The power of pessimists

Social and popular media is awash with messages of positivity; how to achieve your goals, the impact of positive thinking and be more effective in ten easy steps.  We all need positive people around us, especially when we feel challenged or things aren’t going too well however is there a place for pessimists in a world that values positivity so highly?

It is easy, especially when pursuing an idea that is your own, to only see the positives, to extol why it will succeed and ignore the obvious (and less apparent) pitfalls.  Of course, there are plenty of business plans and new ideas that succeed however there are also numerous projects which despite starting with best laid plans fall by the wayside.  This costs businesses and entrepeneurs hours in productivity, pounds, shillings and pence (assuming you are reading this in Great Britain) something which smaller organisations can ill afford.

So how do you give your plan the best chance to succeed?  Look for a pessimist.  Unlike the eternal optimist they may be more attuned to the pitfalls in your plan, the oversights and areas where more detail is required.  By their very nature they are likely to see why something might fail rather than why it may succeed and it is this information that will help you plan for roadblocks and, if necessary, alter your plan accordingly.  The downside?  Well too many pessimists may prevent you from trying anything new or getting your idea off the ground.  If however you can use their feedback constructively without it affecting your enthusiasm, a well placed 'doubting Thomas' may force you to think about the challenges before they arise and invest your time in projects more likely to succeed.

How you decide whether someone is a pessimist or not is up to you.

Eating soup with a knife

Much has been made of culture recently; we hear it cited using negative connotations in reports of our incarceration system and with a more favourable tone when discussing successful sports teams.  There is an excellent book entitled ‘legacy’ which deals with cultural issues within the All Blacks Rugby Union team and how it has helped them achieve unparalleled success on the field. What the latter demonstrated was the importance of consistency in staff, or to broaden to the wider business community, decision makers.  This is a luxury rarely permitted within sport and perhaps why, especially in football, few clubs succeed in developing their own unique culture.

A culture is something that should permeate an organisation; it should be able to be articulated by those at every level and function; it should go beyond what I would consider basic manners and set the tone for how its proponents are viewed by each other and the outside world [On point 2 above I get frustrated when sports teams are lauded for ‘sweeping out the sheds’ or essentially, cleaning up their own mess, something that is expected, although increasingly unenforced, amongst young children].  Cultures are not created overnight, certainly not those that go deeper than a fancy headline or marketing slogan.  Cultures that unify groups of individuals toward a shared and common goal are years in the making, a timeframe rarely experienced by managers in professional sport and in some cases big business. In situations where new managers are perceived to have little time to achieve such a sea change within their organisation they may face a threat far greater than inertia; quiet rebellion.

To take an example from football, a new manager inherits staff from their predecessor, both players, coaches and support staff.  With a relatively small window of opportunity to deliver success they must ensure that every person within their wider team understands what they are trying to achieve and more importantly, the tactics by which they will pursue this end.  Outside observers may consider the most important group from which support must be garnered to be the playing staff; whilst I wouldn’t disagree, the impact of back room staff who are not supportive of the new regime should not be overlooked.  The logistics of organising a team are very similar to many businesses.  There are uniform requirements (kit), logistical considerations (travel), organisational (administrative and alike), end product (tactics and strategy) to name but a few, all tasks undertaken by the support staff whom the manager must develop a close and effective working relationship with.  How the manager wins their support, cooperation and trust may be one of the most important tasks in the early days of assuming control.

The skills required to achieve this are subtle; people need to feel secure in their role but also challenged to improve wherever possible; communication channels need to be open and effective; a clear objective, strategy and tactics should be made clear; and a fair review system developed.  Whilst the new manager may be met with suspicion upon entering the organisation (especially when their predecessor was well liked) approaching a potentially rebellious group in an aggressive and/or combative way should be avoided.  To quote Lawrence of Arabia, ‘to make war upon rebellion is messy and slow, like eating soup with a knife’.  As frustrating as a lack of support for your ultimate objective may be, confrontation is rarely an effective strategy.

In football as in many businesses we have a culture of ‘easy come, easy go’; this is epitomised by the recent reports of would be managers openly discussing their dealings with a club who already have an individual in the post they are linked with.  Such an open lack of support for the incumbent makes managing staff even more difficult, especially for managers who have employees that would rather see the back of them.  If football clubs (and businesses) want to see a culture change in their organisations they would do well to start at the top and allow individuals a sufficient degree of time to achieve the targets they have been set.  Without such a mandate managers may find it increasingly difficult to garner the support of their staff and prevent being overcome and perhaps overthrown by a rebellious miniroty.

The uses, benefits and controversies surrounding performance analysis in team sports

Introduction

The analysis of sporting performance is a vital component of the coaching process [9] Six key subcategories within the delivery of analysis have been identified comprising motivational videos, opposition analysis, performance feedback, performance modelling, performance review and training; all aim to change behaviour, facilitate learning, improve efficacy and increase motivation [6]. Much is known about the benefits of feedback however there is a feeling that research investigating the “applied” use of video-based technology is limited and experimental studies used to develop practical working guidelines may not be grounded in the realities of “real world coaching [3].

