Application Over Knowledge
Knowledge without improved application is impractical. Over the past several months there has been an emphasis on adding knowing to coaches toolboxes. Knowledge is important to the overall improvement of coaches, but by far the most overlooked aspect of improving coaching practice is Application.
By application I mean the implementation of a coaches understanding on a particular topic. Teams have spent enormous amounts of time improving coaches knowledge on different topics from Advanced Data, to Technology, to Movement Education. I would bet that far less time has been invested in the application of this knowledge.
Turning knowledge into action is the next step in the process. Once someone has a true understanding of a concept we assume they will just go ahead and implement it. This is incorrect. When someone has the information they then need to apply it. I’ve written about strategies that teams and individual coaches can use to help study the implementation of a particular topic. (I’ve linked below)
To assume that once we know, we do is false. The false sense of understanding that we have makes us believe that we will implement the knowledge. This couldn’t be further from the truth. Application change comes through changing of coaching habits. The problem with changing coaching habits is that they are hard to implement, and even harder to notice as the coach.
Inevitably improved coaching requires the outside view of another coach. Atul Gawande has spoken extensively on this topic. Both of the links below are examples of prime improvement in action.
Couldn’t recommend this article below more. If you are a coach, you need a coach. At a certain level you will plateau in terms of your talent. Increasing a coaches knowledge will not create enough change to remove this plateau.
Developing coaching skill takes time, and deliberate practice. It is pretty hard to acquire the 80% of skills that you need to succeed as a coach. Once you have acquired them unfortunately the last 20% are the hardest steps you will take. Knowledge on a particular topic will get you to proficiency on the graph below, but application is the only way that you can get over that hump.
If I had the choice for coaches to either continue improving their knowledge or to focus on how a more limited base of knowledge is applied I would take the latter each time. Developing skills is more difficult and complex than just learning a new concept. Applying different ideas effectively is where the value is.
