message 11

One year at a centre i used to work at i won "the least likey to have his key ring" award at the annual staff Christmas party where they always made fun little prizes. You see you needed your key ring to get through the front gates and without it the receptionists would always have to get up and buzz you in. I never did it intentionally it was just that my office was on the outside of the gates so i would go through dozens of times a day. Normally i had it and if i left it i would almost always go back to my office to get it but inevitably there would be times when i was in a rush and needed one of the receptionists to buzz me in, hence the award.

What effect do you think recieving this award had on me?

Being somebody who understands the power of labels (and yes maybe is a bit of a trouble maker) i no longer cared at all if i forgot my key ring. I would just go up to the gate with a big smile and my hands in the air and say " i know i know, no key ring guy". Everyone would giggle and i would be buzzed in. The net affect on my behavior was that it got worse.....

I know some of you are thinking i was just being silly but do not underestimate the power of labels. People are inclined to behave conguently with their self labels. Great leaders, coaches, teachers, and all people of influence understand this principle and use it to shape positive labels and therefore beliefs and behaviours in people. Unfortunately negative labels have as much influence as postitive ones and people develop them with disasterous results far to often. Once we label a person, lazy, shy, quite, messy, insecure, a troublemaker it is very often going to just increase any problems they are having. I have seen this happen to so many athletes with devasting effect.

Be proactive in developing labels in your athletes or employees or children. Start by developing a strong defenition of powerful positive labels. This can happen very subtly when you catch them really running after a tough ball, going back over the numbers again, trying over and over again to tie a shoe lace tell them "that is great determination you are showing to keep trying when its tough" The next time you see a similar behaviour you can say "wow you always show such great determination when you have a challenge" the next time you will say "that just like you, you have such amazing determination" and the positive labeling is underway. This can be done of couse for any label (positive or negative so be carefull!).

What a wonderful gift you can give somebody the positive self label of confident, courageous, hard worker, determined etc. I am confident you will be amazed by the results of helping people build their "who to be" qualities through strong labels which ultimately become part of their identity.

Good Luck!