Looking through the media reports this week one was strongly driven to follow the leadership saga going on at SA Rugby which was highlighted in a media report on news24 http://www.sport24.co.za/Rugby/Springboks/Bok-coaches-heads-may-roll-20100926 on 26 Sep headed "Bok coaches - Heads may roll" this article referred to the forthcoming performance review of the coaching team due with SARU management and the poor results record of the last 13 games with 5 wins (of which 3 were against Italy). Things often go wrong in business and sport but as leaders we must understand what it is that triggers change!
Interestingly the performance review found no need for change in the coaching staff and reported only that a few areas were identified for focus and help in the next few months. "The committee’s focus was very much on examining areas where we can assist the Springbok team and coach in making sure they arrive at the field in the best possible state of preparation,” said Stoffberg - see article at http://www.sport24.co.za/Rugby/Springboks/SARU-No-Bok-coaching-changes-20100927
Given this was a interim review it would imply that the current coaching staff, the delivery against their metrics and the strategy appear to be acceptable to the SARU.
In business, performance reviews would be strongly focused on the agreed metrics set at the start of the period under review. Failure to achieve the metrics would trigger interventions ranging from help or mentoring through to 'monitored performance' or even replacement. Given the metric of success for the springbok coaching staff is not public knowledge one could be forgiven for concluding that winning games does not seem to be the current metric of success. However we must remember that any metric is subordinate to boundaries and constraints that will drive the result - budgets, rules, values and so on. WIthout knowing the metric and the constraints in which it operates it is difficult to challenge the SARU outcome.
Coaches are particularly prone to being ridiculed in the media when results are not all favorable. However at times of poor results thats when leaders need support and need the right metrics for success to be agreed and made known to all - is it winning in the long term (i.e the 2011 World Cup) or is it about belief in winning every game? - where is the balance?
But then I got distracted looking at the reader comments to the articles - things rapidly moved down a line of those for and those against the current coach Peter de Villiers and his assistants - the initial criticisms soon turned to strong emotional language, rapidly to racist and political motivated comments and quickly looked like it could become a physical battle were it not for the fact it was a virtual 'debate'. How sad that the use of a nom-de-plume and keyboard can release such irrelevant unfair and to be honest incorrect commentary around a very basic fact of management - a performance review.
How do leaders get around this as there will always be supporter and detractors (to a greater or lesser degree)? To my mind it would be by openness and transparency around the metric of success for both SARU management, PdV and the assistant coaches and that they tell the public what they plan to do about things to correct the situation. Surely this highlights the need for us as leaders to always be aware of the metrics of success - oh and as for the emotional reader responses maybe we should all get lessons in how to respect other points of view and express ours without threats, expletives or derogatory statements.
Time for a coffee....