SimonHarlingBlog Posts

A job description lists all the actions required to fulfill the job, yet omits the sum of its parts – the one thing that, if done well, makes the job worthwhile.

For example, an Athletic Development Coach monitors GPS data, provides on-field conditioning, and delivers gym-based strength and conditioning sessions. The temptation is to continue to build the list – just one more thing.

An athlete develops when their GPS data improves, their strength scores go up, or their mileage increases. True. However, athletic development happens when the athlete believes in what they are doing and is committed to practice; that’s athletic development.

It’s a leap of faith because you are giving up something measurable for something immeasurable – that’s why it’s a leap of faith.

In a world full of experts, spreadsheets, and metrics, it’s hard to make a leap of faith. It’s much more likely to feel like a drop in status or a whim when in truth it’s because you have seen something worth the risk.

Like cycling to school with the kids when the car is quicker.

Or, using sports as a tool to teach group dynamics, leadership, and agency, not as a measure of success.

The things that really matter can’t be measured and that’s a leap of faith.

That’s where I am right now, thinking about Coach Camp and asking: “What does better mean?”

Notice I didn’t say deciding what better means.

Better for me, might just mean, easier to run.

In truth, the hard part might just mean, it’s not you who decides.

Some people are just not listening. It’s not that they don’t get it; they haven’t even tried to get it. Move on.

A question from the curious listener might go something like this: “What are you seeing that is interesting to you right now?”

Not only is it easy to tell the difference, but only one makes a difference.

“Should I do this thing?”, is not the same as asking “Could I do this thing?” Here are a few questions to help:

What are you doing to fit in?

What would you need to do to stand out?

What would it look like? Feel like? Sound like?

What will be different?

Yesterday I played my first game of 11-a-side football in over 20 years. It was a game for the coaches, following a kids’ football festival in Sully, South Wales.

After a tentative start, I got into the game. The more I got into the game, the more I began noticing the mistakes I made.

I had a one-minute coaching conversation with myself that went like this: “You are making more mistakes because you are trying more things, not because you are too old, or too rusty to play this game. Relax.”

That was it.

After that, I played with a freedom that I associated with playing with my mates when I was a kid. That’s a feeling few of us ever want to lose, and for the next 30 or 40 minutes of the game, that’s what I had, and it was magical.

I share this because I’m aware that there are so many more possible experiences I could have had that day, both negative and positive – it’s worth recognising how hard it is to give yourself fully to an experience.

Useful when being clear, concise, and conversational. I’ll take that.

Here is my word cloud taken from the last 15 blogs I’ve written – a follow-up from checking what AI said about my reflective scripts and blogs:

Hearing from the ugly sisters is never a problem – loud, brash, and quick to share their views.

On the other hand, creating an opportunity for everyone who wants to contribute, it’s intentional.

It’s not hard but it does require you to think about it.

For example, at Ignite Cardiff the rules are such that they support the speaker:

5-minute slots – no need to worry about how long your talk should be for.

Slides change every 15 seconds – no one is labouring the point.

The slide deck is a simple template – all you have to do is concentrate on what you have to say.

At a time when we are shying away from telling people what to do, it’s worth remembering that it’s not who makes the rules that are important, it’s the intention behind them that matters.

If the story of Cinderella teaches us anything, it is that inclusive design is not about a retrofit.

Sometimes the person holding the map is not interested in the territory only the map. There are countless examples of this in history. The tragic oxycontin story is one such example.

If the success of the person holding the map, depends on the map being right, walk away.

To date, I’ve written 816 published blogs, and what strikes me is how clearly you can see what I’ve been reading about and thinking about at that time.

For example, in the last 90 days I read Improv Wisdom and Fooled by Randomness.

Here is what AI had to say about my reflective scripts and blogs: “The recurring themes seem to be reflection, action, creative expression, and embracing the unpredictability of life. Overall, the author seems to have gained clarity on their priorities and adopted a more balanced, improv-oriented approach to life.”

I’d read both books again in a heart beat.

If you don’t have Impact, Influence, and Leadership as an Athletic Entrepreneur, you don’t have the time, money, or clients. The more clients you have, the more time and money you have – it’s a circular argument. The question is, how much influence, impact, and leadership do you need to get where you want to go?

Maybe a better question is to ask, whom do I need impact, influence, and leadership over? It could just be you.

Few coaches I know have ever published their ideas on coaching.

Publishing a manifesto can be seen as a self-aggrandising act – an act of self-interest. An interest in self, and a lack of interest in what others might think, is also a great reason to publish a manifesto.

To tell them apart, look for the cause, not the effect.

