The Assist

NBA Playoff basketball started this week and something very specific showed up for me as I was watching.

During a pregame show they were highlighting the play of the Denver Nuggets superstar center Nikola Jokic, a two-time NBA MVP, by showing a highlight reel with him making remarkable passes.

Then the games started and I watched Joel Embid, the Philadelphia 76ers, 7’2” 280 lb. center lead a fastbreak. That by itself is remarkable, but then he threw a long bounce pass to a streaking Kelly Oubre Jr. who had gotten behind the defense for an easy lay up. 

I love the assist, especially improbable ones. One of the greatest NBA players of all time for making breathtaking assists was Magic Johnson. While he isn’t the all time assist leader, he made the no look pass an art form.

The assist exists in many team sports: basketball, hockey, baseball, football, volleyball and even in ultimate frisbee, my son's sport of passion. Sure they aren’t all called an assist, but when a pulling guard takes out a linebacker so a runner can gain more yards, to me it is an assist. Similarly, a quarterback pass or a handler throw in ultimate which enables a receiver or cutter in ultimate the opportunity to make a great catch, is to me, also an assist.  So what is an assist?

Assist - an act or action that helps someone. 

What does an assist have to do with business and or leadership? As I mentioned in my preamble, sports teaches many lessons.

A leader's job is easy to define and hard to do. As a manager and leader you are responsible for managing the work to be done to ensure delivery of the desired result. This is what most first level managers focus on. Next you must lead, which for me means leading the people you are accountable for. By leading I mean your job is to create context for what you are doing and why you are doing it. 

Lastly is coaching. This seems to be the one managers and leaders struggle with.. Many don’t understand that part of their job is to coach their employees to become the best versions of themselves. 

So where does the assist fit in with all of these responsibilities? An assist is an act or action that helps someone. Well, what then are the acts or actions that help someone?

We can literally help someone do the job they are doing. We shouldn’t do it all the time, but it's a great way to teach someone the job to be done. We also help people do the job when we have a time constraint around getting a job done or we are short handed in staffing.  A good restaurant or bar manager is frequently seen getting employees what they need to be more effective in their role, like getting the bartender ice or glasses. We can ask employees questions that help them see new possibilities for action. All of these actions are an assist.

I read an article in the Wall Street Journal about the CEO of Ferrari who is transforming his company. Learning that many employees had never driven in a Ferrari, he invited them to the test track to experience the cars for themselves. “He said, one woman came up to him on the verge of tears. She had been mounting Ferrari’s dashboards for decades, but only after seeing her work in action-at several hundred kilometers per hour- did she really understand her job.” That’s a leader creating an assist by creating context.

I have a client who told his VP of Operations during the start of COVID that he didn’t have to come into the plant. The VP of Operations said, "Yes I do; if my team has to come in I’m coming in." That’s leadership. I also know that the same VP of Operations will take whatever action is necessary to help his team deliver on the company's promises. He manages, leads, coaches and makes assists when needed.  

As a coach, I’m unable to literally roll up my sleeves and help my clients directly do their job; but I do ask lots of questions that help them see new possibilities for action. Then, we talk through options and they commit to taking action. One of my clients shared, “I got everything I wanted from the sale of my company because of you Alan.” Hearing that my assist made such a difference for my client brought me great joy. 

Every day, managers and leaders have opportunities to coach those they are accountable for, to assist them in becoming the best employees they can be. Doing so makes them more valuable to the company and helps them fulfill its objectives.

As you may have read in my past blogs, I was the head coach on 15 of the 18 basketball teams my son Simon played on growing up. In third grade we started keeping score. At one point, he came off the court and asked "How many assists do I have?” “I don’t know," I replied, "we are only tracking points.” He responded, “Dad, assists are just as important as points.” 

Yes they are, just ask Karl Malone who played 18 seasons with John Stockton, the NBA’s all time assist leader. They each made each other better, both becoming top 50 all time NBA players, but I doubt Karl Malone would have become the NBA's third all time leading scorer if he hadn’t played with John Stockton. Assists matter. 

So get out there and start looking for opportunities to assist in your life, at work, home and where you volunteer. It will help others succeed, just like John Stockton helped Karl Malone. It will also bring you great joy. Maybe you’ll even end up in someone’s hall of fame, like Stockton and Malone.