Some typical performance issues one would find in this movie include lack of teamwork, insubordination orders and peer pressure. The team Norman Dale (Gene Hackman) inherited was out of shape, out of style and substance. They did not know the fundamentals and if the players did not follow Dale’s authority, they were quickly escorted off the court. The actor portraying Jimmy Chitwood wanted to stay away from basketball until the team could win without him. It took a lot of persuading by Dale to have Chitwood join the team, but the team benefited from his talent.
Some excuses that employees may use to cover up their below-average performance include, “I can do better,” “please give me a another chance” and “It was not my fault.” The assistant coach, played by Dennis Hopper, was an alcoholic who lost his previous coaching job because of his behavior. To prove he is viable, Dale got himself thrown out of one game and left the coaching duties to Hopper’s character. The team rallied around the coach and each other to win the contest.
(NOTE: You may have to tweak this one to fit your experience.) My college professor, Elise Bilder, taught public relations at Rutgers University. She excelled at students to open up about us and challenged her class to better themselves, like me. Professor Bilder inspired me to pursue PR as a career, and I thank her every day for that.
Works Cited
- The descriptions in this essay were taken from the 1986 movie, “Hoosiers,” starring Gene Hackman, Dennis Hopper and Barbara Hershey. Additional material retrieved Dec. 10, 2008 from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hoosiers.