When I write, the first handful of drafts are for me; by the end of it, I sound smart, like I know what I am talking about (although, history doesn’t always bear that out).

Once that need is satisfied, the real work of writing something useful can begin.

I’m done.

And if tomorrow it’s still just the way you left it, then you didn’t need those fairies anyway.

See you on Day One.

In 1992, the EU issued a directive that common household goods must carry an energy label – the thinking was simple enough. If the consumer was better informed, then perhaps the choice would be made in favour of an energy-efficient make and model. The clever part was leaving the “A” rating empty, prompting manufacturers to fill that space, thereby driving further innovation in the field.

Just how illuminating is the course, event, or talk you are giving, and with the “A” slot open, what would we need to create to fill that gap? These are the questions I asked myself recently, after creating Coach Camp.

How does Coach Camp fare?

Here it is through the lens of Situation, Evaluation, Decision, and Action (SEDA):

Situation: The unconference format of Coach Camp allows participants to identify situational problems or topics they want to discuss.

Evaluation: Through open discussion sessions, participants can evaluate the situation, and share information and perspectives.

Decision: Participants can then decide on potential solutions, strategies, or action plans.
Action: The hands-on nature of Coach Camp allows for implementing and practicing what was discussed.

And through the lens of Bloom’s Taxonomy:

The open discussions and knowledge sharing in Coach Camp can facilitate lower-order cognitive skills like remembering and understanding concepts. As participants examine problems/topics from multiple perspectives, they engage in analysis skills. Evaluating different solutions and best practices utilises the evaluation level of Bloom’s taxonomy.

Where does that leave us?

The critics will tell us that there is no place in Coach Education for “water cooler” conversations, and maybe they are right. The coaches on their way to being “expert coaches” will have no time to waste, they could be right too. But, there will be others who will see a learning environment as a shared endeavour, it’s about the cohort.

Coach Camp is an unconference, social learning format – a way of bringing people together to understand where they are, share what they are working on, and create new ideas. To practice the very skills, like cooperation, communication, and critical thinking that are required to shift from talking to doing.

I’m sure you are ahead of me, but here it is anyway – the intent behind the EU energy label was simple – we can do better than this.

What are you doing with the knowledge you have? Are you playing with it? I hope so.

What have you got?

From the kid who has found a bug in the garden to the scientist who has found a bug in the system. It’s a question that goes to the heart of the matter. Do you understand what you have, and what it does?

No question you can shout from the side of a pitch and issue instructions that players will likely follow as best as possible for a quick result. But if you do that often enough, it becomes clear the voice creates the response, not what the player senses.

Yesterday I watched a team get soundly beaten because the players grasped poorly how to restart a dead ball situation. The temptation was to shout and scream. During the break, I asked the players what positions they thought the back two players should occupy on the pitch during a restart:

1 finger in the air was position A; 2 fingers in the air was position B and so on up to D.

Here are the results:

A: 2 B: 1 C: 4 D: 3

You get my point – it pays to be clear on the long and the short of what we do.

How can we both be right? One of us has to be wrong and the other right, we cancel each other out, right? Wrong, it’s not maths, where the rules are clear.

Two opposing perspectives are not as mutually exclusive as you might imagine.

Why would anyone listen to an expert, manager, or coach who has no grasp of the situation you currently face, or how you have arrived at an evaluation of that situation, yet challenge the decisions you make or the actions you take?

Pretty silly isn’t it?

When Eddie the Eagle risked life and limb to take off in the 70 and 90 m ski jump events at the 1988 Calgary Olympics, the world embraced his efforts. In fact, the worse he did, the more popular he became. For the rest of us, mediocrity on the way to better, won’t draw the crowds, but it will allow you to focus on the job at hand.

The latest TikTok viral debate is to ask the hypothetical question: Would you rather be stuck in a forest with, a man or a bear?

If you find yourself stuck in a room with people you don’t know, it’s a smart move to agree on how you each want to behave, and what to do if that expectation is broken.

Bears, on the other hand, not so much.

Tx Graydin Coaching

Turtles make progress when they stick their neck out.

Safe enough for you to do it, risky enough for it to matter, we all need a place where success is not as important as commitment.

Tx Seth Godin

If social interaction, reflection, and hands-on learning are your thing then here are a few challenges worth considering:

Being curious takes practice: Holding back, listening, and then asking questions, not offering an opinion is hard.

Inside-out approach: When topics are offered up, check that the topic is within the control of the person offering it up. It’s easy to talk around a subject where the problem is “out there” and not in the room.

Be patient: Look for commitment, not success.

And finally, when you accept that the problem is in the room, the good news is, so too is the solution.

