The coaching attitude

In the world of science there is a phrase called “the scientific attitude” which has three components: curiosity, skepticism, and humility.  Here is what they mean for scientists:

Curiosity – Always having a passion to explore in order to learn something new.  As John Wooden said, “what matters most is what you learn after you think you know it all.”

Skepticism – A healthy amount of skepticism will make you less prone to believing everything you hear or see.  Data can be deceiving so it is incumbent upon the scientist to dig deeper to see what may be missing or flawed about what they are seeing or hearing.  It’s the belief that no matter how convincing someone or something may sound, there is always the possibility of error.

Humility – This is the belief that all human beings are flawed in some way.  We all have our biases formed by our opinions, beliefs, and experiences that often prevents us from seeing other points of view.  Our limited view of the world will always be incomplete in some way.  Recognizing and accepting this is not a sign of weakness.  It is just an awareness that we don’t have all the answers.

These three components continually drive science toward new understandings and breakthroughs.  

They are also the fuel that drives good coaching.

Do you have all three?

Tomorrow’s post: Injuries – one week or one month?