sent by Nick Grantham | 20th July 2021
Three weeks ago, an action sports athlete I used to coach had a massive accident (even by his standards). The injuries were severe, and there were lots of them. I'm pleased to say that he's on the mend. I've seen the video of the crash, and on first viewing, the uninformed may think it was an inevitable result of the reckless actions of an adrenaline junkie. But the reality couldn't be further from the truth. Gee would have planned that ridge-line meticulously, and all of the risks would have been measured and calculated. Unfortunately, you can't mitigate all risks, and sometimes things go wrong. I'm reminded of a conversation a couple of years ago with Darren Roberts. Action sports athletes are always taking measured risks. They're not reckless; they probably spend more time planning and preparing than many of us do in our day to day roles. We could learn from the action sports athlete. Whilst the consequences of our actions and decision making may not be life-threatening, they may at times put athletes at risk of under-training, overtraining or injury. We may not push hard enough during rehab to get the athlete back in time for an important match. We may think it's too risky. On the other hand, we may play it safe and cost the athlete a chance to compete. We have lots of important decisions to make daily, and we need to get good at taking measured risks.
Source: Darren Roberts
Trying to keep abreast of information in such a fast-moving industry is challenging. There are times when I have no idea about the latest research study, or I've not heard about the groundbreaking performance innovation. I don't always have time to listen to the newest performance podcast or watch a webinar. But here's the thing, I've become comfortable knowing that I don't have to have an insight or opinion on everything. Figure out what things you don't need to know or care about.
Source: The Daily Stoic by Ryan Holiday and Stephen Hanselman
In 2017 I delivered a keynote presentation at a coaching conference. At the end of the session, a delegate said, "You speak the coaches language". Later that week, I spoke at a military conference. At the official conference dinner, I was asked by one of the officers, "What regiment did you serve with?" I've never been in the military. On both occasions, I had successfully become a chameleon. Having spent twelve years working as a consultant in performance sport, I've learnt that you have to learn to quickly onboard and embed yourself into a wide range of organisations and teams. You have to become good at being a chameleon. I am always the same coach but constantly switching up my delivery style, language, mannerisms, attitudes, and dress to assimilate into the setting and culture. Become a socially intelligent practitioner.
Source: Nick Grantham
Some coaches project an air of confidence, but often their belief is grounded in a lack of fundamental knowledge and just their tightly held belief in one snippet of information. They have a shallow understanding and an answer for everything, but those answers don't have much depth. The genuinely confident practitioners are the ones who happily tell you that they don't have the answer. They know there are things they're not too sure about, but they have a willingness to learn. Watch out for the shouty person who knows all the answers but isn't open to any questions.
Source: Earl Gray Stevens
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