If you work hard and you’re coachable, and you understand what you need to do, you can improve.”
– Bill Belichick
Arguably, the All-time greatest coach to ever traverse the NFL had many profound insights into what it takes to be the best –
He talked the talk, & certainly walked the walk!
His ability to extract the best from individuals and create an unprecedented collective ‘winning culture’ that is underpinned by professionalism , relentlessness & humility, is why he has 5 superbowl rings as head coach of the New England Patriots.
Thankfully, the pressure to lead an elite organisation to the promise land, is not something that is written into our contract when we become a clinician!
However the ability to lead, and become a coach for our patients, is a key ingredient to becoming a great practitioner.
When we first enter the clinical world, it is commonplace for patients to return for their second or third visit, with little progress toward their outcomes or objectives
You begin to scratch your head,
What have I missed, is the diagnosis correct, have I over dosed, under dosed my treatment or the exercise program?
However, very often it is the patients lack of compliance with the plan you have set, that underrides the lack of progress.
When we are fresh clinicians, it is easy to blame the patient for the non-compliance. In some cases, the non-compliance may be attributed to the patients busy schedule or lack of discipline.
As you mature as a clinician, you begin to understand that you need to be captain of this ship!
While it is fundamental that we collaborate with our patients to identify their physical goals and desires, we need to remember that the patient is putting faith in our knowledge and skills set, to be able to get them out of pain, back running or playing high level sport.
We must lead our patients and take ownership over the outcomes!
If a patient hasn’t adhered to the plan or exercise program, a mature clinician will ask
What part of my communications wasn’t clear?
Did I not convey the suitable message?
Did I not sell the story with conviction?
Zooming in a little closer, we apply the principles of coaching when we are working with our patients movement patterns. Success in skill acquisition all depends on where we direct our patients attentional focus. Providing cues that are extrinsic and outcome focused, create an optimal environment for transfer of training onto the competitive arena. A strong body of research in the motor learning domain supports this notion.
Intrinsic cues involve focus on internal body segments and positions. These can be useful in the very early stages of training, however require ongoing conscious cortical processing, thereby limiting the ability to produce these skills instinctively in a high pressure, competitive environment.
Examples:
Take you knee over you toes in a squat, Keep your body straight when cutting to the right.
Extrinsic cues Focus on the outcome or the environment outside the individual. This is where you can harness your creative expression! Creating an outcome for the movement might involve using hurdles, tape on floor, balls to catch or manipulating the space the athlete has to work with.
Watch here for some external cue examples to improve risk factors associated with ACL injury – The gold starts from 2min 45s!
How To Reduce Your Risk From The Dreaded ACL Injury! – YouTube
And finally, to be an effective coach for your patients, you need to be coachable.
Stay humble, put your ego aside and maintain the insatiable thirst for learning new skills, ideas & concepts. Remaining updated with the latest evidence, seeking out mentors and experts who you aspire to emulate, will keep you on the path toward your dream career.
So the next time a patient deviates from your expected timeline of progress, look internally first, and ask the question
Am I coaching this patient with strength & conviction?
Have I been coached enough to truly lead this patient?
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