4 Ways to Regain Team Confidence

Mike Bianco was worried.

It was May 1, several weeks before the Southeastern Conference baseball championship, but Ole Miss had dropped to 24-19 overall, 7-14 in the league, and a once-promising season seemed to be unraveling.

Bianco, the Rebels' veteran coach, had experienced the highs of the profession, leading the school to the College World Series and multiple SEC titles in the years before. But despite his past success, fans were now calling for his job.

Bianco paid little attention to this, though. His concern was that his team would become distracted and allow the outside noise to enter the locker room.

It’s always easy to sell confidence at the start, but the real challenge is when turmoil hits. Words alone at this point are not enough and don't always come off as believable, as recent turbulence can easily shatter morale.

For us as leaders, in order to regain belief, it's imperative that we refine the plan. Here are four critical steps to take:

1. Reset and refine the team goals. No longer are we chasing the National Championship or the best financial quarter. We must detail the new plan. Often, that begins with having one good day that we can then build upon. It’s not complicated or revolutionary. However, we must explain in detail what is an acceptable day for our team.

2. Reset the roles and goals for each team member. Each member will need to have a new role based on the past. By re-starting expectations in a limited way, the leader can maximize the individual's success. For the team to improve, everyone must assume a new role.

3. Redefine the strengths of the team. What may have been a strength six months ago is now a weakness. Understand what assets our team now holds, and build on these. Don’t talk about what was supposed to be, only focus on what can make the team better now.

4. Re-commit everyone to the new plan. Make sure everyone understands their individual and team role and gives the leader permission to move forward with an acknowledged commitment.

This is exactly what Bianco did, and his team regained its confidence, playing brilliant baseball over the next couple of months to win the College World Series.

As Bianco knows, nothing ever goes as planned for the leader.

How we adjust and regain our team's confidence can be the difference between a pink slip and a championship trophy.