Show them you care by demanding excellence and never plead.

10. When you show players you care—by coaching them to play well, they will care enough to win. Remember, when people don’t understand they don’t recognize they don’t understand. You must fight this every day—even more so now. 

11. Believe in yourself, show confidence in what you do—never have envy towards other teams. Remember every day you start as undefeated. 

12. Don’t blame players or the front office. It is what it is, no one cares. As Lou Holtz once famously said, 80 percent of the people in the world don’t care about your problems, the other 20 percent are glad you have them. 

13. Continue to ask yourself what can I do better today? Make that your theme to the players. The answer to every situation, is what can I do to get better? 

14.  A promise of opportunity is not a guarantee of success. No one can guarantee your success because no one can guarantee your behavior. But when you meet opportunity with discipline, success is not far away.

15. Nothing will change until our competitive discipline changes. 

We have a plan to win. We need a plan if we lose.