You may have heard of “Play Like A Champion Today”.  Those immortal words are painted on a sign that hangs in the Notre Dame locker room which Lou Holtz hung in 1986.  The players touch the sign as they exit the locker room on their way to the field.  Each player touches the sign in their own way, some bang it with both fists, some slap it as if they were high fiving the sign, and others simply slide their hand across the famous sign.  It is there to remind the team to do their very best.  They even bring a portable version for away games.  Some of you may even know that a similar sign with the same words has been used by Oklahoma since the 1940s.  

But, it is also the name of a program created at the University of Notre Dame focusing on Character Development through Sport https://www.playlikeachampion.org  It is a research-based program and it has been around for fifteen years now.  PLACT may have been created to help coaches, parents, and athletes get the most out of their athletic experiences but a lot of the lessons transfer into other aspects of life.  In 2014 I became a trainer for PLACT and as I studied their message, I began to realize just how much of what I was learning applied to business management.  So, as you read, keep in mind that this research was done with athletes in mind, I have simply replaced the word “coaches” with “managers”, and “athletes” with “employees”, but I think that you will find the lessons still apply.     

Some of the lessons that I will go into more in-depth in future blogs are G.R.O.W. (Goals, Relationships, Ownership, Win) which is the core of PLACT.  Managers must work with their teams to: Develop specific Goals and a mastery orientation to achieve them.  Foster positive Relationships among all individuals and parties involved in the work experience.  Nurture a sense of Ownership by giving employees opportunities for decision-making and responsibility for the team.  Promote Winning the “right way”.  The first three elements of the GROW approach G – R – O is derived in part from Self – Determination Theory (SDT), which is a theory of motivation based on a broad spectrum of psychological research (Deci and Ryan, 1985; Ryan and Deci, 2000).  SDT maintains that human beings have three basic psychological needs:  

  1. To feel competent (Goals) 

  2. Connected with others (Relationships) 

  3. Autonomous (Ownership). 

When these needs are met, individuals are most likely to experience a sense of well-being and engagement.  The GROW approach also has its roots in Piaget’s (1972) Cognitive Developmental Theory.  This theory maintains that all human beings develop by: 

  1. Being intrinsically motivated (Goals) 

  2. Interacting cooperatively with others (Relationships) 

  3. Experiencing opportunities for responsible decision – making and problem-solving (Ownership). 

 Some other “Play Like A Champion Today” subjects I will elaborate on in future blogs are: 

  • Cognitive and Social Development  

  • Flow   

  • The Profile of a Champion 

  • The Importance of Communication 

  • The Power of Community 

  • The Virtues of a Champion 

 

Whether you like Notre Dame or hate them these are great lessons that will help anyone evolve in their thinking, and improve their management skills.