AUSTRALIA’S #1 COACHING MAGAZINE
SPORT // BUSINESS // LIFE // SPECIALTY
ISSUE 22 - DEC 2019 $15.00 RRP (inc GST)
BUCKET LIST TIPS, STAYING ON TRACK WHEN CAREERS GO SIDEWAYS INJURY FREE WITH QUALITY MIND, SOCIAL MEDIA, FRIEND OR FOE???
GOING
UP OR DOWN ITS YOUR CALL Stewart Fleming www.coachinglife. com.au
FROM THE EDITOR Do you remember watching Towards 2000? Launched in 1981, it was an ABC show dedicated to new science and technology. In 1993, it was picked up by Network 10, changing to Beyond 2000. Now we are 20 years beyond 2000 and technological development are continuing to accelerate. And yet, while much has changed, many predictions have not come to pass. We don’t have flying cars, robot butlers or hover-boards. In 1966, there was an article in Time magazine predicting we would soon be replaced by robots. An almost identical article ran in 2012. So, what does all this mean for coaching? While I predict that technology will play more of a role in coaching with each passing year, replacing an industry requires societal changes that outstrip the technical problems.
Technology is already changing faster than we can comfortably accept it, and so, manufacturers have implemented release schedules that allow us to ‘ease into it’. Your job as a coach is safe, if you upskill regularly and embrace new technology when it makes sense to do so. Before technology can be the answer, we need to know what the question is and that is where we, as coaches, make our mark. Throughout this edition are references to many tools and technologies that help with various problems in your coaching world. Decide if the problem it solves is important to you, then evaluate each on its merits. With all our new technology, we still only have 24 hours in the day, so use them wisely. Until we meet again, Happy Coaching.
Stewart Fleming Editor
COACHINGLIFE DECEMBER 2019 ISSUE 22 Coaching Life is published 4 times a year and is your authoritative source for information on coaching in sport, business, life and anywhere else you find a coach. Published By Operait Pty Ltd ABN 63 189 244 221 24 Leo Lindo Drive, Shailer Park, QLD 4128 Editor Stewart Fleming stewart@coachinglife.com.au Advertising & Directory Jack Fleming advertising@coachinglife.com.au Printing Inhouse Print & Design printing@inhouseprint.com.au
DISCLAIMER This publication is not medical or professional advice. It is intended only to inform and illustrate. No reader should act on the information contained in this publication without first seeking professional advice that takes into account personal circumstances. The publishers and editors give no representation and make no warranties, express or implied, with respect to the accuracy, completeness, currency or reliability of any of the materials contained and no correspondence will be entered into in relation to this publication by the publishers, editors or authors. The publishers do not endorse any person, company, organisation or techniques mentioned in this publication unless expressly stated otherwise. The publishers do not endorse any advertisements or special advertising features in this publication, nor does the publisher endorse any advertiser(s) or their products/services unless expressly stated otherwise. Articles are published in reliance upon the representation and warranties of the authors of the articles and without our knowledge of any infringement of any third parties copyright. The publishers and editors do not authorise, approve, sanction or countenance any copyright infringement. The publication is protected under the Commonwealth Copyrights Act 1968 and may not, in whole or in part, be lent, copied, photocopied, reproduced, translated or reduced to any electronic medium or machine-readable format without the express written permission of the publisher. ISSN 2205-6963 Copyright Operait Pty Ltd All rights reserved.
www.coachinglife. com.au
CONTENT S
6
10
8
14
12 0
17
6 SOCIAL MEDIA – FRIEND OR FOE
12 RULES TO ORGANISE CULTURE
Social media is designed to make money. They do this by keeping you engaged for as long as possible. This creates a challenge in all aspects of life. Here are 5 Tips to keep Social Media in its place.
All businesses use technology to develop and deliver products and services but what about the culture. With more emphasis being given to corporate culture, we explore modern tools to enhance and enrich the culture in any organisation.
Brendan Zischke Education Coach
Stephen Molloy Product Designer
8 INJURY FREE WITH TECHNOLOGY
14 NINE PERSONAL BRANDING TOOLS
Injuries in sport cost Australia around $2 billion annually. If you work with athletes, you will know the more personal cost of injuries to training and mindset. Richard shares insights from his book “Injury Free” and his app “Quality Mind”.
As a coach, you are your brand. Lauren Clement, our resident branding specialist, shares her top tools to take your personal branding to the top. Stand out in the crowd with these 9 top tools.
Richard Moloney Director Quality Mind Global
Lauren Clement Branding Specialist
10 SIDEWAYS CAREER TIPS
17 YOUR BUCKET LIST
No career paths follow a straight path. You can go up, down and occasionally sideways. Whether we are talking about your own career path, or you are working with clients, this is a must read for dealing with the challenges of todays career options.
Have you considered putting together your own bucket list? What about helping your clients with their bucket list? Trav Bell has set his sights on helping 10 million bucket listers live purposely fulfilled lives. Trav Bell The Bucket List Guy
Margot Smith General Manager IML
www.coachinglife. com.au
CONTENT S
23 26 4
20
20 PR TOOLS TO BUILD YOUR PROFILE Public Relations is all about getting attention, standing out, being noticed and creating relationships. PR these days is about everything you say, do and others say about you. Annette shares 9 Tools to help boost your PR. Annette Densham Publicity Expert
23 KEEPING HUMAN IN AN AI WORLD We all know that AI is coming. Technology is getting smarter but like all trends, you can work with it or against it. Tammy share 7 Secrets to ‘Keeping it Human’ in an increasingly AI world. T ammy Alvarez Founder – Coral Consulting Group
26 TECHNO COACH! Coaches now work in a world where technology is omnipresent. Working with athletes to integrate the science and art of coaching continues to be the challenge to effectiveness. Getting this balance right will give your coaching the edge now and into the future. Wayne Goldsmith Coach Educator
www.coachinglife. com.au
Are you using social media? Or is social media using you? Our phones can be a great tool, but remember they are a tool that we need to control. Sadly, mobile phone addiction is a serious problem. Next time you are stuck at the traffic lights or in the passenger seat, have a look at the cars beside you. It is incredible the amount of people who use their phones whilst driving.
Social media is a business. They are primarily designed to make money. Be aware that similar methods that are used in the gambling industry are actually used to keep us checking in on our phones. Also be aware that social media rewards the same part of our brain as drugs and alcohol. Without going into further details and with time management in mind, here is what I believe you can do to use social media verses it using you!
Social Media:
By Brendan Zischke
1
Move all of your social media apps to a folder that is not on your home screen. This sounds simple because it is. Why do it? It stops the “quick check.” It means that instead of picking up your mobile, entering your pin and pressing on a social media application, more effort is required. So, place it within another folder so that to actually use it, more time and effort is required. Hang on though, isn’t this chapter all about time management?
