http://www.sacbee.com/content/business/story/14258117p-15072642c.html
How the Kings should hunt for a coach
By Jon Ortiz -- Bee Staff Writer
Published 12:01 am PDT Sunday, May 21, 2006
But when a business goes in search of someone to take the helm, how should it select prospective candidates and how should they be evaluated?
As co-founder of locally based Maxson Group, executive recruiter Gillian Parrillo has found top-level executives for tech firms such as McAfee Inc., Kenai Systems Inc. and Convergent Logic. Her expertise is in advising firms how to find the right person for the right job.
Parrillo recently discussed the recruiting process and how businesses -- as well as Kings owners Joe and Gavin Maloof -- move forward. It's an issue about which she has a passion: An ardent Kings fan, Parrillo has been a season-ticket holder for eight years.
Q: The Maloofs have said that they let Adelman go because they want someone who will take the team to the next level, presumably a championship. What process should they use to select the best candidate?
A: They've probably done this, but if they haven't, the Maloofs need to get together with (general manager Geoff) Petrie, and take input from all of the team members: players, support staff, everybody who is involved.
Then they need to build a plan to win. And part of that plan to win is the coach. It's almost like everyone thinks that the day they hire the new coach that they're going to win the championship. It doesn't work like that. Coaching and management decisions are part of the bigger plan.
Q: What qualities make for an effective leader in this situation?
A: The new coach must be someone who can immediately gain respect and someone who will build a winning spirit. I've always thought that the thing the team lacked was the ability to dig down at the most important moments to put them over the top.
The ability to get people to give extra effort is what sets you ahead of the competition. It's the difference between being a top company and an also-ran.
I used to work for a software company that was all about meeting our quarterly goals. Everyone knew what those goals where, and they would dig in at the end of every quarter to meet those sales numbers.
Part of getting that last extra bit comes when an effective leader figures out how to empower people. That helps people in the organization dig down because they feel like they personally have a part in the success of the company.
Q: An NBA coach is the classic middle manager, with the players below and the owners and general manager above. A lot of people focus on the latter when they talk about a coach, but how important is it that the next coach have the ability to "manage up"?
A: The Maloofs need to make sure that they hire somebody willing to tell them things that they don't want to hear. And he needs to have a part in pushing the owners to do things that they don't necessarily want to do sometimes.
It comes down to hiring smart people. You don't want executives or managers who are "yes" people.
Leaders of great companies hire people smarter than them and aren't intimidated by it because they know that there's value in being challenged with new ideas and new possibilities.
Q: How much weight should the Maloofs and Petrie give to experience and whether a candidate has won a championship?
A: They need to hire someone who has done it or an assistant who played a major role on a championship team. The new coach shouldn't have to be explained to the fans or the organization -- everyone should know that he's a winner.
The problem is that a lot of winning head coaches are older. I like the idea of building the team around a younger leader who knows the latest trends and techniques and can run things now and for years to come.
Q: One of the knocks on Adelman was that he didn't have much of a public persona. How important is image to someone managing in a company that has a lot of public exposure?
A: The biggest problem was that Adelman was never seen as part of the management team. When you thought of Kings management, you thought of the Maloofs and Petrie.
But this has broader implications. If the Maloofs bring in the right person with a strong image of leadership and winning, they would be sending a message: A top-notch guy is taking a chance on Sacramento.
Q: Could the new coach impact discussions about a new arena?
A: It's always in the back of your mind that if Sacramento doesn't do things right, the team is going to go. I don't know if that's been said, but that feeling is there. Fairly or unfairly, people question the Maloofs' commitment to Sacramento.
Hiring a top-flight manager would send a message that the owners are committed long-term to the team, so the local government should be too.
Q: It sounds like you think that the team will need to open up the checkbook for the next coach.
A: I think that money is the last part of it. When you're a company looking for leadership, you find the right person and then you pay what you've got to pay.
Finding the right person is the most important thing.
About the writer: The Bee's Jon Ortiz can be reached at (916) 321-1043 or jortiz@sacbee.com.
