In Coach Wooden's Pyramid of Success, cooperation is defined as something one must do "with all levels of your colleagues. Listen if you want to be heard. Be interested in finding the best way, not having your own way. ”
Coach Wooden expanded on the importance of cooperation by thinking about the different ways technology and progress are bringing people together like never before. He named everyone involved in the development and operation of the high-speed travel we use to criss-cross the country. He looked at the space program and how many thousands of people worked together at all levels to make every launch possible. He was impressed with the global media that could beam images from around the world into our homes in moments, as a string of people worked together to bring us news of other human beings elsewhere in the world.
“C It's a small world,” Coach said. “When you stop and think about the food we eat, the means of transport that take us from place to place, the clothes we wear; almost every essential part of our daily lives that someone else is responsible for, not ourselves. In everything around us, we need others in every way, and the surest way to cooperate with others, in order to make the most of our own abilities, is to cooperate ourselves. »
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Breaking down his definition of the concept, Coach Wooden's definition of cooperation includes three elements:
1. “With all levels of your colleagues.”
A young man once asked Coach this question:“Next week, I'm going to start my first job as a manager in a brand new department. What advice can you give me? »
“Make sure your department members know they are working with you, not for you. »
The coach replied, "Make sure the people in your department know they're working with you, not for you."
The young man nodded enthusiastically and replied, "Coach Wooden, what other advice can you give me?"
The coach smiled, then repeated slowly and carefully, "Make sure you that the people in your department know that they are working with you, not for you. »
2. “Listen if you want to be heard. ”
One night I had an energetic but friendly phone conversation with my mother-in-law, Nan Wooden (the coach's daughter), about something we just didn't agree on. . Nan was saying her position when she suddenly stopped and asked me, "Honey, are you listening to what I'm saying or are you just thinking about what you're going to say when I finished talking? ”
I was caught. I had thought about what I was going to say when she was done rather than actually listening to her words. Be a better listener than me on this occasion – you will get much better cooperation.
3. “Be interested in finding the best way, not having your own way.”
In the 1970 national championship game, UCLA faced the University of Jacksonville and their great Pan Am center, Artis Gilmore. At the start of the game, things weren't going well for UCLA; they were trailing in the score and Gilmore was dominating the game. After a timeout, the Bruins made a key change in their strategy against Gilmore and the game turned around. Gilmore only made 9 of 29 shots. UCLA won its sixth national title, 80-69.
What makes this story unique, however, is that the change in strategy Coach Wooden implemented was the suggestion of one of his players , Sidney Wicks. Because he was willing to listen to others – and had created an environment where people at all levels of the team felt safe sharing ideas because they all knew they shared a common goal – l he team managed to succeed at the highest level of competition. This moment perfectly illustrates the importance of one of the coach's favorite expressions:“What is right is more important than who is right.”
We can only reach our full potential if we have the cooperation of others. Coach Wooden's definition is an excellent checklist to help us understand how to gain and maintain this all-important cooperation.
Related: How John Wooden Led His Teams to a Victorious Life