All it takes is a notification (our phone vibrating or chiming) and we are at the mercy of our willpower. Let friends and family know that if something is urgent please call or message you the old school way! Simply knowing this reduces the thoughts of missing out.
I will never get the time back with them and I try to be 100% present with them. Capturing special Cal Newport PH. D has suggested moments with a photos/ videos, that it takes on average 20 minutes urgent calls / texts and the to return to your level of focus occasional video call with family when switching from a task to are the only exceptions. This will your phone. be very hard at first.
3
Try to put 100% of your attention on what you are doing. If you are watching a movie, watch the movie without Apply the, “out of sight out of scrolling through your phone. This mind principle.” Again, it is mindful approach is very really easy to be at the mercy of important for time management as our phone. you will be more relaxed. It becomes a time where you are, “sharpening the saw.” Yes! When you use it you will likely be using it with a purpose and hopefully less often!
2
4
This has been an absolute game changer. Whenever I am with my kids or even walking my dog, I am 99% of the time not using my phone. I give them 100% of my mindful attention.
Please give it a go. You will be amazed at the quality time it creates. Please note I do still have it available to use in case of emergency.
5
Phone Free Bedroom. This is simple. Stop scrolling in bed.
Place it out of reach.
CONNECT WITH SILENCE REGULARLY VERSES REGULARLY CONNECTING WITH SOCIAL MEDIA Recently I was invited to join a walk to join a hike to Pearling Brook Falls. This came at a time of incredible hardship. Weeks prior I had received tragic news that my best "mate" had been involved in a tragic incident, was in intensive care and the prognosis was not good. The hike was dedicated to his honour, to respect Movember and Mens Health.
Andi Puddicombe, the cofounder of Headspace says, "Remember the blue sky. It may at times be obscured by clouds, but it is always there."
That day was incredibly hard physically, as I literally carried my 2-year-old little man most of the way. My little strong 4 year old girl smashed out half the walk. That day was incredibly beneficial on an emotional and spiritual level. For the first time Money raised would help his family. He loved the outdoors, in weeks I felt at peace. Yes, doing something for my mate he loved to exercise and he loved to push himself achieving felt good. What felt amazing some incredible physical feats. though was the metaphoric blue sky. The blue sky that Most of all he always had my back. He always had his mates revealed itself when I found back. It was the least I could do myself without mobile phone for him. Little did I know that it reception. would be one of the greatest reminders that I will carry with Surrounded by the sounds and me forever. stillness of nature.
Exercising. Moving forward. Being in the company of amazingly supportive people. This is exactly what was reflected in my mind. This can be reflected in yours. If social media is the clouds, then choosing to be in an environment phone free is the blue sky. This walk will permanently remind me to take regular time to connect with the blue sky that really is always there. Yes technology/social media can be important. Use it as needed. Do not let it use you.
We all know that injuries take a devastating financial and emotional toll on athletes and their teams, but what is the true cost? In Australia, sport injury (both semi-professional and professional), costs the economy around $2 billion a year, which is on par with obesity, widely regarded as one of the nation’s biggest public health challenges. But the REAL cost of injury cannot be wholly monetised. Quite simply, it so often means the crucial difference between WINNING & LOSING! For many athletes, when the pressure goes on, the mind starts to crack, and then the body follows suit. It’s usually a predictable and cyclical process, and it’s difficult to halt. If you’re feeling a lack of self-worth, low confidence, or are afraid of making mistakes, then the body will hear the constant negativity that’s flowing through your mind and shut down to pull you out of that extreme situation. Many athletes become trapped in their own minds and they can feel their excitement levels decreasing, which means they’re not playing on natural flow energy anymore. They are now playing from a place of fear, which drains their energy and gets them worried about the future or the past. This eliminates an athlete’s NOW factor, and they’re suddenly playing their sport whilst constantly thinking. They are not in the moment, and therefore they are out of flow. The elite sports system today struggles to manage the mental health of their players.
Many of our best athletes regularly break down, either mentally or physically, because of the level of pressure and expectation perceived from the media, the club, and the general public. This issue is by no means confined to sport either — we are facing a global crisis when it comes to mental health, and the rise in social media and its accompanying scrutiny, along with our fast-paced society, has no doubt contributed to this. Thankfully however, athletes (and the rest of us) no longer have to imagine a life where performing at their highest peak is a given and injury is no longer a concern. With the introduction and rapid evolution of new technology, this can now be a reality, achieved via the systematic use of a mind training mobile phone app which can be equivalent to athletes having a performance coach in their pocket and at their disposal 24/7. When we see that a player’s performance is inconsistent and is continuously going up and down, it’s generally because there is no continuity of the mind - the excitement is wavering, the pressure is on and anxiety levels are cementing. A large percentage of elite athletes don't have the mental capacity to consistently compete at peak levels. Their body may be strong and professionally managed, but their minds are not. They need a reliable process to recognize how to clean out their mental filters of everyday junk, get in flow with life, and become receptive to life’s bounty — which includes reaching and realizing their dreams and creating their own reality.
Where your focus goes, your energy flows. These are the 5 Key Areas where Athletes regularly break down: 1) 2) 3) 4) 5)
Not unconditionally excited Not 100% focussed Lacking self-worth Harbouring Repeating Fears Not listening to your Body – Fatigue
The most effective way of achieving and maintaining a quality mind and ridding ourselves of toxic and destructive thought patterns and beliefs is via frequent and consistent mental check-ins, where we can reflect, check ourselves and essentially ‘change the record’ playing in our heads whenever necessary. This applies to anyone who is struggling with the challenges of life, whether you’re an athlete, an executive, or a stay at home Mum. None of us are born with a propensity to struggle with stress, self-doubt and worry, however these learnt behaviours become ingrained in most of us over the
years, and the best way to alter these thoughts and behaviours is via repetition. When we can eliminate many of life’s perceived challenges through change of habit, we immediately reduce the likelihood and severity of injuries, illness and burnout. When you are fully plugged into the NOW and racing toward your highest excitement, anything is possible. You just need to get rid of the default programs clogging up your mind, let go of the past and release your fears for the future. Everything is neutral until you give it meaning, and far too often we are our own worst enemy, getting in our own way of success, fulfilment and happiness with limiting beliefs and worry.
The body is led by the mind, and a strong, quality mind will enable you to handle the high pressure of elite sports (or life) and consistently reach the pinnacle of performance.
The ideal mental health app would not only promote healthy, repetitive behaviours, but it would also provide access to real life quality mind mentors, should they be required.
Habit formation occurs when we repeat an action consistently in the same context, until it becomes a healthy habit that comes naturally. Rapid developments in technology have encouraged the use of smartphone applications to promote strong and positive mental and physical health, and it allows everyone that has a phone to access a wealth of resources that make therapeutic techniques more accessible, portable and cost effective.
