After seeing his team mauled by a rampant Australian side, in Melbourne, one might have expected England coach Tony Smith, to be ‘gutted’ after the match. To be taking defeat personally. Inconsolable and angry.
But no. Smith is calm and collected, in his interviews. Down, of course. But with enough clarity of mind, to suggest that he really may be able to pinpoint exactly how and why his team were outperformed. And correct the problem.
Sometimes managers and coaches, allow their emotions to get the better of them. That, the outcome, is in some way, a reflection of themselves. The problem with this type of charged response, is that can prevent the clarity of thinking, that leads to solutions. That leads to recognising the individual and collective habits, patterns and behaviours, that have created this outcome.
Of course, it doesn’t mean that Tony Smith will be able to reverse this result, if Australia and England meet again. But, by virtue of his calmness, it affords him the best possible chance, to know what has happened, why it happened, and what to do about it.