Ebony Rainford-Brent, a member of the incredibly successful team that won the Cricket World Cup; the final of the Women’s World Twenty20; the Natwest One-Day Series and retained the Women’s Ashes, is this week’s guest on Desert Island Discs.
Desert Island Discs is always a good listen but what struck me was her description of how the coaches created a culture of unity and collaboration and the contribution that had to their amazing success. It really resonated with the Everyman chapter of our forthcoming book.
Ebony Rainford-Brent describes how the coaches created a culture of everyone knowing what their role was (whether that was running drinks; opening the batting or bowling etc.) and how they supported each other. My personal favourite aspect is the description of the power of the team song which, over the 18months, they sang every time they won as a collective in the team bus or in the changing room.
“We started to get more excited, not about winning, but about getting in the changing room to start screaming this song out”. “It’s almost tribal actually...” “It was so special to be unified with a group of people, with a common goal, supporting each other and this vision for something that is so special that you know is so rare to be able to achieve.”
Below are extracts from our chapter on the everyman prez-type you can see this thinking in Ebony Rainford-Brent’s description.
Choose to be an everyman prez-type when you want to unite your audience behind their shared values and beliefs and encourage them to work together for mutual success. Select the everyman prez-type when you feel that everyone is integral to achieving a key outcome. You need everyone in the audience pulling in the same direction, fulfilling their important role in the mechanics of the plan. You want each member of the group to feel vital and you want everyone to trust others will do their bit.
The everyman prez-type is best when you want to:
Unite >> You unite the “tribe” behind a shared purpose. You unite them behind a common history. You unite them as equals: in voice and in responsibility.
Collaborate >> You collaborate with your audience to get things done. You collaborate with them to encourage them to work together. You collaborate with them to build trust
Make your main messages “Connections”. A statement that reminds them of what ties us together and/or how we do things here. A team name, moniker, mantra, characteristic, style, motto, strength, habit, profession.
The England Cricket Team’s coaches haven’t read our book as it is not out yet! But we would love you to have access to the thinking. Our Book, The Versatile Presenter, comes out in February: Making Presentations | The Versatile Presenter | Book
Listen to Ebony here:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m0025v9t
Photo from BBC Sounds.
Comments