Quality Mind is available on the App Store and Google Play Richard Maloney is a Melbourne based mental health sports Coach. He is the founder and Director of Engage & Grow Global and founder and CEO of Quality Mind Global. With over 20 years of experience in the sports industry, and having worked with hundreds of elite athletes, Richard has proven time and time again that the body is led by the mind. Now, he has a unique and tangible system designed to minimize or eliminate injuries from athletes through systematic mental training, allowing you to unlock your ultimate sports capability and your true potential, in both sport and in life. For more on the Quality Mind Program & app, or to purchase the book
Injury Free – Mental Training for Elite Athletes
www.qualitymindglobal.com
SNAKES AND LADDERS
by Margot Smith
Careers can sometimes be like Snakes & Ladders. You take on a high-profile project and overachieve, and you climb up the ladder. Next thing, you realise you are becoming too technically specialised, and you decide to take a step down to get more experience in a broader range of management and leadership skills, and down the snake you go. When people take a step down or sideways, even if it’s for very strategic reasons, the biggest success
factor is attitude. As in Snakes & Ladders, different roles (both paid and voluntary) are steps towards your ultimate destination. This is never a straightforward path. If you’re faced with a sideways or downward career step, my advice is to put your big girl (or boy) pants on and make the most of it. See it is an opportunity. After all, many other people would probably be grateful to have the role you’ve just secured.
LONDON CALLING I moved to the UK at the start of the global financial crisis. I considered myself quite the catch from an employer’s perspective and thought it would take me days, not weeks or months to land a role in London. But it took me two months to secure a three-month contract position.
It’s fair to say that I went to London to add global experience to my CV and also to enjoy living and working in Europe. During these two years, I travelled more than I have ever had the pleasure of doing before or after. I also met some lifelong friends.
I went from managing a team of 20 in Australia to flying solo in a project-based role. But I embraced it and, before long, I was offered another, meatier role.
So, my priority was living life to the fullest, not just career development. But it took me several years to get back to the responsibility levels of my preLondon role.
TOP FIVE TIPS Informed by my experiences and those of friends and colleagues who have also taken a perceived sideways or downward career step, I can share the following tips. 1. Don’t remind everyone repeatedly that this is a step down for you. Whether or not the decision to take this career move was your choice, be mindful of those around you. Reminding everyone around that you are “better than this” doesn’t reflect well on you. If you are humble and show colleagues what you can do, they will see how much value you can add. 2. Don’t treat the role as beneath you. Give the role 100% and approach it with a positive and proactive attitude. That is the best way to demonstrate that you can add more value. You have made a choice to take this role (whether or not the path that led you here was of your choosing), so do your best and overachieve, if that’s what you have the potential to do. 3. Don’t fail to respect the people around you in similar roles or circumstances. Be aware of those around you, and how your language and behaviour could be interpreted by them. If they are both fortunate and happy with their role and position within the organisation, your comments about this role being a step down (for you) is not particularly sensitive. So, zip it, and get on with it. 4. Don’t ditch the role as soon as you can. Too many people have taken a role for the right reasons at a point in time, only to resign
within a few weeks when something else comes up. Yes, you have your career to think about and you are only answerable to yourself but think about the organisation you have made a commitment to. They have inducted you, spent time and resources to get you up to speed and, if you make a fast exit, you’re leaving them in the lurch. Think carefully about your reasons for taking the role in the first place. Are they still valid? If so, don’t jump ship for the sake of it. Consider if there is still growth in this role. There are times when the role advertised doesn’t match the reality you find once inside (and probation exists for both parties). But if you made a choice to take this role and if it’s exactly what they advertised it to be – you should consider honouring that commitment for a reasonable period. 5. Don’t be smug when you move onto the next opportunity. Okay, so you’ve given the role a red-hot go, and a new opportunity has opened internally or externally. Everything is finally falling into place. Be gracious, be grateful for the opportunity and thank everyone who supported you in this role. Time for your next adventure!
Margot Smith is the General Manager Membership at IML. Margot has worked in events, membership, marketing, customer service, community engagement and leadership roles in a number of member associations, plus a mix of corporate organisations such as Westpac, Scholastic, Optus, LexisNexis and Ausgrid. Supporting members in their leadership journey has always been a passion for Margot. Whether it’s delivering conferences, seminars, mentoring, magazines, networking and profiling opportunities, or just providing advice, she enjoys making a difference in members career development. Margot has a Graduate Diploma in Business, a Degree in Arts majoring in Psychology and Education, and an Advanced Diploma in Event Management.
As we are fast approaching the end of this decade, it’s important to focus on a 2020 vision (excuse the pun). We all know the goal of any product or service is to create memorable experiences for customers but what about the great people you work with? You must enrich their lives in tangible and real ways they value. I try to live life to the fullest by achieving the most out of my days to help others, it’s vital to spotlight the opportunities and learn to siphon distractions. I’ve spent much of my life constantly learning, reading and mastering effectiveness. One of the simplest, yet efficient is perfecting the Pomodoro Technique which utilizes the day into 25-minute chunks separated by 5-minute breaks. Simple as it may seem, it can offer clear, consistent processes and systems to time manage. However, with technology readily available, there’s no excuse to collaborate better as a team and GSD (Get Stuff Done).
Setup Group Chats
favouritism amongst veteran team
Small companies with 100
members. Favouritism and office
employees lose about $420,000 per
politics don’t get the best out of
year due to inefficient
people. My philosophy is always “The best idea wins” Offering incentives for efficient staff is vital to creating a productive workplace. Too many workplaces would rather see staff working late
communication among employees.
as a sign of sacrifice and dedication
Simple chat apps such as Slack,
to their job.
WhatsApp, Troop Messenger, HipChat, Campfire, Google
Make Project Management fun
Hangouts, Grove, Podio, Hall,
I always hated filling in my
Flowdock and WeChat can be easily
timesheet, partly due to
setup and usually have a premium
remembering late afternoon on that
version available. A Scrum Team is
Friday. This is easily avoidable with
no less than five people and no more
the use of project management
than eleven people, try to keep the
apps. Team members will know who
chat numbers based on Scrum or
is working on what. It also clearly
Agile team sizes.
outlines deadlines, task
Create the environment to
dependencies and bottlenecks in the
collaborate
project, allowing project managers to
Brainstorming sessions can allow
take certain steps to maintain a high
everyone to contribute to the project
level of productivity.
and feel valued. I’ve worked at both companies where they value everyone's ideas also worked at companies where there’s obvious
Offer incentives If your team achieves their
Stephen Molloy
goal...reward/celebrate. A recent survey said that Flexible working arrangements was the most appealing perks & benefits companies can offer employees (Days-in-Lieu, Work-from-
Basecamp is probably the most wellknown project management app and the one I personally use the most. Others include Evernote, Asana, Microsoft Project and Casual. Jira and other Atlasssian software such as Trello aren’t personally my first choice as they have their flaws.
home, Go-Karting, Inhouse Cooking Classes, Spa Treatments, AppStore/iTunes gift cards etc)
●
value you at the company” goes a very long way.
productive culture are: Have empathy with all your
●
leave)
emotional connections. understand and share the
●
main areas: Cognitive empathy,
●
Compassionate empathy (also
●
Stop Multitasking
There are only opportunities in business, not problems
known as empathic concern)
●
Praise productivity rather than simply time spent at the office.
