Guiding athletes to be their best
A framework for leaders
“People are better persuaded by the reasons which they have themselves discovered than by those that come into the mind of others” - Blaise Pascal, 1670.
I believe I would have been a better coach had I understood this quote earlier. I often viewed my role as a coach as the expert. If I brought the expertise and answers and the players brought a 100% commitment to listen to and apply my answers, we’d be good to go. I am exaggerating, and yet, I think that idea underlies much of coaching.
I also want to be sure to not discount the expertise of coaches, it is significant. But what if we reconsidered our relationship with that expertise? What if we considered coaching as a meeting of experts? It sounds crazy, but when I look back, I coached plenty of players who were better at basketball than I ever was. What if we recognized that expertise and utilized it in relation to ours?
In this week’s 3 points, I’ll discuss how motivational interviewing can provide…
1. A different approach to coaching
Developed by professor and clinical psychologist, Dr. Stephen Rollnick, motivation interviewing was originally developed to help create behavior change for people struggling with addiction. Dr. Rollnick has always had a passion for coaching, and since retiring he has shifted his attention to how motivational interviewing can be utilized by coaches. Today, I will share the guiding philosophies (not the details and skills) of motivational interviewing for coaches.
Fixing
When fixing, you take the lead and tell an athlete why, what, or how they should perform. It’s useful for solving simple and obvious problems, when asked for advice, or when you are organizing activities for individuals or a group. In this mindset you are less likely to try to understand the athlete’s thoughts or perspectives about the situation or change; this is all about you getting your point across.
Following
Following is called for when it’s time for you to observe, or if in conversation, to listen and allow the athlete to take the lead, such as when they are upset, angry, or wanting to get a message across to you. It can also be the biggest challenge for coaches, because while you are listening, truly listening, for a short time you are not in control.
Guiding
Guiding is best for learning new skills and for solving more complex problems. It involves trust and working together, and talking about change and improvement, each taking a leading role. You point the conversation in the right direction and create an opportunity for athletes to motivate themselves and provide solutions. You will also step forward and offer advice here and there, and then help athletes to choose the ideas that make the most sense. This style is the foundation for MI because the energy, bright ideas, and motivation for change come from the player. This approach is best captured by “I guide, you decide.”
2. So what?
The key here is that every style is useful and has a time and a place. I think we often think of coaching as black and white. A coach is either a player’s coach (following) or an old-school coach (fixing). Rollnick is offering a third way, guiding, that gives space for both following and fixing when appropriate.
So how do you know what style to use and when? Think two feet planted in Guiding your athletes, you can always pivot to Fixing or pivot to Following when needed. Rollnick describes,
"Most coaches need to fix sometimes, but when they do so after following and guiding, the fixing is more powerful and long-lasting."
3. Some tips for Guiding athletes from Dr. Rollnick:
Inquire about the best way forward. Curiosity is the starting point. The most powerful questions are the ones we don’t know the answer to about the athletes’ experience. What is the athlete’s perspective on the thing to be improved? Don’t be afraid to trust the judgment of the athlete.
Offer expert advice with choices. Provide advice in the form of choices wherever possible; this helps athletes to make choices that suit them best while being more open to your perspective as an expert.
Develop action plans. Ask questions about the athletes’ readiness and how much interest in and commitment to the plan they have. Coming up with a plan that the athlete isn’t bought into doesn’t help anyone. Jointly produce a flexible plan that is open to adjustment as progress unfolds.