“Come on Johnny…Straighten it out!”

“Come on Johnny…Straighten it out!”

Children’s sporting events are one of the best places to go to hear some strange things.  Do parents and fans realize what they are truly saying? For example, you can go to a baseball game and hear a parent yell, “Come on Johnny, straighten the ball out!”  Go to a football game and you will hear things such as “Throw the football straight.  Make the tackle.  Kick the ball through the uprights.”

Why are things like this said? Do you really think Johnny deliberately hit a foul ball?  Do you think that the kicker didn’t realize he had to kick the ball through the upright?  Did the quarterback throw a “duck” on purpose?  And of course the defensive players know they are supposed to make tackles.

As parents and fans maybe we should concentrate more on the process and technique instead of the outcome.  To prevent a foul ball maybe we should yell, “Keep your elbow up”.  A kicker should be reminded of the process that will help him execute better.  “Head down and follow through!”

How does this apply to achieving success?  I believe that when the outcome isn’t what we expect we should focus on the process instead of the outcome.  My wife is an Independent Beauty Consultant with Mary Kay Cosmetics.  If her sales are not where expected it is not beneficial for me to tell her that she should sell more.  (Of course, the weather is improving this time of year.  So those nights I already sleep in the dog house will not be quite as cold.)  Instead, I help her with the process.  We might talk about things such as how many phone calls she has made to her clients, how many appointments she’s made and held for facials, and if she has been able to send reminders to her customers about monthly specials.  Business statistics will show that taking the time to concentrate on the process that generates activity is actually what produces the outcome of higher sales.  So in trying to help my wife with her business, I must remind myself that yelling from the stands, “sell more, sell more, sell more” doesn’t correlate to success or motivate her to do better.

If you or your child’s grades aren’t what you intend, then chanting “Come on Johnny, study more” may not be the answer.  Instead, why not try concentrating on the process that generates better grades?   How does Johnny learn best?  Is it reading the material, listening to lectures on the material, or is it writing the material?  Knowing the answer to these questions can help Johnny focus on studying the best way for him.  When and where is Johnny studying?  That is a very important part of the process. Studying right after school may be a bad idea.  Has Johnny had time to rest and take a break from school?  Have you had time to rest after a long days work before you jump into studying?  Do you study in a quiet place or do you study with light background noise?  All of these are important parts of the process that change the outcome.  So, no more yelling, “get better grades”!

If you are not achieving your desired outcome I encourage you to look at the process through which the results come, whether that is how many phone calls to make or how many hours to study.  In other words, is the process what it needs to be?  The next time you get ready to yell something at someone who doesn’t seem to be doing their best and getting their desired outcome, I encourage you to think about the process.  Maybe you can help them think about the “nuts and bolts” of the process that will get them the results that will allow them to achieve their goals.