Too often we want to improve our weaknesses, but it might be wiser to train our strong sides for 75 percent and our weak sides for 25 percent. Try it and you will notice that everybody is starting to ...
Too often we want to improve our weaknesses, but it might be wiser to train our strong sides for 75 percent and our weak sides for 25 percent. Try it and you will notice that everybody is starting to feel better. That is the point where you start distinguishing yourself from other people.
Marc Lammers is an example of a modern coach. He is the former head coach of the Dutch women's national field hockey team. Earlier, at a relatively young age, he was the coach of the Spanish national team and a rather good hockey player himself. Marc played five international games with the national men's team. As a coach he prepared his women's team for more than 280 international matches.
During his stay in Spain he has led the Spanish team from the twentieth to the fourth place in the world ranking-list at the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games. His team won the silver medal at the 2002 World Championships after a breathtaking final that was lost after penalties. In 2003 the Dutch women's national field hockey team won the European Championships in Barcelona. The team finished second at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, after it lost the finals in a very exciting game against Germany. A complete new team won the Champions Trophy and the European Championships in Dublin, 2005. A year later the Netherlands won the Champions Trophy again.
At the Olympic Games in Beijng in 2008 his team won the golden medal by beating host country China in the finals. Marc is well-known for his innovations. There was even a verb named after him: lammering.
Already in his days he used a lot of technology in his modern-style coaching, such as video glasses, analysis software, new type hockey sticks, heartbeat meters and earphones. All these are now pretty common but he was really a pioneer in this field. Marc's presentations are innovative, visual, interactive, lively and emotional. Examples derived from practical experiences provide a perfect link to other branches of industry. Coaching has changed tremendously over the last years. Marc has his own clear vision on the new developments.
"It has been a distinct pleasure for us to have had the opportunity to get to work together with you on our Professional Development Conference this Maren at the Vogue Hotel! We have received a lot of strong positive feedback following the success of the inaugural conference series and support for future events like it. This was the first year that we had organized an event like this and had taken careful steps to ensuring that we selected the most relevant and knowledgeable speakers to present at our event. Your opening presentation was a perfect start to the day's events and set the stage for an engaging, poignant and humorous approach to learning on how to be an effective negotiator! And we could not be more pleased!
One of the most memorable stories you shared with us was your interaction with your daughter at the shopping mail and how you were able to buy eternal love for the price of a Barbie doll! Or your interactions with your father-in-law! We absolutely love all your stories and your amazing sense of humour. You left an unforgettable impression on us and we wanted to thank you for it! You make negotiating seem simple, fun and natural! Your expertise on the issue has contributed to a large part of our successes this year and your teachings are an absolute gift to all those who are lucky enough to experience it! We look forward to dealing with you again in the future and wish you the very best in all your future endeavours!"
First of all let me tell you that Marc's speech was a hit at our congress. He got the longest applause and kept the audience on its chair for the full hour. The room was packed and not only the Dutch crowd felt proud of having such an excellent representative of their country speaking to our global audience, but also the rest of the audience got hugely inspired. Please convey our thanks and congratulations to Marc. We noticed how much work he put into preparing his speech and making connections with the world of market research.
Many thanks for your help during these months and hopefully we will be able to work together again in the future.