Benefits

A key benefit of video analysis is the ability to review performance and provide a degree of objectivity to the feedback process [2] Research has found coaches to believe that video based analysis often “reinforced their thoughts on performance”, [5] with the same study highlighting the benefits of review “once emotions have gone”. The ability to objectively review performance after the emotional high of competing has subsided is beneficial for athletes as well as coaches. Coaches feel post match analysis should remain game related with clips carefully selected so that the session finishes with a positive message.
It is vital that coaches build the relationship between analysis sessions performed in the classroom (for want of a better word) and practical “on pitch” sessions. One coach observed that, “we bring them (the players) into the video room, they might watch something that we’re going to work on and then we go straight into training.”[6] This is particularly relevant when relating opposition analysis to training and ensuring clarity regarding the intended aims and objectives of the session; smart training.
An increasing number of clubs now use player performance rating’s, expressed as numerical values and derived from algorithms related to key performance indicators (KPI’s). KPI’s can be tailored to the requirement of the coach and their philosophy or style of play with greater weight given to actions they believe relate to successful outcomes, not always necessarily winning. [7]

Considerations

Research has shown that around 19 of 46 elite coaches reported “gut instinct” to guide the selection of KPI’s whilst 90% identified the coaching philosophy as being a contributory factor. [11] It could be argued that some variables may be measured as a result of availability rather than an intrinsic link to successful performance; to coin the reverse of a popular phrase in business, what can be measured matters. [7] Data providers such as Opta, Prozone Sports & Instat provide clubs with large statistical datasets and measures of standardised KPI’s. Despite the availability of data within this domain there difficulty exists in defining such variables between clubs, leagues and national governing bodies. [1] Analysts can all too easily drown themselves in vast amounts of irrelevant data, leading to a rejection or diluted impact of their work. [1]
Performance analysis research has tended to be conducted in academic environments with limited access to elite-level coaches yielding results that lack real world validity. This can lead to an unwillingness of coaches to consider such research applicable; Manchester City has taken steps to address this through releasing their 2011/12 data to the public in the hope of pursuing the ‘wisdom of crowds’.
When preparing their team, coaches are reluctant to use a high volume of positive clips through fear of suggesting the opposition cannot be defeated; conversely, showing too many of the opposition’s weaknesses may lull a team it a false sense of security[6] Coaches feel that the effectiveness of an analysis session, at least those delivered to players, depends on the level of trust and respect achieved within the group. Research using Ice Hockey players found respect afforded to coaches was supported by their achievement within the sport, passion for their job, social presence and quality of presentations; whether these skills are commonly developed through coach education pathways is debateable, or indeed in sports where managers are routinely undermined by owners and the media. [9]

Future Directions

“It depends if you are developmental or purely winning-orientated in regards to how you go about the delivery of analysis” Is a quote from the literature, which from my experiences I would agree with. [6]
There is a relatively limited pool of research into the role and application of analysis in the applied setting. [1] If modelling statistical trends can be linked to predicting success the findings are still dependent on the coaches’ and practitioners’ ability to integrate such findings into their working practises. [1] As a result many analysts focus on employing a “reductionist” approach that presents “Key” statistics combined with complementary video.
I believe future research should move away from measuring variables and identifying retrospective trends and expand the knowledge base by exploring varying applications of analysis within the applied environment. This may be achieved through studying players’ perceptions of performance analysis and how they feel they benefit from it, investigating reasons behind coaches uses of the different subcategories of analysis or perhaps the application of analysis techniques at different stages of a players development.

References
[1] Carling, C. Wright, C. Nelson, L. J. & Bradley, P. S. (2014) Comment on ‘Performance analysis in football: A critical review and implications for future research’, Journal of Sports Sciences, 32:1, 2-7,
[2] Drust, B. (2010). Performance analysis research: Meeting the challenge. Journal of Sports Sciences, 28(9), 921–922.
[3] Franks, M. (2002) Evidence-based practice and the coaching process, International Journal of Performance Analysis in Sport, 2, 6 20.
[4] Gilbert, W. D., & Trudel, P. (2001). Learning to coach through experience: Reflection in model youth coaches. Journal of Teaching in Physical Education, 21, 16–34.
[5] Groom, R., Cushion, C.J. (2004) Coaches Perceptions of the use of video analysis (A Case Study), Insight 3(7), 56-68
[6] Groom, R., Cushion, C.J., & Nelson, L. (2011). The delivery of video-based performance analysis by England youth soccer coaches: Towards a grounded theory. Journal of Applied Sport Psychology, 23 (1): 16–32.
[7] Mackenzie, R. & Cushion, C. (2013) Performance analysis in football: A critical review and implications for future research, Journal of Sports Sciences, 31:6, 639-676,
[8] Nelson, L. J. & Groom, R. (2012) The analysis of athletic performance: some practical and philosophical considerations, Sport, Education and Society, 17:5, 687-701,
[9] Nelson, L. J. Potrac, P. & Groom, R. (2014) Receiving video-based feedback in elite ice-hockey: a player's perspective, Sport, Education and Society, 19:1, 19-40,
[10] O’Donoghue, P. G. (2001). The most important points in grand slam tennis. Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport, 72, 125– 131.
[11] Wright, C., Atkins, S., & Jones, B. (2012). An analysis of elite coaches’ engagement with performance analysis services (match, notational analysis and technique analysis). International Journal of Performance Analysis of Sport, 16, 436–451. 

