Developing Decision Makers

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Developing Decision Makers

• A humanistic approach to coaching

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Definition of decision making

• a process of selecting an alternative from among
  many choices to achieve a desire result.

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Why develop decision makers?

• By involving athletes in the decision making
  process develops the athletes understanding in
  solving problems for themselvestherefore
  enhancing learning.
• This process is a stepping stone to Athlete
  Empowerment!

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Athlete Empowerment

• Athletes gain and take ownership of knowledge,
  development and decision making that will
  maximise their performance.

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Its a matter of style...whats yours?
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Autocratic Coaches

• Will always talk about their concerns of low
  athletic activity, poor performance quality and
  lack of motivation and commitment by athletes

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Democratic coaches

• Athletes with supportive coaches demonstrate
  greater motivation, enjoy participating and
  competing in sport, make informed decisions more
  rapidly in the ever changing game and show a
  mutual trust between player-player, player-coach,
  coach- player and coach- coach.

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Changing a mindset

• Cultural concerns of athletes been caught up in
  previous Autocratic Coaching processes can lead
  them to feel reluctant to take ownership and
  accept responsibility for their development and
  decision making
• What about cultural up-bringing?

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Progressively involve the athletes

• What are some examples where a coach could start
  to introduce the athletes to be involved in the
  decision making process?

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Decision Style

• 7 concerns of making a decision in sport
• Time Pressure
• Decision quality required
• Information location
• Problem complexity
• Group acceptance
• Coachs power
• Group integration

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1.Time Pressure

• Many of the decisions have to be made under a
  great time pressure. The lack of time may
  preclude participative decisions.

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2. Decision quality required

• Some problems require optimal solutions
• For example player selection in pivotal roles
• Some may have several acceptable alternatives
• For example the selection of a leadership group
  or captain

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3. Information location

• The decision will be affected by the information
  processed by the individual.
• Knowledge based

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4. Problem complexity

• When the problem is complex an individual with
  the necessary information is more likely to make
  the optimal decision than a group.
• Crossword activity
• Half the group are require to solve a crossword
  as a team
• Half the group are required to design a crossword
• (2 observers to record findings)

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5. Group acceptance

• Acceptance by the group is more crucial in some
  instances than others?
• Make a list of what may be considered crucial and
  what may not be considered crucial
• Give 2006 World Champs scenario.

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6. Coachs power

• To the extent that group acceptance of a decision
  is important, that acceptance may be affected by
  the coachs power over the group
• Control over rewards
• Control over punishments
• Authority residing in the position of a coach
• Admiration and liking for the coach
• Expertise and previous experience

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7. Group integration

• Disjointed teams may weaken team consensus and
  team spirit if interpersonal relationships are
  already strained
• in fighting- clickyness

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Your choices are an

• Autocratic Style
• Coach makes final decision. Consultation may have
  taken place with one or more players
• Participative Style
• The group which includes the coach makes the
  decision
• Delegative Style
• Coach delegates the decision making to one or
  more members of the team. Coach may announce
  their decision and implement it.

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When should I do what?
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References

• Chelladurai. P., Galen. T. Styles of Decision
  Making in Coaching. Chapter 7. pp107-119.
• Kidman. L. (2001). Developing Decision Makers-An
  Empowerment Approach to Coaching. Innovative
  Print Communications Ltd. NZ.