It’s not often I read a book that is life changing. Furthermore, I have never read a book and thought the ideas in it could literally change the world. However, after reading Better Conversations by Jim Knight, I started to wonder what our classrooms might look like if we each intentionally, as Knight says, “coached ourselves and each other to be more credible, caring, and connected.”
In searching for what this intentional conversation might look like, I came across this Candid Conversation with Minnesota’s Golden Gophers basketball coach, Richard Pitino Jr. Pitino’s record with the Gophers last season was a sad 8-23. A season that seemed to be defaced by the suspensions of three key players, Kevin Dorsey, Nate Mason and Dupree McBrayer. Fast forward one year and the Big Ten Coach of the Year and his Gophers find themselves 24-9 and a chance at the Big Dance.
The question remains, how did Pitino turn this program around? Listening to this Candid Conversation a second time, it seems Pitino credits the turnaround to having better conversations. Better conversations with his players about taking ownership. Better conversations about working together as a team. Better conversations about taking criticism. Better conversations about winning.
“To be an authentic communicator, we have to know what we believe and then we have to act in a way that is consistent with those beliefs. The journey towards having better conversations is actually a journey toward authenticity” (Knight,7) Well Coach Pitino, it seems as if you know exactly what you believe. I look forward to watching your journey.
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