According to IAAF records, Jim Ray Hines was the first person to break 10 seconds for the 100-metre dash in 1968. To put that time into context, fewer than 180 sprinters have ever run faster than 10 seconds for the 100 metres. “Lightning” Louis Rhys Zammit who has recently signed for the Kansas City Chiefs, has a PB of 10.44 seconds.

Why am I telling you all this? Because, with the advent of faster tracks, better equipment, and a huuuge focus on performance enhancement not much has changed. Jim Ray Hines would have made the final of the Tokyo 2020 Men’s final.

Before you focus on improving a skill it’s worth asking how much change you can expect to create. True, you can dramatically improve the speed of a slow person or child, but instead of what? Enjoyment, agency, or social skills.

Perhaps you were born in September, maybe you remind the coach of a player who went on to do great things, or you have a particular skill that catches the eye. Whatever it is, the end result is the same – we confuse skill with luck. The issue, of course, in time, and over time, luck disappears – physical size might no longer matter, the coach changes and the skill you had down is no longer the only show in town.

I’m not sure much will ever change when the game is to win because luck is as good as skill in the here and now. But, what can change is our understanding of luck, skill, and probability and that’s important because we are telling kids who are committed that it’s their skill that is not up to scratch when really what we mean is they are simply out of luck.

Tx: Fooled by Randomness

What a wonderful outcome for a learning event.

Not, “I’ve done enough” or “Look how well I did.” But, “I feel inspired to do more.”

What was good enough then is not good enough now, I’m moving, I’m learning, and I’m ready to do better.

Innovation doesn’t happen because you want it to – it happens in the most unlikely of places with people on a mission.

If you are done waiting – put your name to something and lean in to make it work.

It’s not too late to join Coach Camp – I hope to see you there.

You must have a point. Everyone has a point, don’t they?

For example, when you write a book you have a point. You might well have started to write to get clear on your point but the point you start with is rarely the same point you end with and maybe that’s the point.

Get enough “no’s” early on in a discussion about your ideas and it’s tempting to imagine the majority rules. But, that would be missing the point. Don’t look for the “no’s”; look for those who are as intolerant as you with skin in the game – let the mob move on. They might think they rule, but then again, they might not be thinking at all.

A term often used by coaches.

A way of saying, “I’m trying to control the uncontrollable, and it’s not going too well.”

Maybe it’s easier than saying “No one is listening” or “No one cares.”

But that might just be more useful as it’s a clue to the solution -start listening and meet people where they are – show them that you care.

Michael Caine once said, “Use the mistake.”

Actors are supposed to learn their lines and not bump into the furniture, but on the odd occasion that they do, they use it. Either to make the audience laugh or to show emotion.

What can you make of it?

Although the idea is that a present is passed from one person because the motion is circular, the aim is to be the one it lands with when the music stops. We give to receive. The true nature of a gift is when the motion is forward, we don’t give to receive; we give to keep the energy of the gift alive.

Now there’s a tricky question.

What if they say no? What if they didn’t miss me? Am I redundant?

3 questions worth asking while you are away from work:

What did you learn while I was away?

What didn’t you miss about me being around?

What did you miss?

For all the fear of redundancy, the opportunity to find your spot, the place where you belong is worth the risk.

What would not get done if I were not here?

Coaching is participatory and active; it requires us to do and maybe that starts with talking about what it is we think we do.

Link to Coach Camp event here.

When Bill Murray walked into the Art Institute of Chicago and looked at the painting “The Song of the Lark” by Jules Adolphe Breton, he saw a woman standing in a field at sunrise. If she could get up and go to work for one more day, then so could he. Was it a sign to carry on?

Others see a sunset.

And that’s my point – we need art, and its ability to meet people where they are and provide meaning. I’ve come to see coaching in that way, an artistic endeavour, a creative process – not a science. There is science in sport, of course, but not in coaching.

When we think of success, we think of sacrifice, of paying in blood sweat, and tears – are we willing to pay the price?

Probabilistic thinking asks us to view each possible contingent as distinct and separate events with probability attached to each. Few of us think of the cost of failure – of the alternative histories that await – we probably wouldn’t do it if we knew.

A simple way to think about it:

Don’t be fooled by past success, if failure is too costly to bear -and certainly don’t confuse luck for skill.

Youth Sport. Athletic Entrepreneurs. Red Bull Athletes.

A friend of mine passed her exams today. Eighteen months of handing in assignments, corrections, and deadlines. And above all else, she learned this:

Make yourself accountable to someone.

Build boundaries around study time.

Having a clear endpoint – much like a project has a start and an end.

You could argue that the material learned will soon fade but the lessons learned about how to be productive might just stick around.

