Planning is a critical component of the Performance Process with Coaches and MDT’s investing significant hours chasing an Outcome by mapping out activity based on markers, measures and KPI’s. How confident are we that we have a robust plan and should we build in ‘risk mitigation’ if we acknowledge some of the cognitive biases that can affect this process? Can we evaluate the plan as part of the process and embed checks and balances to avoid some of the pitfalls that we can fall victim to?
- What’s your plan?
- Is it your plan, are you part of someone else’s or are you part of a collaborative plan?
- What skills are important to plan individually and in teams?
- Do you plan to deliver an outcome goal?
- Do you plan your process and set process goals?
- How do you set targets and how do you know if you are on track?
- When would you change the plan and why?
- Can you really predict outcomes in chaotic dynamic systems?
As humans facing ambiguous wicked tasks and challenges we are often overconfident, massively simplify complexity, over predict success and the time it will take to deliver whilst underestimating the cost both financially and on us personally. Even when we can see failure, our invested time and effort forces us to continue even if we cant possibly deliver what we first set out to achieve.
There is significant pressure associated with delivering an outcome and yet, predicting it is difficult and in high performance sport, the level of ownership and accountability to the result can be low. Easier, is to focus on the process that you are accountable for and work to deliver this in a RED way (Repeatable; Explicit; Deliberate). If you can demonstrate objectively that you have delivered against the process plan, you will be able to show a positive impact that contributed towards the outcome. As a Practitioner, this is what you should be judged on and what you have ownership of.
One piece of the puzzle, placed correctly within the MDT Jigsaw that support the athletes outcome!