COACH OR HR

“The management of human resources is essential.” It might not seem like it, but this phrase was spoken by Massimiliano Allegri just over a month ago. A coach, especially in team sports, according to the Tuscan coach, must first know how to manage a group of athletes just like a manager does with their own work team.

Many times, people make the mistake of thinking that a coach’s role is limited to technical tasks, and that the players are just pawns to be instructed in order to achieve the desired result: victory. This is not the case; managing a group is fundamental. Every player is different from the others, has their own personality, characteristics, and history. Ignoring all these elements would be a serious mistake. This is why the role of a coach is very similar to that of an HR manager in a company. If we then consider that the players are the primary architects of a team’s success, we understand how this aspect of the coach’s role is even more crucial for the success of the entire organization.

Human resources management is therefore a significant part of a coach’s job, but there is no winning formula; each coach has their own method and characteristics, which must then be adapted to the environment they find themselves in. The same group management method can produce completely opposite results depending on the club, the athletes, and the country with which the coach works. Allegri himself explains how, when transitioning from Cagliari to Milan, he had to learn to manage his athletes in a completely different way, as they had gone from being good players to international stars; then he had to do the same after the summer of 2012, when many champions had left Milanello, leaving behind a younger team less accustomed to certain pressures.

The Tuscan coach also explains how, upon his arrival at Juventus, he found himself in a team with great champions, like his first Milan, but with a very different club philosophy, which led him to adapt and modify his management of the locker room once again.

Carlo Ancelotti, in his book Il leader calmo (“The Calm Leader”), also explains how the method to be used differs not only depending on the philosophy of the club but also based on the country in which one works. The Reggiolo coach, in his first foreign experience at Chelsea, understood the importance of having collaborators who were historically part of the club, to have a point of reference who knew the team’s philosophy and the national culture well.

In the same book, the coach also explains how important it is to build a group, which also involves moments shared outside the field. Ancelotti believes it is crucial, for example, that the training center has a place where athletes can stop to eat or spend time together. This is why, upon arriving at PSG, he asked the club to build these spaces, which the Parisian club lacked. In this way, the sports center began to feel much more welcoming, where players could feel at home. For the coach, it was crucial that, first of all, a group be formed that was as cohesive as possible, in order to then get the best out of each athlete.

Another important element is the management of the individual player. Ancelotti always explains how, in a locker room, it is always good to identify the charismatic leaders and technical leaders. This way, it is immediately clear whom to assign certain tasks and responsibilities to, placing them in the best position to give their best for the team. At the same time, the role of those he calls “the unsung heroes” should not be underestimated: less flashy players, but who manage to provide balance and solidity to the group.

By holding these principles steady, it is then possible to adopt different strategies for managing human resources within the same locker room. It seems clear to everyone, for example, that the philosophy adopted by Mourinho is quite different from that of Ancelotti, even though both coaches successfully led Chelsea and Real Madrid. In these cases, both coaches adhered to their general principles of managing athletes, adapting them to the specific context in which they found themselves. The result was success for both in London and Spain, proving that there is no single right strategy, even in similar conditions.

The coach therefore remains the technical and tactical leader of any team, but he is primarily the manager of the human resources that make up the locker room. This task is often overlooked or underestimated, but it is essential to get the best out of your players and achieve your objectives.