Mental Preparation I played New Zealand many times. I lost to New Zealand many times. I came close to beating New Zealand several times. But I didn’t. Looking back we lost those close games in the mind. There were games when I don’t believe that every member of our squad genuinely thought we would win. […]
I was still at school when I first represented Strathendrick men’s team. At no point was I made to do any awkward initiation. A few years later, joining Watsonians, the initiation was to join the senior members of the team at the back of the bus for some cheese and wine. Granted it was a […]
Photo courtesy of Craig Watson Photography Room for Improvement “We’re always going to strive to be better…” “We can be a hell of a lot better…” “From a coaching point of view I know we can do a lot better…” Three different quotes after the three matches in the Guinness Pro14 from Glasgow Warriors Head […]
Do you listen or are you just waiting to talk? In my last Blog (“That’s not what I meant…”) I discussed some important aspects of how you communicate. One I touched on was listening. This is such a big part of communication it merits its own Blog. Here I will discuss Active Listening, what it […]
There’s more to communication than what you say I gave an overview of my experiences leading Team Scotland at the Commonwealth Youth Games (http://colingregor.com/commonwealth-youth-games/ ). One of the important areas I found was how the team communicated. Previously, I touched on the What’s App group we had. This allowed for immediate dissemination of information. It […]
Some time in early December 2016 I was asked about the role of Team Leader for the Bahamas 2017 Commonwealth Youth Games. Obviously the location sounded attractive. However so did the opportunity it presented. Reasons included: help develop young Scottish athletes, work with an exciting and ambitious management team, challenge, and hopefully improve myself, operating […]
Congratulations to Saracens. The 4th team to retain the European Cup. 2 games away from a “Double Double” of European Cup and Aviva Premiership triumphs in consecutive seasons. There are few teams in Europe that come close to them on the rugby pitch. And there are few teams that come close off the field. Saracens […]
How often do you hear “You must communicate more”? And how often do people take that to mean talk? Effective communication must work both ways. Is it fair to expect others to listen to you if you are not willing to listen to them? I have started a Business Coaching qualification with the Institute of […]
Leadership. How do you define it? Can you? Can you compare it from one industry to another? From one team to another? Is it the same across the world? Are there fundamental basics of leadership that apply to all, no matter their industry, location etc? Basics of Leadership The attached article has an interesting take on […]
The problem with being outside your comfort zone is that it is uncomfortable! Yes, that is pointing out the obvious, but it scares lots of people. Yet you do not reach your personal potential if you don’t push yourself. “Great things never came from comfort zones.” For leaders it is a real challenge to encourage […]