Introducing Odysseus, your new role model in sport

Achilles was a pretty successful chap (his heel not withstanding), lauded for his physicality, brute strength and prowess on the battlefield.  Indeed, it was his physical precociousness and honest disposition which gained popular acclaim; from a modern day perspective you may have described his as ‘what you see is what you get’.  It is often these characteristics and attributes that we value in identifying young people likely to excel in their chosen sport (or any chosen career path for that matter); those that are willing to work hard, develop physical precociousness through adherence to a prescribed training programme and compliance with the requests of their coach and support team.  These qualities are of course important however there are a different set of skills which are overlooked, those displayed and practised by another successful yet perhaps less well known Greek, Odysseus.

Odysseus displayed a smart mind, and has been described as cunning and in a slightly more derogatory tone, deceptive.  His ability to communicate whilst hiding his true purpose, feelings and thoughts are well documented.  He was the adventurer who managed to avoid the sirens through foreplaning and escaped from the clutches of the Cyclops through an intricate series of lies, deception and double crossing.  These qualities were less popular amongst the ancient Greeks than those of Achilles and so is the case today; few would readily identify an athlete who was descried as cunning or deceitful as being someone they would want to work with.  Perhaps however this requires a re-think?

The ability to be cunning and deceitful are key attributes in a range of sports from a tactical and strategic perspective.  Never before has the influence of ‘mind games’ been so publicised in the popular media, a practise which requires athletes (and coaches) to use a range of techniques that hide their true agenda.  Furthermore, once they enter the field of play athletes are required to deceive their opponent through feints, disguised movements and in some cases feigned injury.  Despite the positive influence these actions and behavior's can have on the intended outcome we seem to apportion a relatively low priority to them in selecting athletes (and coaches) who are likely to be successful.  Not only are these skills undervalued in how we select able young athletes but their development is often not specifically targeted.  Perhaps we expect the subtleties of subterfuge and deception to be developed tacitly, or perhaps we are less conformable with acknowledging and using practises designed to enhance their use.  In previous roles I heard coaches complain that some athletes would always seem to find the easiest way of doing things, or work out the best way to win (even if it wasn’t necessarily in the sprint of the game or strictly within the rules).  This was generally conferred in a negative way yet demonstrated an important skill and mind set, the ability to be cunning and flexible in their approach.  Although athletes who display these skills may be harder to manage this should not deter us from working with them, unless of course they take the path of least resistance to avoid a challenge.

The recent publication of athletes TUE data has brought this topic into stark focus.  Team Sky were previously lauded for their ‘leave no stone unturned’ approach, perhaps because it was seen to reflect an unfaltering work ethic.  The suggestion however that their practices may have bent the rules or pushed the boundaries of laws that govern cycling (and other sports) following the release of TUE data was viewed in a more sinister way, with words like deceitful and dishonest used.  Even their own athletes have suggested that individuals need to do more to uphold the new found ‘clean’ image of the sport.  Your viewpoint on this issue is likely influenced by how comfortable you are with teams and athletes massaging the rules of their sport and working to uncover technicalities and loopholes they can use to infer a competitive advantage versus an ethical obligation to uphold the principles muscular Christianity.  To cite a different example, diving in football is vilified and now has sanctions attached to its use including free kicks and yellow cards.  Claiming for a throw in or corner which clearly should be awarded to the opposition however goes unacknowledged and unpunished; although the modus operandi is different the behaviour is not, a willingness to deceive the referee, her assistants and your opponent.

When we place so much importance on winning and when the rewards are so great we should not be surprised when practises emerge that, in normal society, would be at best frowned upon and at worst deplored.  Despite this, and as uncomfortable as some may find it, perhaps they are necessary to be successful at the very highest level.  This I suspect is as true in business as it is in sport; the debate continues regarding the tax avoidance practises of big business and whether this is a question of law or ethics (I will hold my own counsel on this one).  When determining which athletes to support, select and retain we should value attributes such as the ability to be cunning and deceptive, as difficult as that may be, in the same way as we would physicality.  Achilles may be a great role model for some of your athletes however most teams and organisations need an Odysseus to gain the competitive advantage.