At first glance, you may not think that manufacturing and college basketball have much in common. Yet an executive peer group hosted by UT CIS, the Tennessee Manufacturing Extension Partnership, found quite a few parallels.
When I plan the content for the group, I work from a business health self-assessment the participants use to identify areas of improvement. A common theme among manufacturers is how to recruit and retain talent.
As luck would have it, the University of Tennessee’s men’s assistant basketball coach, Bryan Lentz, knows a thing or two about recruitment and retention—so we had him speak to our group.
Forming personal relationships with players is the coaching staff’s number one priority. They do that in many different ways.
Part of the recruiting process begins with getting to know each player’s family, all of the individuals closest to him, and his previous basketball coaches.
Once the player starts playing college ball, there are many interaction points. One that stands out is what Coach Lentz calls “Daily Vitamins.” Daily Vitamins consists of a personal workout, followed by a 10-minute conversation. The discussion is all about the player’s life, not about basketball.
In addition to their Daily Vitamin coach, players receive calls or texts twice a week from other coaches. And all the coaches eat meals with the players. At mealtime, coaches get a glimpse into what is going on in the players’ lives, thanks to the informal social interaction and camaraderie.
As manufacturers, we could all take a few notes from this playbook. Get to know our employees’ families. Make sure our interactions include a personal element. Eating meals together brings us closer, so plan those monthly or quarterly celebrations.
Beyond strong personal relationships, what else do players find important? A space where they can all hang out together with couches and TVs. Lots of team gear … shoes, shirts, pants. And travel in style on jets to and from the games. Once a month, there are team bonding experiences off the court, such as going to a local waterpark or arcade.
One executive asked Coach Lentz how manufacturers could implement such nice things on a much more limited budget. Lentz’s response was to be creative in your implementation. The idea is to create comfortable spaces, team gear and experiences that will excite your employees. An experience that I found most memorable when I led Onex, a furnace manufacturer in Erie, Pennsylvania, was a company outing to a minor league baseball game.
Our discussion wrapped up with the importance of organizational culture. Tennessee’s head basketball coach, Rick Barnes, is particular about the kind of players he recruits. The staff looks for tough-minded individuals. People who are good on and off the court. The ideal player has supportive parents, and only coachable individuals are considered.
When you are hiring, what are your non-negotiables? How do you ensure you hire for a cultural fit?
At the end of the day, Coach Barnes’ mission is for the men’s basketball team to lead the country in assists. In short, to help each other win.
The team mantra is “It’s Not About Me.” And everyone, from coaches to staff to players, wears a silicon bracelet as a reminder. This pillar means that the team will be selfless. The team will always be there for you.
Borrow ideas from other industries. Building stronger relationships, hiring for cultural fit (and not just a butt in the seat) and having a mission to help others could make all the difference in your business.