Emotional empathy (also known as affective empathy) and
Value feedback, suggestions, input and ideas.
thoughts or feelings of others. It can be categorised into three
Family first, Work second. (If
●
Appoint a 'Chief Culture
It slows you down, increases
Officer' The most dynamic
stress levels, and causes
person should be your Chief
mistakes. Master unitasking
Culture Officer.
instead.
●
He also works on many large global projects and keeps himself very busy as a Senior Product Designer, Speaker, Author and Consultant. He was a Candidate in this year’s State Election, then Candidate for the Federal Election and is now nominated for Australian of the Year 2020.
family emergencies arise,
team members and build (Empathy is the ability to
Never create the fear of losing a job. Saying things like “we
My rules to organise a dynamic and
●
Stephen Molloy is busy Judging this year’s ADMA Creativity & Effectiveness Awards (AC&Es), Judging B&T Awards 2019, Judging the 7 News Young Achiever Award and Judging the App Growth Awards in Berlin.
●
Be open-minded to using technology and apps to collaborate.
In his spare time he studies at Cambridge University and fits in time to spend valuable with his wife and daughter.
Coaching is one of the fastest growing sectors and worryingly, it is almost completely unregulated so anyone can call themselves a coach. In a sea of wanna-bees, you need to provide a valid a reason to choose you, the credibility of consistency which is usually the realm of the big brands. Big brands know that frequency and reach are vital, surrounding your ideal client, so that when the time is right, you are top of their list. Building a personal brand as a coach requires tenacity and dedication (along with a touch of insanity) to become a stand-out, in demand brand. Before you take action though, you first need a strategy. Take time to choose the #1 thing you want to become well known, well paid and wanted for. Then you can set a clarity of purpose and direction with your marketing strategy, otherwise you’ll get distracted and overwhelmed. Once you’ve done that, there are some awesomely easy tech, apps and tools available right now to help you rocket launch you, your brand and your coaching business, or increase your chances of being selected.
Sure you can Google your name to find out what’s online about you…(remember to do an incognito search to avoid seeing what your search history brings up)… But what if you could not only discover what’s being said online about you, and rate it as important or not? You can monitor the influence you have online with a simple tool you can get for free called www.brandyourself.com The nicest thing about brandyourself.com is that not only can you manage your online presence, you can also track where your comments, articles, mentions etc have appeared, and share them in your own feed, creating great interconnecting links.
So, what kind of content is the best to share in order to rocket launch your personal brand? Here’s the next free personal brand building tool…
As a stand-out specialist, you need to be creating good content that you KNOW will get clicks and comments. And it’s all about asking the right question. Wouldn’t it be great to read the minds your prospects to discover what questions they really, really wanted answers for, so you could create content and headlines that engaged? That’s exactly how answerthepublic.com can help you build your personal brand.
Simply type in the topic you want to know the questions for, buying a house, appointing an accountant, hiring staff, finding a lawyer, using a coach…and get all the questions that are asked on search engines so you can format your headlines and content. If content is king, then engagement is the queen of hearts, so by sharing valuable, relevant content when it’s most needed, is the best way to engage with your ideal prospect. The benefit is that not only do you get to share your top tips and best content, you are almost guaranteed it will get engagement. Tip: It’s also a great way to find keywords to include in your website, blogs and marketing to improve SEO and of course creating click-worthy headlines. And here is another very cool, free tool to check if your headline is going to resonate.
The headline you use on your content can make all the difference between going viral and hearing crickets… www.subjectline.com gives you a score out of 100 for your headline, along with tips on what you’ve done well, what you have missed out and how to improve it. Use it to check the headlines on your ads, emails, landing pages and even your printed marketing material. Now you have some great content, with perfect headlines that improve your chances of being seen, and listen to, how do you ‘get it out there” without taking up all of your time?
Scheduling posts makes huge sense when you are building your brand and Buffer has got to be one of the easiest tools to do exactly that. It can schedule your posts to Pinterest, Instagram, Twitter, Linked-In, Google+ and Facebook. It’s free to get started with 10 posts and if you want the full package with as many channels as you like with as many posts as you like, it’s just $10 a month. https://buffer.com also gives you stats about your posting, enabling you to repost the popular posts and tells you what day and time your posts should go out on based on your audience behaviours. Super Tip: To become a well-known and respected personal brand online, your content still needs to be engaging, not just me, me, me all the time… So, here’s a formula for you to share the right content that builds a trusted personal brand, because the last thing you want to do is only talk about yourself. The 30/30/30/10 Rule: 30% about you - your story, content, events, case studies etc 30% news about your industry shows you’re at the coal-face 30% information - be generous with your top tips to create value 10% fun or inspiration So where do you find great content to share with information and news pertinent to your industry? That’s the next fabulous free personal banding tool I absolutely love…
Google Alerts sends the latest topic relevant news into your inbox for free. Simply go to GoogleAlerts and set it up to automatically direct any article posted online about the subjects you have chosen to get alerts for directly to your gmail account (gmail is free too). Tip: You can select which inbox it goes to - I use Forums to put all my google alerts so they don't clog up my primary email. Get started by selecting a couple of topics that you could get information and news for, perhaps 6 to start with and set it going. Once you have a few alerts, set aside perhaps 1 hour a week to scroll through for relevant articles to share. You can always update the alert topics you get over time, based on the results you get. So what’s the point of sharing other people's articles and how does that help your brand? Sharing news indicates that you are up with the latest happenings in your industry, that you are an informed specialist and worth listening to. There’s also a very cool free tool that adds your brand to what you share….
When you share any article online, you can now add a call to action footer to encourage viewers to click back to your brand and business. This includes an image (which I suggest is your headshot, so people know they are dealing with a real person), a short headline and a clickable link to your web page. You can get 1000 clicks and one CTA for free and upgrade to do more, including split testing. At time of publishing, the basic personal branding package is just $29 per month. snip.ly also integrates with Buffer, making it a very cool way to automatically share great content that helps your expert authority and gives your followers a clickable link to your brand. Big tip: Always use an image when you post online. Posts with images get noticed 100 x more than simple text-based posts. Video is even better, of course there is a free tool for doing just that which you are going to love…
If you are creating all this great content and posting blogs or articles, this is the easiest way to repurpose your written content and turn it into an engaging video. Simply grab the url of your blog post, paste it into lumen5.com, and voila! All the images and content is there with a basic layout already started.
