Page 178 - How to Create a Winning Organization

Wooden on Leadership
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cise timetable as if our futures depended on it. (They did.) Each
one of us knew what we were supposed to be doing and exactly
when we were going to do it. Those instructions and directions dic-
tated virtually everything that happened during a UCLA Bruins
practice. There were neither wasted minutes nor unintentionally
frivolous moments. There was no “downtime” as players waited for
the coaches—their leaders—to figure out what was going to hap-
pen next.
Before the first whistle of the day blew—in fact, hours before
the first player laced up his sneakers—I had meticulously detailed
with my assistant coaches what we would accomplish and how we
would accomplish it. The specifics in my notes changed daily, but
once I had written down the afternoon’s plan, it ran very much like
a well-run railroad. And the players will tell you even today that it
was a railroad that ran very fast—and on time.
The morning of each practice I would meet with my assistants
to discuss our plans for the day. During the meeting there were ab-
solutely no outside distractions or intrusions—no telephone calls,
messages, visitors, or anything else that might disrupt our plan-

PLAN EVERY MEETING AS IF
YOUR FUTURE DEPENDS ON IT
(BECAUSE IT DOES)

Each meeting with your managers and employees offers a
unique opportunity: a chance for you and your team to get
better at something, share vital information, boost team spirit,
and the like. Don’t waste a moment of it; carefully plan every
minute.