College basketball season is underway once again, and a quick scan of the Top 25 confirms our beloved local teams (MU and KU) are highly placed, as well as another perennial national favorite – Duke. Ranked in the top 10 no less.
Duke’s coach Mike Krzyzewski has won more games than any other men’s college basketball coach in history. From a modest upbringing in Chicago, to West Point as a student-athlete and coach, to leading Duke to four NCAA Championships, Coach K knows a thing or two about winning.
One of his key mantras is to say to his team “next play” after every single play in all of his games. It’s his way of reminding his team that no matter what happened previously – good or bad – it’s time to move on and focus on the next task. Here’s how Coach K describes his philosophy:
“In basketball and in life, I have always maintained the philosophy of ‘next play.’ Essentially, what it means is that what you have just done is not nearly as important as what you are doing right now. The ‘next play’ philosophy emphasizes the fact that the most important play of the game or life moment on which you should always focus is the next one. It is not about the turnover I committed last time down the court, it’s not even about the three-pointer I hit to tie the game, it is about what’s next.
To waste time lamenting a mistake or celebrating success is distracting and can leave you and your team unprepared for what you are about to face. It robs you of the ability to do your best at that moment and to give your full concentration. It’s why I love basketball. Plays happen with rapidity and there may be no stop-action. Basketball is a game that favors the quick thinker and the person who can go on to the next play the fastest.”
This weekend in the New York Times, Jeff Weiner, CEO of LinkedIn, talks about how this concept clearly transfers to business. In fact, at LinkedIn they turned the concept into a very tangible lesson. On the date of LinkedIn’s wildly successful IPO, Weiner had thousands of t-shirts printed which simply had the stock symbol (LNKD) on the front and “Next Play” on the back. Weiner wanted to send a clear message that despite their incredible success, it was time to focus on the next steps in their plan.
The Next Play approach can focus your thinking and allow you to seize the abundant opportunities in front of you.
Next customer. Next market. Next goal. Next play.
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