Simply edit the key points, change images if you need to (they have thousands to choose from, including still photography and moving video images), set it to music and save. Then share your video on all your social media platforms. Sharing images on social media is great but remember to also share your fantastic content with your raving fans, delivering your ‘gold’ direct to their inbox…that’s right, email is not dead.
How many times have you been told, that in order to become the go-to coach, “Grow your list”? MailChimp is extremely popular, with over 15 million users and is possibly the easiest email marketing tools to get started with. It’s free to get started and you can easily use one of their many templates, with simple drag and drop function to create great looking emails. MailChimp also helps your email avoid your recipients spam folder and handles images and video links with ease. You can upgrade to get an opt-in box to put on your website and it links with Facebook so you can capture leads and use autoresponding emails to connect with your audience when they opt-in to your database. It now also has an e-commerce function, with great reporting so you can use MailChimp as your sales funnel. Now you have the systems to get out there, you also need to be seen and heard in person - ideally as a guest speaker.
SpeakerHub connects speakers to events and offers you a free listing to be found, but more importantly, they send you loads of tips to get gigs, create professional presentations and alerts for speakers wanted. Go sign up to https://speakerhub.com and share your genius one to many. It’s a fantastic way to build your personal brand as a credible coach in a sea of also-rans.
Lauren Clement
Lauren is an International AwardWinning Personal Branding Specialist with over 30 years experience in brand management working within world-leading advertising agencies including Saatchi & Saatchi, Ogilvy and Clemenger BBDO. A five-time bestselling author and International Award Winning Neurobranding expert, she uses her dyslexia disability as her greatest asset - helping entrepreneurs understand how the brain sees brands. She is also a keen sailor, golfer and vodka quality control expert. Find out more at
www.theaudaciousagency.com
7 Secrets to ‘Keeping it Human’ in an Increasingly AI-Driven World We are surrounded by Artificial Intelligence (AI) everywhere we turn. We see our clients retrofitting it into all aspects of their business and becoming increasingly dependent on AI assistants like Siri and Alexa. As we run our coaching practices, we are bombarded by companies using AI technologies to sell us on their lead generation service or a new shiny toy that we just can’t live without. For all its pros and cons, AI is here to stay. According to a 2017 report from Deloitte on Global Human Capital Trends, 41% of companies reported they have fully implemented or have made significant progress in adopting cognitive AI technologies. Another 34% were in pilots and 17% were ready to manage people, robots and AI systems working side-byside. According to a recent Forbes Article, Chatbot sales have increased by 67% but 87% of consumers still prefer to deal with humans. Coaches from all disciplines are an example of one place where human to human interaction should be the highest priority; yet we all want to benefit from technological advances. So how do you balance the efficiency gains of AI and still maintain the human touch?
Here are 7 things you should consider: Working Faster and Smarter Isn’t Always Better Maintaining a personal connection with every prospect, client and affiliate can be time consuming; but that connection is often your biggest differentiator. Coaches should step away from the machine and focus on that human touch by nurturing and deepening their relationships. While our world is becoming increasingly accepting of AI, there is also a growing mistrust when AI feels too familiar. Don’t compromise the trust your clients have in you by overusing automation. Never Pretend AI is Real In a world full of Autoresponders and Chatbots, it’s becoming increasingly difficult to tell who (or what) you’re interacting with. Don’t leave your people guessing. When you try and pretend your website chat feature, Facebook messenger bot or automated LinkedIn response is a live person, you immediately lose trust and credibility. Instead, add fun language acknowledging your autoresponder.
Treat your chat and messenger Bots like you would a call routing service giving them an opportunity to easily get to a live person. Balance the Personal Touch with On-Demand You can really stand out from the pack when you master the ability to balance your personal touch with the on-demand services people are looking for. If you are a Business Coach, your automation funnel could ask a few questions and decide if they need a coaching program or if they should be directed to your library of ‘Do This – Not That’ scripts and job aids instead. As a Health and Nutrition Coach, you could steer them to your 90day lifestyle coaching plan or a membership program that gives them access to ‘Done for You’ menus. They get the level of help they need and you’re spending your time delivering high ticket services. Treat the Customer Experience and Customer Service Differently While it’s common practice to use AI in all customer interactions, coaches should think differently.
In the sales funnel, AI can improve the customer experience by targeting their interests, evaluating engagement and presenting content that’s meaningful to them. You get the insights you need and the prospect feels understood. Today, 45% of customer service requests are handled by AI software. While this is a major time saver, coaches need to support their clients personally to address their needs, maintain trust and strengthen their relationship. Work Smarter An excellent way to get more ‘human’ is to free up time so you can grow your business. The opportunity for companies of all sizes to leverage AI and streamline their operations is exploding. You can quickly perfect your communications by using natural language processing, use predictive analytics from your competitors to forecast sales, or gain new insights by using sentiment analysis to gauge public opinion about your new service offering before you even start development. With all these efficiencies, you’ll free up the time you need to make a bigger impact for your clients and make better decisions for your company. Coach with AI in Mind Your clients are facing new challenges that are changing the way businesses operate and how they live their dayto-day lives. Business Coaches need to help leaders who are tasked
with driving the integration of human, robotic and AI resources. Make sure you have a basic understanding of AI, the impact it has and the adjustments leaders need to make in order to succeed. Career Coaches need to stay on top of the latest AI trends in recruiting, onboarding and training so they can help clients build resumes that don’t get rejected by automated resume screening systems and prepare for video interviews that record biometrics like pupil dilation and facial expression. Life and Wellness Coaches need to help their clients find balance in their increasingly on-demand world where they are constantly dealing with AI assistants, countless notifications from smart phone apps and non-stop targeted advertising on social media.
Surprise Them People become jaded by all the AI they get bombarded with. If you want to create clients for life, do exactly what everyone else is not doing. Personally answer someone who replied to your latest newsletter, pick up the phone instead of using email, and if you really want to surprise your audience, do your next webinar live and see how powerful twoway interactions can be, especially when your audience least expects it. AI is here to stay for coaches and their clients. It’s important for us to get this right and the rewards for doing so are great. A thriving coaching practice needs to respond to the changing world our clients are navigating. And for our own practices, we need to leverage the efficiency of AI, meet the on-demand expectations of our clients and always respond to the enduring need to keep things human.
