Sports brain training has become an integral aspect of elite sports, revolutionizing the way athletes approach their performance. With a focus on enhancing mental agility, resilience, and overall cognitive function, brain training has proven to be a game-changer for athletes at the highest level of competition. In parallel, this concept of brain coaching has also found its application in the business world, unlocking the potential for individuals and teams to develop a winning mindset and achieve extraordinary results. By delving deeper into the realm of brain training, we can unravel the significant benefits it offers to elite athletes and explore how these techniques can be utilized beyond the realm of sports.
The Overlap with Neuroscience and Elite Performance
As we delve into emotional regulation and self-awareness in the early stages of our Advanced Diploma of Neuroscience of Leadership, we discover the overlap of these concepts with how elite coaches and athletes utilize them to enhance their performance.
During a conversation with our Chief Growth Officer, Jeff McKeon, who is also a cricket coach, we discussed how he incorporates neuroscience principles with the teams he coaches.
“Using the principles of neuroscience and working memory, the biggest thing to understand is that no athlete will remember anything until they have slept on it and the memory has been encoded. They need time for the changes to be locked away,” said Jeff.
A Paradigm Shift: Rethinking Learning and Change Processes
This realization led me to an A-HA moment. How often do change processes fail to allow for the proper encoding of information into each employee’s brain? Since no two brains are the same, should we approach their understanding of learning and change in the same manner?
We have all witnessed the coach who subjects athletes to endless drills and berating in an attempt to enhance their skills. However, we now know better. Deliberate practice, spaced repetition, and sleep are the components that lead to high performance. Yelling and berating no longer have a positive impact.
The Business Perspective: Emphasizing Elite-Level Training for High Performance
Now, consider your workplace. How often have massive changes been implemented without emphasizing the need for elite-level brain training to ensure that employees not only know what to do but also become proficient in how to do it?
This disparity reminds me of how elite-level athletes train extensively for moments that sometimes last mere seconds. In contrast, businesses often demand high-level performance without providing adequate or scheduled training opportunities.
We find ourselves reflecting on the quote by Dan Pink, “There’s a mismatch between what science knows and what business does.”
Unlocking the Winning Mindset: Brain Coaching Techniques
Elite athletes and coaches understand that regardless of technical proficiency, winning and success heavily rely on mindset. Brain coaching techniques, such as visualization, utilizing an inner cheerleader, reframing anxiety into excitement, perspective-shifting, and fostering belief, are all part of the toolbox used in brain coaching.
As leaders, how many of these brain training techniques are we employing to propel our teams toward high performance? Are we even having these conversations surrounding high performance?
Jeff humorously shared, “Using my understanding of neuroscience, I can teach teenage boys to use underarm deodorant, so if I can do that, then I can teach anyone anything using the same principles.”
So let’s start with deodorant, following Jeff’s tips, and who knows where it might lead us!
Remember, if you ever need assistance or further information on brain coaching, feel free to reach out to our team by contacting us here. We are here to help you excel in your journey towards high performance.
