“Effective teamwork begins and ends with communication.” – Coach K

Perhaps no one says it better than former Duke University Basketball Coach Mike Krzyzewski, who owns an NCAA record 1,170 wins and five national championships.

Off the court, Coach K is known for developing leaders, inspiring performance, and building a productive culture around a team. As he alludes, that all begins – and ends – with communication. Keeping Everyone Informed is built upon not just consistent but strategic communication. Like Coach K has also said, “If your team doesn’t hear you, you’re not saying anything.” So how do we communicate to inform in a way that emanates a positive, productive environment with our colleagues? How do we make sure they really hear us?

Coach K and Keeping Everyone Informed: 5 Fantastic Tips.

1. Value Input.

In an interview about communication, Coach K said this: “We communicate in a staff meeting, where I want input. You know, I ask what do you think. I would hope that they would just say things without me even saying that, but sometimes you have to prompt communication. You know, John, what's your opinion of that? Do you have something to say? How would we do that?”

2. Speak to Action.

“A lot of people can communicate after, a lot communicate before. While it's going on, come on, we're trying to win while it's going on. We're preparing to win before, we're analyzing if we won or lost afterward. The communication while it's going on becomes the most important communication that you can have."

3. Look ‘em in the Eye.

It’s part of Coach K’s 4 pillars of Teamwork: Communication. “Look each other in the eye when speaking with one another.” It’s simple, yet substantial.

4. Show Respect, at all Times.

Coach K never pampered his stars — and he coached plenty of them both at Duke and on the Men’s National Team. On team trips, the players sit with the managers. Whether a teammate is carrying the team offensively or carrying the towels and water bottles to practice, Krzyzewski treats them as contributors.

“Don’t minimize positions,” he argued. “Showing respect carries forward in all aspects of the team culture and performance. That’s part of building a great organization.”

5. Make Time for the Message.

For Coach K, values do not change but the means for communicating them may. They change over time, and they adjust to the team at hand (say, his Duke team vs. the US Men’s National Team).

“Communication, to constantly adapt to the people you have the honor to coach. You have to adapt to the current generation. How do you continue to relate to the current culture? It’s up to the leader to do that. Always adapt to the players you are coaching. I never adapted our values though. It’s how you communicate and teach those values,” he said in an interview.

All that is to say, set aside time to decide how to communicate as well as what you communicate. A well-considered message can make a huge difference.