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In this blog post, Coach Eastman talks about our ability to improve in our profession:
As I look back on the good fortune I have had in my career (from a Graduate Assistant making $2,000 a year to an Assistant Coach with the 2008 NBA World Champions) I keep coming back to a theme: LEARNING and PERSONAL GROWTH.
The ability to move up the ladder and improve your salary in any profession is all about developing and increasing your own personal value. Too often I have heard coaches and corporate people say “I don’t get paid enough” and my first thought every time is “maybe you’re not valuable enough.” It is my opinion that our salaries are not the responsibility of our employer; rather, it is OUR RESPONSIBILITY to bring a greater value to our employer.
As you move forward with your career, I encourage you to continue to learn more, do more, and produce more. Read everything you can on your subject; listen to every DVD and podcast you can; talk to as many coaches that have been where you want to be; create your own Personal Board of Advisors – people you can go to for advice, information and guidance. I can tell you that I do all of these things and more.
The problem today with many people trying to move up the ladder is that there is a feeling of entitlement rather than a commitment to investment. Invest in your future by going to the clinics, watching the practices, reading the articles, listening, and constantly trying to become better than you were last week! Ask questions, take notes, study the best, and become better this week than last week.
Do everything you can every day to increase your value. Just as you never want to lose your Most Valuable Player, your employer is the same — they don’t want to lose their Most Valuable Employee. Invest in your own personal growth. It works….it took me from a Graduate Assistant to the bench of the World Champions. I wish you the best as you continue to improve!