When an actor turns up for an audition, something often unknown, determines the success or failure of that run out. After all, if you are called for an audition, you have much the same skills and experience, as the rest of the hopefuls; that’s why you are there. But in the end, your face fits or it doesn’t.

The same is true of coaching, rather than assuming it’s your skill, imagine it’s your luck and dig a little deeper:

What are your roles as a coach?

How are you expected to act?

What does that look like in practice?

You can’t change a person’s first impression but you can change the mold they create for you.

You could stay silent on the idea you have for your coaching practice. Perhaps, the question you would like to ask is not that great a question after all, or maybe that topic you want to discuss is not that interesting to anyone else.

And maybe that’s true.

But what if it isn’t?

And even if it is true, don’t you now know more than you did before?

I’m delighted to say that on Friday 17th May 2024, you can join other coaches, who just like you have been wondering if they should speak up. You can find details and an FAQ here.

I hope to see you there.

Perhaps a better question is why do you teach? Although we can’t be sure of the accuracy of the answer; there are some obvious forces in play.

As Nicholas Taleb points out, if you are teaching how to retire wealthy then it’s clear it’s a hustle since you are not retired.

If you are teaching because it’s what you need to learn, that’s an excellent way to learn, and provided we are honest, a reasonable way to make a living.

And if you are teaching because you are an expert, if your environment is designed around “should” not “could,” that’s more about utopia than it is about learning.

Much like we never step into the same river twice, the decisions a coach makes are neither repeatable nor reversible once the moment has passed. We get what we get. But that is not the same as believing that amongst the unimaginable possible outcomes -alternative histories – we got what we got because it was meant to be.

The problem is not that you have emotions, it’s what you do with them, that’s the problem.

While the kids I was coaching were getting frustrated at the exercise I had provided, I was feeling unsure and insecure. Wasn’t this supposed to be enjoyable?

Finally, one of the kids came up to me and said. “I get it, I don’t like it, but I get it. I know why you are doing this.”

Coaching is about emotions; we feel it, then we think it.

At least once a year, I get together with a group of my old university friends. We each live in different cities and lead busy lives. Each time, one of us has to start the conversation about where and when we will meet.

It’s usually always me. An offer is made. That offer is changed to suit the group, and then we book it.

I have come to see coaching in the same way, my role is to make an offer and know that it’s not my final answer.

I love it.

When we are clear about what our event, conference, or workshop is for, we increase our chances of putting people off, but the upside is that those who come will be glad they showed up.

Here are some edges worth thinking about:

Engagement………………..Enrollment 

Many……………….. Few

Closed………………..Open 

Easy………………..Difficult

Fast………………..Slow

Expensive………………..Cheap

Risky………………..Safe

Me……………….. You

Education………………..Learning

Expert………………..Beginner

General………………..Particular 

Passive………………..Active

Reflection………………..Action 

Art can make the truth more palatable writes Nicholas Taleb in his book Fooled by Randomness. I think that is the genius of Pressfield and his book The War of Art. Pressfield has made the truth – the struggle to express oneself – more bearable.

What has this to do with coaching?

John Wooden once said and I’m paraphrasing, “I don’t want great athletes; I want people to be themselves.” And that, folks, is harder than it sounds.

Of course, copy-and-paste coach education exists, and it exists because we think the prize at the end of it, might just be worth our time.

The challenge, of course, not to mention the risk, is not to stand around telling people what they should do but to build something more valuable than the prize that’s already there.

Some days are more difficult than others.

You might feel as if you are doing it on your own, but I can assure you that you are not.

The tragedy of it all is that you think that you are, but those you leave behind, are living proof that’s not true at all.

People of (y) height should be (x) lbs.

A winger in rugby player should be able to cover 40 meters in less than (x) seconds.

A focus on what it should be is rarely as helpful as working with what you have and what it could be.

If you would like to deepen your knowledge and expertise through interaction on an ongoing basis, in the coaching craft, you might want to consider Coach Camp.

Here is our first pass at a logo and strapline:

There are a huge number of checklist items that a pilot needs to cover before their plane can take off.

And it’s tempting to think the same of our next adventure – writing a book, publishing a course, or even starting a business. But the people we hope to take with us, are unlikely to need the check-in, a safety briefing, or insurance cover. Build the runway and only then worry about how (or if) you are going to take off.

There is practice.

I started writing with a six-word mantra, “My hope is stronger than my fear.” I used it to get myself sat down and writing. A call to action, light at the end of the tunnel.

Meachman wrote, “Hope looks forward to the horizon. Fear points at others, assigning blame.” For a while, I felt I needed – more hope than fear. A creative quest to write a book versus rejection, despair, or fear of failure.