Tammy Alvarez CEO and Founder Coral Consulting Group, Executive Coaching Solutions
www.coralconsultinggroup.com Tammy is a renowned business transformation expert and a catalyst for leaders to achieve breakthrough performance. She served as a financial services executive on Wall Street for 15 years and brings a unique perspective that helps business professionals become the leader people choose to follow. The firm’s global coaching practice delivers high impact development experiences that deliver bottom line results. Tammy is an inspirational coach, a results-oriented trainer, and lectures on various leadership topics at Cornell University. She holds a BA Degree in International Business Administration from American Intercontinental University and serves her clients from her Stamford, CT headquarters and her satellite office in San Pedro, Belize.
It all started as a one-man show with me as ‘The Bucket List Guy’. An adventurous mid-forty mohawk Aussie who just wanted to tick some goals off his list paired with a deep desire to inspire others to do the same to experience more purpose, meaning and fulfilment in their lives. It wasn’t until I spoke at a conference in South Africa where my friend and business partner, Brad Sugars, called me ‘The Bucket List Guy’ and suggested I franchise my 12 steps M.Y.B.U.C.K.E.T.L.I.S.T. blueprint as a coaching concept.
As ‘leaving a legacy’ was a yet unticked goal on my Bucket List, I agreed and set myself the mission to help 10 million Bucket Listers live purposely fulfilled lives. You might guess it from my name and mission that I like to dream big. But if you had asked me a decade ago if I could imagine running a steadily growing global business without even having a physical head office, I might probably have told you to go and kick the bucket.
However, two years later, I am proud to say that my team and I have managed to build up a purely online based business. We have a colourful tribe of Certified Bucket List Coaches from all age groups and cultures running programs in 15 countries on four continents in English, German, Spanish, Portuguese and Vietnamese.
Here is a quick intro on what and how today’s digital systems simplify our Bucket List lives and help us to make time for what really matters:
As CEO of our Bucket List Coaching Global HQ, I want our coaches to also practice what they preach. Meaning a perfect work-life blend is one of our uttermost priorities. That doesn’t necessarily mean hiking Machu Picchu and jumping out of planes every single day. As a big focus of our global Bucket List corporate programs is mental health at the workplace, we want our Certified Bucket List coaches to be a living example of what it means to be a goal-driven, life-loving Bucket Lister. That is why we want them to live their best Bucket List lives and that means giving them the freedom to work from where they want and, if there isn’t any scheduled meeting - also when they work best. We want them to work to live and not live to work. Because a Bucket List is a tangible life plan where our career plan should fit into and not be the other way around. We therefore believe in and depend on online systems like HubSpot, Zoom and TalentLMS for our Bucket List App that allow us to create a corporate culture across oceans, keep track of what everyone is currently working on and celebrate our wins together.
All-in-one inbound marketing software systems like HubSpot help us put our time and energy on where it belongs - on client interactions and experience while the simple, day-to-day tasks are managed efficiently. This easy-to-use system comes with plenty automated processes that helps us to focus on people instead of technology. With the integrated sales navigator we can now focus on nurturing clients into leads instead of having to deal with IT level coding processes.
our clients in their current time zone at their personal best online time. Another big plus of HubSpot Sales Chrome for us at Bucket List HQ is its integrated CRM (Customer Relationships Management) system. It allows us to limit all our digital systems for managing business relationships and gathering data information such as social media, website, analytics and emails to one central location only. As we are currently expanding with light speed worldwide and got new Bucket List Coaches popping up like mushrooms in every region all over the world, this supportive digital system also allows us to tag every new lead to their region accordingly. This simple lead-segregation process is an extremely useful and time-saving tool that helps us distributing every new lead to each of our four Regional Managers worldwide.
HubSpot’s personalised marketing automation also uses all the information it gathers to understand what our leads want, when they want it, and delivers a timely message through the perfect channel just when they need it most. In fact, 44% of direct mails usually remain unopened because they are delivered at the wrong time. With the automated HubSpot newsletter algorithm, we make sure our Bucket List newsletter reaches
In a next step, every lead is invited to schedule a 15 minutes ‘virtual coffee’ through the HubsSpot integrated calendar option with one of our four regional managers (Michelle for Europe/Africa, Elisa for Latin America, Christina for North America and me for Asia Pacific on that: woman quota: check!). This quick and easy zeroobligation meet-up is purely informative and meant to see if this lead fits our global tribe of purpose-driven Bucket Listers and vice versa.
To complete the perfect trio of useful online tools for coaching, we use Talent LMS as provider for our Bucket List Training App. After our weekly zoom trainings, all our new coaches get to do their homework on the training app to apply what they have learned and to make themselves accountable for their training progress. If we get the impression that the lead got the desired mix of motivation, inspiration and Bucket List craziness, he or she has then successfully qualified for step two which is our weekly Friday group webinar via Zoom. Zoom serves as our global meeting room for new and existing Bucket List coaches and is the key tool to create a corporate culture in a purely online-based environment. It basically works like Skype for business with great add-on options like screen sharing for presentations. The biggest advantage compared to an ‘offline meeting room’ is that we can also record meetings (and mute people ;)). This is a massive plus especially for our weekly global meetings. With Certified Bucket List Coaches in 15 countries on four continents it is quite a challenge to find that one time that works best for all. While our Aussie Certified Bucket List Coaches are sipping their early morning coffee, our Latinos just finished their siesta and team Europe might already started their wine o’clock. By recording our meetings and webinars, we make sure everyone gets access to the relevant information.
From the coconut-slurping hammock coach to the busy single Mam - these online systems are the essential tools you need if you want to skyrocket your online coaching business and make sure your cash flow equals your time flow!
Trav Bell Trav Bell is The Bucket List Guy The World’s #1 Bucket List Expert. He is author of the book, The M.Y.B.U.C.K.E.T.L.I.S.T. Blueprint, a TEDx Thought Leader, a globally recognized Certified Speaking Professional (CSP) & is also the CEO of Bucket List Coaches.
Last but not least, our juicy green #tickitb4Ukickit sign servers as our global ‘currency’ of achieved Bucket List goals worldwide. Whenever a coach or client has successfully ticked an item off their list, they strike a pose with the sign in hand, add the hashtag and upload their proud tick-off on social media.
As a self-appointed “Bucket Listologist”, Trav helps people live their Bucket List before it’s too late! His unique life-engagement message wakes people up, stops ground-hog days & engages people to seek more fulfilment. Check out Trav’s TEDxTalk - Life’s way too short not to live your Bucket List | Travis Bell | TEDxMelbourne
By its very nature, public relations is all about getting attention, standing out, being noticed and creating relationships with the people you want to do business with. Forget everything you know about mainstream PR – which is getting your name in the media (you still want to do that). It is so much more – it is everything you say, everything you do and everything others say about you.
Think about it. PR is the way you interact at a networking event. The blog you dedicate time to writing every week. Your posts and interactions on Facebook. The information you share on LinkedIn. The book you write about your expertise. The information you share freely that helps someone make changes in their business. The interview a podcaster does with you about your business. The great customer service experience you provide.