How the Kings should hunt for a coach
By Jon Ortiz -- Bee Staff Writer
Published 12:01 am PDT Sunday, May 21, 2006
But when a business goes in search of someone to take the helm, how should it select prospective candidates and how should they be evaluated?
As co-founder of locally based Maxson Group, executive recruiter Gillian Parrillo has found top-level executives for tech firms such as McAfee Inc., Kenai Systems Inc. and Convergent Logic. Her expertise is in advising firms how to find the right person for the right job.
Parrillo recently discussed the recruiting process and how businesses -- as well as Kings owners Joe and Gavin Maloof -- move forward. It's an issue about which she has a passion: An ardent Kings fan, Parrillo has been a season-ticket holder for eight years.
Q: The Maloofs have said that they let Adelman go because they want someone who will take the team to the next level, presumably a championship. What process should they use to select the best candidate?
A: They've probably done this, but if they haven't, the Maloofs need to get together with (general manager Geoff) Petrie, and take input from all of the team members: players, support staff, everybody who is involved.
Then they need to build a plan to win. And part of that plan to win is the coach. It's almost like everyone thinks that the day they hire the new coach that they're going to win the championship. It doesn't work like that. Coaching and management decisions are part of the bigger plan.
Q: What qualities make for an effective leader in this situation?
A: The new coach must be someone who can immediately gain respect and someone who will build a winning spirit. I've always thought that the thing the team lacked was the ability to dig down at the most important moments to put them over the top.
The ability to get people to give extra effort is what sets you ahead of the competition. It's the difference between being a top company and an also-ran.
I used to work for a software company that was all about meeting our quarterly goals. Everyone knew what those goals where, and they would dig in at the end of every quarter to meet those sales numbers.
Part of getting that last extra bit comes when an effective leader figures out how to empower people. That helps people in the organization dig down because they feel like they personally have a part in the success of the company.
Q: An NBA coach is the classic middle manager, with the players below and the owners and general manager above. A lot of people focus on the latter when they talk about a coach, but how important is it that the next coach have the ability to "manage up"?
A: The Maloofs need to make sure that they hire somebody willing to tell them things that they don't want to hear. And he needs to have a part in pushing the owners to do things that they don't necessarily want to do sometimes.
It comes down to hiring smart people. You don't want executives or managers who are "yes" people.
Leaders of great companies hire people smarter than them and aren't intimidated by it because they know that there's value in being challenged with new ideas and new possibilities.
Q: How much weight should the Maloofs and Petrie give to experience and whether a candidate has won a championship?
A: They need to hire someone who has done it or an assistant who played a major role on a championship team. The new coach shouldn't have to be explained to the fans or the organization -- everyone should know that he's a winner.
The problem is that a lot of winning head coaches are older. I like the idea of building the team around a younger leader who knows the latest trends and techniques and can run things now and for years to come.
Q: One of the knocks on Adelman was that he didn't have much of a public persona. How important is image to someone managing in a company that has a lot of public exposure?
A: The biggest problem was that Adelman was never seen as part of the management team. When you thought of Kings management, you thought of the Maloofs and Petrie.
But this has broader implications. If the Maloofs bring in the right person with a strong image of leadership and winning, they would be sending a message: A top-notch guy is taking a chance on Sacramento.
Q: Could the new coach impact discussions about a new arena?
A: It's always in the back of your mind that if Sacramento doesn't do things right, the team is going to go. I don't know if that's been said, but that feeling is there. Fairly or unfairly, people question the Maloofs' commitment to Sacramento.
Hiring a top-flight manager would send a message that the owners are committed long-term to the team, so the local government should be too.
Q: It sounds like you think that the team will need to open up the checkbook for the next coach.
A: I think that money is the last part of it. When you're a company looking for leadership, you find the right person and then you pay what you've got to pay.
Finding the right person is the most important thing.
About the writer: The Bee's Jon Ortiz can be reached at (916) 321-1043 or jortiz@sacbee.com.
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