What changed?

There is no switch on or off. It’s not like, there is no longer, hope or fear, only practice; it’s simply that you get to a point, where you learn to work without the need for applause. You write because it’s useful for you, and if it’s useful for someone else, then you feel hope, just as you feel fear when no one reads your shit.

All that happens as far as I can tell, is that in the end, you get better at returning to your practice.

Coach Camp, the event, is capturing people’s imagination. Here are just some of the features:

• The agenda is created on the day by coaches just like you based on your needs and interests

• There are no pre-scheduled topics or speakers hired – you provide the expertise

• Discussions happen in an engaging, conversational format rather than upfront expert-led lectures

• You pick the sessions you want to attend and can freely move between conversations

• The focus is on peer learning, real-world experiences, and practical takeaways

It got me thinking.

Attention precedes interaction and growth. What we pay attention becomes our world. So what are you paying attention to?

If you had the chance to pin a health and fitness topic up on a board and then join a group that discusses that topic. What would it be?

Connect to me here and if we have enough interest I’ll host a FREE event where you get to decide the agenda. I’m interested in where it would go.

Tonight, I read a resource on nonviolent communication (NVC) and the fifth maxim: pay attention from the wonderful book Improv Wisdom. Attention precedes interaction and growth. What are you paying attention to?

Rather than believe that you have skill.

It’s far less dangerous.

Tx Fooled by Randomness.

It took me a while to stop writing a book that proved my point, argued my case, or validated my opinion and instead write artistic prose – to create something of value, not to prove that I was right.

Perhaps that is the true value of the creative endeavour?

Perhaps the biggest gift that action-based learning provides is the iteration of the common goal. Free speech is not only essential to that process. It is also part of the craft that is the learning process.

I was struck this week by a leading coach repeatedly saying that he was “trying to be honest” with his players, media, and supporters.

And that got me thinking about how different stakeholders want different things, and what is right for one, is unlikely to be right for another – I’ll try to be as honest as I can.

This is where terms like “serving our customer’s interests”, “a commitment to excellence” and “our long-term vision” come in handy.

Playing it safe is not the same as creating a safe environment.

It is not uncommon to hear of a lack of autonomy, frustration with middle management, and working conditions that inhibit rather than promote focus on the job at hand.

If that job at hand has:

A clear objective.

Tasks that are not simple or repetitive

Then it is possible to create self-directed teams who decide when and how to do the work.

The Buurtzorg model shows us that you can’t cure a person by sitting behind a desk or in a meeting room but you can create change when you strengthen relationships between those who promote and optimise health.

When something is “done for you”, it suggests that there is nothing left for you to do except show up, and in return, there may be a certain level of gratitude or recompense that goes with it. After all, it’s been done for “you”.

Sports coaching is a done-for-you endeavour. The distinction lies in understanding whether we coach for the athlete to perform or for the athlete to own what they do. Either way, we do it for you, although the approach we take is very different.

Some issues are simply too complex to be simplified.

Others we don’t simplify for fear of missing the complexity of the issue. I’ve nothing against the elite sport and its performance bandwagon; I’ve just grown tired of it. At the heart of physical training complexity lies the fear of missing out. David Brailsford penned its anthem “Marginal Gains.” 

Physical mastery, on the other hand, appears to require a stillness – simplification to get to the complexity of the matter.

“The best way to enjoy training, maintain freedom from injury, and keep your marbles without employing complex mathematical formulas for ever-changing lifting percentages is to simply stick with constant weights for long periods of time.” John McKean.

Each time I look at my heart rate during a run, I have another data point to reflect on, in situ and post-event. I could just wait until the end of the run, or fly blind, log it, and move on. But I don’t; I keep looking:

What do I need to know?

What am I ready to change my mind on?

Where else could I put my attention?

I rarely look anymore; I let the trails decide – less noise, more signal.

If any of you are rugby fans you will know that Wales picked up their first wooden spoon in over 20 years. What will follow will be the usual knee-jerk reaction, invest more at the base of the pyramid -grassroots or spend more to inspire more at the elite level – people like success. And yet, as Boeing airplanes have recently found out, it’s not as simple as pointing the figure at what appears to be the problem.

The problem with the problem is that it’s rarely the problem, it’s just the thing you can see and point at and say – there’s the problem. That works when you have a stone in your shoe, but for most other things, it’s not that simple. Rarely is there any point looking for the solution in the same place you found the problem.

To be part of the solution not part of the problem, improve your answer to the question: What are you working on now? If you are a coach, who wants to change how we interact with each other, then you might like this.