The way you answer your phone. Everything you do in service of your business, your clients and prospective clients is about PR. In a cluttered market, standing out is challenging. With tight budgets and traditional advertising techniques not as effective as it used to be, the need to engage the market requires different thinking. Using public relations and the media to share your opinions, news and achievements can set you apart and elevate your status to EXPERT and as an AUTHORITY in your industry or niche. As the expert, people want your opinion, more doors open, opportunities and possibilities for partnerships and joint ventures explode… and people want to do business with you. Here are some handy tools to help you get noticed.
But with SourceBottle, the journalist is actively looking for a source of information. Sign up is easy and you can join for $5 a month, getting the callouts straight into your inbox.
Facebook groups There is a plethora of groups that inhabit Facebook. Women in business are good at setting up groups and interacting. Groups are thriving places of networking, marketing, sharing ideas and thoughts and information. Like any community, you get the most value about of participating. Sitting quietly in the background will not win you business – you must comment, ask question and share information to stand out.
Media contact lists Is an online platform that connects journalists looking for help with a story with the people who can help them – you. Every day callouts are posted on the site and shared twice a day via email and on SourceBottle’s Facebook page. As you scroll through the list, you find one that suits you and your business and respond. When you send a media release out, you are pitching into the wind – the journalist may or may not want your story.
Finding the right people to send you story to is always a hurdle. With the many media outlets there are these days, sometimes it is a case of not knowing what is out there. Purchasing access to a media contact database like AAP Directories where you can search for journalists or media by name, location or media type. This comes with a hefty price tag but if you want to spread your PR beyond the main media outlets, this is a great tool.
Google is your friend. If you get stuck for ideas on story ideas or want to keep your finger on the pulse in your industry, create a series of alerts to come into your inbox every day. Using your keywords or words relating to your industry, stories around these are sent to you. Just Google how to set up Google Alerts. Google Alerts is also a great way to newsjack. Newsjacking Newsjacking is the art of using breaking news story to get your take on the story across. But you must be dedicated to following the news – through Google Alerts, Twitter feed, or reading, watching or listening to mainstream news. A story breaks about coaching and its impact on developing minds. This is right up your alley; you disagree with some of the points made and contact the journalist with your angle. The journalist loves it and runs a secondary story featuring you.
Not exactly a PR tool but a grand writing tool. Not everyone is a wordsmith. One of the reasons a story may not get a run is it is badly written. Hemingway helps you ensure your content – blog, article or media release – reads well. The app highlights lengthy, complex sentences and common errors.
Article Contribution Sites Handle Your Own PR engine Created by PR disrupter Jules Brooke, this handy online tool streamlines the PR process, build your own media contact list, write better releases and easily send to the journalists most interested in your topics. It has thousands of media contacts, segmented into industry lists and you can follow up and resend directly from the platform. There is a cost to use it, but it saves so much time. Weekly Rocket If you’ve ever wondered how some people seem to get all the interviews on podcast programs, know about the latest speaking gigs or awards that are on offer, they’ve probably subscribed to the Weekly Rocket - a jam packed weekly email that contains heaps of media, awards and interview ops. It is free to subscribe to.
Forbes, Inc, Entrepreneur, Medium, MindBodyGreen, Business Women Media … there are thousands of online magazines looking for great content and are great for SEO, helping with website ranking and increasing traffic. These sites are handy for creating backlinks are links from one website to another website. If your story is featured on a website that has a bigger audience than yours, Google sees these backlinks as a pat on the back for your content. Pages with a high number of backlinks tend to have high organic search engine rankings – that is good for you and your brand. Most are free to submit content to, just follow their guidelines and the bigger the site, the harder it is to get onto.
Annette Densham is an international award-winning publicity expert with a 30 plus year career in newspapers – The Australian, Financial Review, and Daily Telegraph, magazines (print and digital) and corporate communications. She uses her expertise to teach small business people how to use their stories to connect with the world and build influential brands. Annette is also a stand-up comedian, and as an author, trainer, mentor and speaker, she weaves her story magic everywhere. For more info visit:
www.theaudaciousagency.com
By Wayne Goldsmith
Technology. It’s all around us. In our pockets. On our heads. On our shoes. On our arms and on our legs. We wear it. We stare at it. We even glare at it! Coaches have never lived or coached in an era where technology is so omnipresent.
Not so long ago, coaches would have to invite technology specialists or post graduate trained sports science professionals to attend training sessions and competition events to record data for the coach and athletes to analyse at a later time. Now, in the palm of your hand you’ve got direct and immediate access to a high definition video camera, a high-resolution stills camera offering zoom and wideangle lens options and a digital quality audio recording device. A seemingly limitless range of free or inexpensive APPS are available to allow coaches to edit, review, analyse and study the video, image and audio files stored on their smartphones. The access to technology has delivered an unparalleled opportunity for coaches to learn, to share ideas and to grow their coaching knowledge. You can be sitting on a train in Geneva while sending a text or message to a world class coach in your sport seeking their thoughts on training, preparation, skills development, planning, programming and performing. You are literally one step, i.e. one electronic connection, away from the smartest and most influential coaching minds in your sport. You can be lying in bed at night in Sydney Australia, watching the latest videos on skills development in your sport, recorded last week in Rio by the coach of the current world champion. Or you can be in New York sitting on the Subway, login to a livestream and watch a presentation being delivered in London by a leading sports scientist about their latest research on your sport.
The question isn’t how technology has impacted on coaches and coaching. It has. It’s inescapable. It’s unavoidable. Every coach on this planet is directly influenced by technology every day. The big issue is how coaches can integrate technology into their coaching to enhance the preparation and performance of their athletes and just as importantly how technology can improve their coaching.
Coaches have always been exposed to technology and told that THIS new piece of equipment or software or device was the breakthrough they’ve been searching for. However, whether it’s learning how to use this new-fangled machine called a Video recorder back in the 1970s or investing in the latest piece of wearable player monitoring technology now, the core issue is still the same: Coaching is an art. It is the art of inspiring change through emotional connection. It is the ultimate “people” business. It is listening to, understanding and connecting with other human beings and in doing so creating the opportunity and building the environment for every individual to realize their potential.
Technology…. It’s Not A New Thing. Technology and coaching aren’t something that’s new to the profession. Every generation of coaches has had to learn to deal with the introduction of some form of “new” gadget, gimmick or gizmo: some all new, revolutionary piece of equipment or machine or tool guaranteed to make coaching better and improve athletic performance. There was a time – not that long ago – when people thought an “electronic stop-watch” was an advanced coaching tool promising an unparalleled standard of accuracy and precision. It was only 20 years or so back that coaches communicated the latest sporting results and shared information by a thing called a FAXMACHINE!
