Tools are greater than facts
I’ve mentioned before that expanding what I read outside of just content related to S&C has greatly helped my ability to be an S&C. The primary reason, is related to the title. Many books are just full of facts but rarely give tools for which to process what is happening. The best S&C books I’ve read are Mladen Jovanovic’s books, why I enjoyed them so much is they provided tools to allow us to make sense of the endless facts we are given. When we first begin in any career, we deem knowing more facts leading to more success in our careers. This is probably from how throughout school we have regularly been assessed by our ability to remember and regurgitate endless amounts of facts. As we begin to grow into our careers, the shift changes and we observe those who are successful as having many intellectual tools. When I refer to intellectual tools I am discussing how people think, how they interpret the situation they are in, how they sort the important from the unimportant, and how they identify where to add value.
Thinking about some of the great football coaches I have been able to work with, this is what they do with their players. They try to build their athletes toolbox to its fullest capacity so the athlete has many experiences to draw upon in the chaotic nature of team sport. It is not about force feeding the athlete endless facts about the game, it’s about giving the athlete the intellectual tools to assess the situation they are in and make a decision based upon their previous experiences. Not “I do this because I was told to do this”, and more “I’m doing this because I understand the situation I am in and this will lead to more chance of a successful outcome for me/ the team”.
Facts are comfortable, tools aren’t as they force you to challenge what you have previously thought.
“When people are too comfortable with what they know, and the world does not look as they have been led to expect, they are at considerable risk – of being gamed, of getting angry, of becoming incoherent. Insight and growth do not happen when you are comfortable with what you know.” This quote was taken from “A Hunter-Gatherer’s Guide to the 21st Century” by Heather Heying and Bret Weinstein. This book also inspired this weeks 500 words.
S&C (and many other coaching roles) can be a fickle career. No matter where you are working, there are probably 2-3 people (if not more) willing to take you job in a heartbeat. So how do we affirm our position or role? Seth Godin’s book Linchpin discusses how you must try to make yourself indispensable by adding value beyond measure. For me, I’m trying to identify what it is I believe my strength is and how I add value, and in light of above look to improve the tools at my disposal to help me do this.