Plenty of people advocate for change and then provide the necessary support to enact it. If the cost of entry is high, it’s available to a few; if it’s low then it’s open to anyone. And yet, the most important numerator of them all might just be the value you gain.

We learn when we stick around, but if that’s the point, what have we learned?

What the makers of Boeing planes have shown us is that the product is not always the problem, although it can look that way; rather, it’s the environment that surrounds it.

If you have built an environment in which you can’t take a loss, build a better one because the one you have is fragile.

The question: What are you working on? is seldom asked; we would prefer your final answer.

Despite the title, life is not a game show, we don’t need to accept your first answer as our final answer – even if you make a living out of giving a polished answer as a pundit, expert, or person of influence.

This is why I’ve designed CoachCamp – a place of practice. If you want to clarify what you are working on, you need a place where people accept your first answer not as your final answer but as a place to start.

If you are ready to listen, interact, and grow, then CoachCamp might just be the place for you.

Update: Tickets for Coach Camp 2024 are available here.

What’s that? Not the list of challenges, like time and money, or even recognition – the bit that is really hard.

If we are honest, a lot of the time, it’s dealing with the struggle of it not quite working, which leads us to believe that if we just had more time, money, and people who like what we do, things would be different.

Sure, we have lots of challenges but they are not the hard part – that’s believing in what you do.

Are you a coach in the Cardiff area looking for a fresh way to grow your skills and connect with other passionate coaching minds? I’m exploring interest in organising CoachCamp – an innovative “unconference” professional development event designed specifically for coaches.

What’s an Unconference? It’s a participant-driven experience where the agenda and discussions are created on the day by coaches just like you based on your interests. No pre-scheduled topics or speakers. Just open dialogue, real-world insights, and collaborative learning with your peers.

To make CoachCamp a reality, I need a small team of volunteers excited to help shape this non-profit endeavour aimed at elevating coaching abilities. I’m looking for a handful of individuals who each bring a unique perspective and skillset, such as:

• Organizational/event planning abilities
• Coaching experience across different sports
• Community/volunteer leadership
• Marketing/promotions expertise
• Fundraising/sponsorship experience
• …and a passion for coaching excellence!

If you’re based in Cardiff and would be interested in being part of the core CoachCamp team, I’d love to hear from you. Let’s come together and create an unconference experience that gives coaches the voice and professional development they deserve.

You can contact me here with a bit about your background, why you’re interested in CoachCamp, and how you could contribute. Looking forward to growing this innovative learning opportunity for our local coaching community!

“Gazing up into the darkness, I saw myself as a creature driven and derided by vanity, and my eyes burned with anguish and anger.” James Joyce.

Seminars and training courses rely on the multiplier effect for return on investment – in short, the attendee comes off a course with new information, and that knowledge it is hoped, is transferred to others – thereby multiplying the effect.

And if that sounds like an assumption, it is, and a big one at that.

The Cognitive Domain of Bloom’s Taxonomy has six levels:

1. Remember
2. Understand
3. Apply
4. Analyze
5. Evaluate
6. Create

I’m currently learning Welsh using Duolingo, and it’s tempting to settle into a routine of remembering and understanding words. After all, that’s learning, right? Recall and recognition are the low-hanging fruit, but for higher learning, break it down, build it up, and see if it works better.

Ever left a post-it note on a bottle of beer in a student fridge?

What about on your desk at work with a to-do list written on it?

Or perhaps, as a way to capture the mood and desires of the room at a meeting or event?

A tool of persuasion and engagement, but only a tool; the rest is up to you.

Yesterday, we discovered that our youngest won’t be attending the same senior school as her sister, which was tough.

Yet, while I worried, she was blissfully unaware of the news and having a fine time.

I’ve chosen to worry about her missing her friends, whereas you might be concerned about her making new friends or managing the logistics of having two kids in different schools.

Much like interpreting a passage from a book, or a scene from a film, we each see it differently.

And that’s a gift, a curse, or what makes it work.

Do I have anyone in my network who has built a curated community using discourse?

Specifically, I am looking to launch a 90-day sprint focused on professional development and peer learning. My idea includes:

1 prompt per week on a leadership/growth topic

1 written assignment per person around the weekly prompt

Opportunities for a small group (10 people initially) to provide feedback on each other’s assignments

1 group video chat per week to discuss insights

If you have created something similar or have any advice on best practices, lessons learned, or pitfalls to avoid with building an engaging Discourse community, I would greatly appreciate your insights.

You can find me here

My youngest wanted to show me how well she could make her bed.

“Did I want her to show me, on mine?” “Okay” “Watch and learn, Daddy.”

I learned that my daughter can make a bed better than me.

