by Tyler Brandt, National Recruiting Coordinator
We are tuned in to looking for teachable “moments” as educators and coaches, the problem is they are just that – fleeting moments. The thing is, moments are are a lot like cats – they operate on their own schedule and are never really where you need them when you need them.
This is the same challenge coaches have when it comes to recruiting, we recruit in the moment. So many coaches are trying to CREATE the “Flutie Effect” in their programs every day, losing sight of the fact that even if they can do it – it’s still just a moment in time and that moment will be gone. Once that moment is gone another moment has to be created to sustain success and we all know moments are on their own schedule! Think about technology and how fast phones become obsolete! Once your phone is old you need a new one and you either are an iPhone person or an Anti-iPhone person, nobody is an LG person or a Samsung person. Similar to Harley Davidson, as a Harley owner I notice nobody has tattoos of Honda or Suzuki on their arms and back! You buy a Kawasaki in the moment but you join the HOG Movement!!
Here is my challenge to you …..
Get rid of the Moment Mindset and make the Change to the Mindset of The MOVEMENT!
Years ago I spoke about the recruiting system we used when I was the head coach at my alma mater! As it would happen I had no idea I was creating a movement, I just thought I was doing what all college coaches did. As it turns out we changed the culture of the program and had extreme amounts of success athletically and academically.
With the help of some great assistant coaches, Rob Thomas, Dan Tudor (yes I called him an assistant coach because he was an integral part of the recruiting staff – OUR Director of Recruiting Communications) and myself engaged in a recruiting movement! Why do I call it a “movement”? Because it had all of the elements of a movement and it was sustainable!
The first thing my assistant coach had to do was eliminate my Functional Fixedness. Functional Fixedness is a cognitive bias keeping people from accepting creative options as possible solutions for challenges they face. In layman’s terms, it is a way of thinking that keeps you doing what you have always done because you can’t wrap your heads around doing it any other way – even if a new system or process would produce more success. He educated me on how having a Director of Recruiting Communications would create a more consistent, meaningful and engaging messages that would cause the recruits we wanted to read, react and respond to us. He sealed the deal when he told me I could stop writing the recruiting collateral and free up a ton of time!
So we implemented a recruiting program focusing on the athlete:
1) Becoming Sovereign
2) Becoming An Expert
3) Becoming Significant
Once we implemented this recruiting plan, that actually got our recruits to read & understand our S.E.S. message, we saw National Level success in our recruiting classes and in competition. We also had higher graduation and retention rates, and less behavioral challenges on campus. The really cool thing was by the time our athletes got to campus they were already INVOLVED in the “Movement” because that is why they chose our college and our program!
I challenge you to let us help you destroy your Functional Fixedness and shift your recruiting plan into a Sustainable Movement!! Email me at tyler@dantudor.com and let’s talk about transforming your next recruiting class!