It is a profession built unashamedly on relationships between people: between a coach and an athlete where the coach gives selflessly and tirelessly to help an athlete be all they can be. The right technology can be a useful tool which coaches and athletes can integrate into their planning, preparation and performance activities – but like any tool its effectiveness is determined by – and limited by – the decidedly human factors inherent in the coach – athlete relationship. In other words, focus on coaching first and foremost. Learn how to build and grow positive and respectful relationships with your athletes. Take time to understand why you coach and what’s driving you – what’s motivating you to coach. Master the art of coaching and THEN….start investigating the potential impact and influence the latest technology may have on your coaching.
Owning the most expensive paint, brushes and easel do not make you a great painter. But put expensive paint in the hands of someone who’s spent time learning how to paint, how to understand colours, how to capture beautiful scenery…and you’ve got a masterpiece. Spending thousands of dollars on the world’s best guitar does not make you a brilliant musician. But give that guitar to a player who’s practiced for hours each day for ten years, who “feels” music in their very soul and who’s studied music most of their lives…and you’ve got an incomparable listening experience. Technology does not make you a great coach but being a great coach…armed with the right technology…used when, where and how it can make a difference and you’ve got a great blend of art and science – one which will be inevitably successful.
The Techno-Coach Process How To Integrate And Interface With Coaching Technology (And Not Get Ripped Off!) If you’re like most coaches, you’ve somehow found yourself on the email list or social media contact list of an endless line of companies and sales professionals offering you the latest and greatest technology designed to help you achieve coaching success. It’s important to develop some sort of filter or process to help you carefully consider the potential benefits of these new technologies whilst giving you a clear framework to determine whether or not they can and will deliver on their promises.
When you come across new technology that looks and feels like it’s promising remarkable, breakthrough coaching results, ask yourself a few questions and challenge the technology’s viability and appropriateness. For example: What exactly does the new technology do? How difficult is it to learn how to use? For me? For my athletes? How much time does it take to learn how to use and to use in my training and competition programs? Does the technology require upgrades and updates? How much do these cost? Are they readily available and simple to apply? Do the people who’ve designed and developed this technology understand: • • •
Sport? My sport? Coaching?
Has this technology been tested, evaluated and been shown to help coaches and athletes at the level / the age / the stage we’re working at? How much does it cost – and does the cost justify the benefit to my athletes and my coaching? Will it make me a better coach? Will it help my athletes improve? Is there independently funded and conducted research to support the promises being made by the sales professionals? Have other coaches in my sport – or in other sports used this technology and what are some examples of the results they’ve achieved using this technology?
Is this technology significantly better than the technology I currently use? How? Why? In practical terms, when a sports technology sales professional is outlining the benefits of their new product, give them the ONE MINUTE challenge, i.e. “Can you tell me – in one minute or less – what your product is, what it does and how it will help me and my athletes achieve our goals”. It’s a case of COACHES BEWARE! Coaches are motivated with a deep commitment to help their athletes realize their potential and achieve their goals. This commitment can lead to some coaches being vulnerable customers and open to sales professionals offering technology which may ultimately over-promise and under-deliver. Approach all new technologies with hopeful optimism supported by a careful and cautious assessment and evaluation process to help you identify the right technology for you and your athletes.
Keep It Simple: Now Is More Important Than Perfect! One of the dangers for coaches investing in new technology is chasing the promise of “perfection”. More than one coach has been caught out by a new piece of technology offering unprecedented standards of precision and accuracy only to find that there’s a cost to using that technology which is more than the actual purchase price: TIME! Ultimately the coaching and technology question is simple: Will this technology make me a better coach – and in turn help my athletes to get better too? Some technology may offer this potential for performance enhancement but also demand a high level of user skill and the investment of considerable time to use the technology to its fullest capability. A wearable technology athlete monitoring and tracking device may potentially offer the coach and athlete a seemingly limitless amount of data on physiological loading, but it may also require several hours staring at a laptop screen to fully utilize the technology’s full capability. Don’t be hypnotized by the hype! Often giving direct, immediate, relevant, meaningful feedback to athletes live and in real time which is 90% accurate using simple and proven older technology is far more effective than emailing them a detailed 100% accurate data analysis report three days later.
Coach The Athletes To Use The Technology…They’re Probably Better At It Than You Are! If you want to learn how to use technology…ask a ten-year-old. They’ve grown up with it. They live with it. Their world is constructed around it. This gives every coach coaching now a potential advantage that coaches in the past could not have imagined possible. If a ten-year-old can play Fortnight or spend weekends gaming on their X-Box, chances are they can operate a drone, connected by Bluetooth technology to and operated by a Smartphone. This same ten-yearold could be enlisted to video football players from overhead during training and games….TO HELP THE COACH, COACH! Most fifteen-year-olds learn basic “coding” at high school. It’s highly likely they can design and develop a simple athlete self-reporting / selfmonitoring program or APP of some kind….TO HELP THE COACH, COACH! When you’re considering investing in new technology which you believe will help you improve your coaching and enhance the performance of your athletes, why not run it past a few of the teenagers in your team first? In most cases not only will they understand the technology better than you ever could but there’s a good chance they’ll come up with new, innovative and creative ways of using that technology that even the people who designed it didn’t think of.
Summary: We’re living in a wonderful period of human history where access to knowledge, to ideas, to learning has never been so easy, so affordable and so simple. You are one or two clicks away from everything you’ve ever wanted to know about your sport: anyone can get anything, anywhere, anytime and usually for free. You’ve also got direct and immediate access to affordable technology that can measure, monitor and manage the training, development and performances of your athletes. Technology that only a decade ago was outside the budget and above the level of expertise of most coaches is now in your pocket. However, as your coaching “tools” have advanced and as access to knowledge and information has flourished, never lose sight of the “art” of coaching. In the end, we are as much about experiences as we are electronics and as focused on relationships as we are on robotics. Involve your athletes in your technology investment decisions. Most teenagers have an understanding of technology which is way beyond that of their coach and it’s that understanding which can be used to help both the coach and the athletes get the most out of every new piece of technology. The key to coaching effectiveness in the future will be – as it has been in the past and as it is now – the integration of science and art – the moulding together of technology and emotional connection – the balance between the measurable and immeasurable elements of human sporting endeavour.
Wayne Goldsmith has been an influential figure in coach education for the past 25 years. He’s worked with professional, college and Olympic level athletes, coaches and teams in the USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the U.K., Europe, Asia and throughout the Pacific.
www.newsportfuture.com WAYNE GOLDSMITH Web: www.wgcoaching.com YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/wgcoaching TWITTER https://twitter.com/waynegoldcoach FACEBOOK https://www.facebook.com/waynegoldcoaching INSTAGRAM https://www.instagram.com/wgcoaching/ LINKEDIN https://www.linkedin.com/in/wayne-goldsmith-coaching/ Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/nz/podcast/sports-thoughts/id1451687616
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