I also learned that “watch, learn, and then do,” is a more useful phrase.

My heart sinks every time I hear this from a Strength and Conditioning Coach.

“My job is to make the next person’s job easier.”

When actually it’s much more likely to mean “I want the next coach to think I know what I’m doing.”

Last week I made a list of things I would tell my 12-year-old self if I ever met him again – things that I wouldn’t believe to be true:

For example:

You went traveling and spent time in Fiji, Cook Island, Indonesia, Thailand, and Singapore.

You started a business.

You wrote a book.

You get the idea – food for the soul. What’s next?

Show up there – don’t wait to be asked, or worry about being ready, go make a difference.

Crossfit is an education company, a fitness brand, and an events company with an annual income of over $100 million. The “Crossfit” way of doing things is clear. And if you want to follow their way, you follow their methods – that’s what you pay for.

Compliance is at the heart of most coach education, you pay to jump the hurdle, not to be part of the gang.

If we are serious about improving coach education removing compliance might just be the best way to ensure that those you are working with are always learning and not just along for the ride.

We have grown up expecting cause and effect – getting something for our efforts.

When we don’t, and of course, there are lots of times when we won’t because learning is nonlinear – we give up before the rewards.

Even if it feels random since we don’t get rewards on demands, it’s not, it’s nonlinear – learn to stay in the game if you want overnight success.

Fooled by randomness

They say you should never judge a book by its cover. Instead, read the description at the back of the book, or, much more likely, pay attention to what the famous guy said about it.

Since I don’t have a quote from anyone famous just yet, here is the back of the book. If this is a book that you would like to read, click the subscribe link (either at the side of this blog or when you click the burger), and when it’s ready, I’ll be sure to let you know.

Good Coach Bad Coach; A manifesto for the Athletic Entrepreneur

To be a good coach you need

Knowledge (Crossed out)

Experience (Crossed out)

Qualifications (Crossed out)

Leadership (BOLD)

An inspiring book about coaching, leadership, and creative freedom. 

When Simon opened Elite Fitness, the perfect platform for a prestigious coach, he thought he had everything a good coach needs; a purpose-built 10,000 sq ft facility, qualifications, elite athlete endorsements, and years of pro sports experience.

But, when the commercial pressure begins to blur the lines between business and coaching Simon fails to choose to be good at either, and the venture fails.

It is through the manifestation of a coaching philosophy that Simon learns about himself, what he thinks coaching is for, and what it takes to build a place of practice – a place where you belong. 

Coaching has the power to change our relationship with success and failure – and that changes what we do. 

Good Coach Bad Coach is not a book for coaches who want to be somebody, but for coaches who want to do something.

I’d love to hear what you think, you can find me here.

We have coaches for life, work, sports, individuals, groups, fitness, learning, education, parenting, strength and conditioning, and leadership – have I missed anyone out?

The world has never given us more opportunities to tell someone what to do while earning money.

Of course, that has more to do with power dynamics than it does with coaching, so don’t be angry with the tool, challenge the person using it.

The technical department wants age group children to play on a particular size pitch thanks to the data.

The development department wants more 3G pitches because games are being called off due to waterlogged pitches.

The league administrators want to play by the rules.

The coaches and team managers want their teams to represent their club, and to do that, they need to play matches.

And the kids? Well, they just want to play football.

When logic and reason walk into the room, reality walks out, and the reality is that kids are losing out.

Tx Paul Poresi

In trying to sum up my role as a football coach today, I felt akin to a conductor who selects a piece of music but entrusts the musicians to decide how to play it.

I’ll leave you with this from Ben Zander; The conductor of an orchestra doesn’t make a sound. He depends, for his power, on his ability to make other people powerful.

When designing something you want to be successful, it’s tempting to ask people what they think. If they like it, they will buy it, right? Maybe.

Watch what people do, not what they say – ask for commitment, not opinions.

While asking for feedback on a piece I wrote recently, I got a reply that asked what kind of feedback I wanted and what I wanted to achieve with the piece. Reasonable questions.

I so wanted to reply with answers.

But that was on my mind, not the reviewers – I wanted to hear what they had to say.

I simply replied: What’s on your mind?

It struck me just how difficult it is to keep your mind clear to receive feedback.

What are your course takeaways? What actionable take-homes are available to your students? What do they get that the others don’t?

Today I received an email about a course on writing a manifesto.

Phil Knight of Nike fame did it. So, to the futurists, I’ve even written for the Athletic Entrepreneur. If you want to boldly state what future success might look like, then write a manifesto.

But, here in lies the trap.

Anyone who ever wrote a manifesto didn’t do it on a course; no one taught them how to feel, what to feel, or even how to write a manifesto. They simply wrote.

