There is a wonderful article in the AFR today by Sally Patten. It is titled ‘Five performance tips from a rugby legend‘ and features advice from Eddie Jones.
Talk to people who are about to retire or have retired.
Eddie says this tip was given to him by our former PM, Bob Hawke. Bob reckoned such people were less stressed in their work and much more open to sharing their life experiences and insight. Ever since Bob’s advice, Eddie goes out of his way to find coaches who have either retired or about to.
Improve three things, every three months.
He reckons 3 is the magic number and it becomes lost if you go for more than 3. Eddie picks three aspects to work on and then devises a plan which usually involves seeking someone to help him.
Have a ridiculous vision
Eddie says we need courage to break away from our learned experience and to set a vision that is almost ridiculous.
Stay curious
There is great danger says Eddie when you think you’ve ‘made it’. There are always areas to improve upon and we need to stay restless to keep looking. We can all practice asking more questions and listening rather than lecturing and rambling. Eddie says he searches for people able to bring new ideas. He also speaks of the value of reading.
Don’t aim for harmony.
“A harmonious team points to a lack of diversity”. Eddie says this is not what a leader should aspire to. Diversity brings healthy, respectful conflict .
