From the sidelines, most of us are undefeated.
Inside the arena, things gets harder.
That is worth remembering before examining a Division I athletics director’s response to his football team’s 60–10 loss to a conference rival this past Saturday. Within four hours, he released a public statement, calling the performance “unacceptable” and expressing embarrassment. He also accepted responsibility and affirmed continued investment in the program.
I cannot know its full impact or the private conversations surrounding it. But it offers a useful opportunity for all of us to examine how we respond when our people fall short.
In this case, the teams earned a score. The leader’s response earns one, too.
Call it the second scoreboard. Its central question belongs to every leader:
Will our response leave the people responsible for improving performance better equipped and supported to succeed?
They have seen the first scoreboard. I’m quite sure few players or coaches needed someone to explain that Saturday’s outcome missed the standard. They had just lived it.
What do they need from us now?
Before responding to a disappointing outcome, consider six questions..
1. Check your purpose. What will most likely help us achieve our desired outcome? Acknowledging failure, reassuring supporters, and improving performance are legitimate objectives. Choose the response most likely to help achieve the outcome.
2. Manage yourself first. Have I processed my disappointment sufficiently to respond constructively? Prompt feedback matters. So do judgment, timing, and tone. Our emotions provide information; they should not write the message.
3. Get curious. What do I need to understand — and what might I need to hear? The result is visible. Its causes require investigation. Ask those closest to the work what happened, what they recommend changing, and what they need from you. Giving useful feedback requires a willingness to receive it.
4. Protect dignity. Who needs this message, and where will it do the most good? Public statements can acknowledge a performance gap and establish shared responsibility. They can also spark division when we need resolve. Detailed correction requires direct, and most often private, conversation. Consider whether the message will help people concentrate on improvement or leave them preoccupied with their standing.
5. Give direction. Will they know what to do differently? A judgment identifies dissatisfaction. Useful feedback identifies specific behaviors, priorities, and next steps. Recognize what should be sustained, agree on what must change, and follow up. Correction needs direction.
6. Own your part. What must change in my leadership? Examine the decisions and conditions we helped create. The Athletics Director did hire the head coach just nine months ago. His acknowledgment of responsibility matters. Making that ownership tangible through decisions, support, and follow-through is the continuing work of leadership.
To be clear, we cannot see the full conversation through a public statement. We can, however, use the opportunity to examine our own.
After we speak, do our people understand the priorities? Have a workable next step? Know what help they can expect?
The standard should remain high. Our response should help people reach it.
That’s the second scoreboard. And we’re earning our score.
The Second Scoreboard was originally published in Horizon Performance on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.