We are taught to teach for tangibles, for outcomes, for something that differentiates you from the crowd. But that gets in the way of what is really going on. Maybe you are learning to express yourself, perhaps testing your idea, or hoping that someone else thinks just like you. Whatever it is, being able to rip it up and start again is at the heart of writing a manifesto.

If you need something to show for it, it might just be for show.

Ask a question, listen, and acknowledge the answer – repeat. That’s it. Simple but not easy.

And remember, you don’t need a backstory if you do not plan to save them.

Tx Michael Bungay Stanier

There is a great line from the comedian Ian Stone when talking about opinions.

“All my opinions are just opinions that I have heard.”

Like a kid who has not done their homework, when it comes to handing in time, any answer feels like the right answer.

What’s your opinion?

No, I have a better idea.

No, let’s talk about something else.

No, you have got that wrong. 

No, I’m not interested.

“No” creates boundaries, while a “Yes” can create possibility; you need both.

What does that even mean?

Aside from overcoming resistance to begin, it’s about putting one foot in front of the other and not waiting until you are better qualified, more confident and have permission. It is about trusting that along the way you will find a way to make the next step.

Not a bad place to start, don’t you think?

If you manage, coach, or parent small people, then you will know what it’s like to be on the receiving end of a request. And chances are you want something too. The question is not what you want, as that’s pretty clear; it is what YOU are actively doing about it.

Here are a few prompts to check if you are interested or committed:

List 5 things you are doing currently to get what you want.

List 5 things that you could do to improve your chances of getting what you want

List 5 things that, if stopped, would improve your chances of getting what you want.

Now describe the smallest step you can make towards what you want.

The ability to express one’s self without restraints or limitations.

Doing whatever you want to do is the freedom to move the goalposts whenever and wherever you want. That’s less about being creative with your resources and more about doing whatever the f**ck you want.

To my mind, creative freedom is the ability to do what you say you will do. Doing what you say you will do requires a range of skills to complete the task and an environment that affords you the opportunity.

That’s less about creative freedom and more about finding freedom with the constraints you find yourself under.

Really?

Absolutely. Get back on the horse. Ask for the ball again even though the last time you lost possession.

Why? Because it’s unlikely that the horse will react in the same way, or you will lose possession in exactly the same manner. So, you are not repeating the mistake, if that’s what you are worried about.

Go again.

There’s the work-life balance, balancing input with output, and of course, the balance that allows us to walk along a scaffolding pipe without falling off.

One of my favourite quotes on balance from Keith Johnson’s writing in the book Improv:

“There are people who prefer to say “Yes” and there are people who prefer to say “No.” Those who say “Yes” are rewarded by the adventures they have and those who say “No” are rewarded by the safety they attain. There are far more “No” sayers around than “Yes” sayers, but you can train one type to behave like the other.”

If you have spent your life colouring within the lines, just maybe, it’s time to take a blank sheet of paper and trust yourself to create.

And Lord Voldemort needs Harry Potter.

Without Lord Voldemort, Harry Potter is just a kid who goes to school. Okay, he did magic and we did science, but you get my point. 

Creating a narrative is helpful and hopeful, but for it to work, we need to accept both sides of the story. Don’t hide the bad, and show the good; you need both. Bring your full self.

What is urgent feels important but what is important is not always seen as urgent. How you differentiate the two is a skill that takes practice. Look for tasks in which you have a low competency, the chances are, you will find important right there.

Proof of concept is not as much fun as hope but much more useful.

Thinking about your conversations last week. What was most useful for you?

Maybe, but it’s unlikely. Much more likely is that you have practiced selling your idea in 30 seconds or less. A way of getting clear on exactly what you do in 25 words or less.

We exist because…..

The “Eat the Elephant” Wattbike workout is forty minutes long: Nine and a half minutes warm-up, followed by a consistent, effort for thirty minutes – no change of cadence or effort, just eat the elephant.

A bit of fuss at the start, a long slog, and then it’s time to down tools and clock off – the warm-down is only thirty seconds long.

If, like me, you overestimate what can be done in a day and underestimate what can be done in 90 days, then stopping to reflect on just how you have done in 90 days is helpful. Telling yourself you haven’t done enough every day, not so much.

The thing you are working on

And if so, how do you know?

Who does it work for?

How and when does it work for them?

I spend a lot of time talking to coaches. Some want more clients, others want to connect to improve their chances of getting a better job but few talk to me about how they can improve what they do.

Proof of concept is not an inconvenience before you scale, or work for a bigger or better club, it’s your right of passage as a coach.

So does it work?