Practice Makes…Progress!
The tried and tested cliché of “practice makes perfect” can be applied to so many situations in life. Take my daughters for instance, both of whom share a love of ballet. Ahead of their recent ballet recital and whilst practising their dance steps in the living room, my wife and I could be overheard saying “well done girls, practice makes perfect” in an effort to encourage and champion their commitment to training and improvement.
BUT the very concept of perfection is somewhat flawed. After all, there is no such thing as perfect. What we must all accept is that no matter how much practice we put into something, there are often a variety of variables that sit outside of our direct control.
Take leadership training for instance. There are two fundamental parts to practice in relation to leaders improving following training:
Part 1: Application & Opportunity
One of the most challenging elements of leadership development is having the real-world opportunity to put new found skills into practice.
If we carve out the time and space in which to practically apply the theories, knowledge, models, and structures that we’ve learnt to real time situations…we increase an individual’s momentum and desire to act on them on a consistent basis.
As humans, we can often forget some of the things we have learnt in the training room – particularly if it lacks perceived value to us, or we don’t have time to apply it, we don’t feel positive about it, and/or if the information was deemed too complex.
But by building in and creating that ‘follow up’ opportunity in which to embed this training through reflection, review, clarity, and practice in a supportive environment whether that’s through further training sessions, 121 coaching or observed activities (i.e. a coach sitting in on a 121 session and providing immediate feedback), we can ensure we help embed and reinforce that learning recall, drive higher levels of positive association and that all important desire to take action again. This has a direct result on the ROI of any training provided.
Part 2: Practice Doesn’t Create Perfection.
The danger of chasing perfection is that in many cases it is a very subjective standard. This is particularly true when it comes to the leading of people because everyone’s needs are different.
Not only that, the landscape of leadership changes frequently, so to try and be perfect at it all the time is all consuming and mentally, emotionally, and physically exhausting. The key element of practice is less about achieving perfection and very much about finding your way and learning what works for you and where you might need to adapt.
Take Wimbledon for example. We see countless examples of tennis players who promote the need for training and practice, however they don’t all follow the same exact regime. Their training load differs, their nutrition plan changes, their tapering adapts based on their fatigue, performance, and physiology. Good athletes also understand the need to control THEIR controllablesand realise that there are some things simply outside of their control. If they were to constantly chase perfection, it wouldn’t allow for any setbacks, weather changes or injuries.
This same level of practice and adaptability needs to be applied in leadership so that we don’t get caught up in that toxic “leadership perfection” space. By committing to a process of continuous and on-going practice and by becoming more aware that perfection is an ever-moving target, we become more motivated to put our learning into practice and more accepting of the setbacks which will undoubtedly come along the way.
So, now we understand the theory…what now? How does a leader start to practise and embed their own leadership changes into everyday life? Well, we need to consider the five step approach according to nudge theory.
Nudge Theory
1: Make it Simple – The ‘nudge of change’ should be concise and clear. They should also focus on micro skills rather than significant skills changes. Sometimes trying to change a massive skill is a significant challenge, that neither you or your team will be able to cope with.
2: Make it Attractive – We need to have some form of emotional connection to the nudge changes we are trying to practice and instil. If we have a personal incentive to change it helps us engage in the practice and stay focussed on the intended outcome.
3: Make it Social: – What we practice can often be influenced by the results others are achieving. If we share our practice and what is working, we can often gain insight from those that we share with, as they practice and find their way.
4: Make it Fit: – We need to consider when is the best time practice and road test the changes we want to make. Assess the environment, situation, or time where the practice would give you the best feedback. If you are trying to practice your assertiveness skills in a situation that requires you to be collaborative, then the situation and timing might be wrong, which can then cause us to lack the required conviction next time.
5: Make it Culture! – Something that underpins the success of practice and application is how well the environment promotes it. Leaders have a key role to play in the creation of the culture and for them to benefit from an environment that allows people the time and space to practice, they need to promote it as well.
Check out these practical examples of how you fully embed and begin to implement those new found leadership skills in your every day using the Nudge Theory
So, when it comes to leadership training, the need for practice is essential and if we don’t allow leaders the time and space to practice their skills, then they are less likely to secure that important feedback and confidence they need to constantly improve and build upon.
Remember, if we constantly link perfection to practice we are setting a dangerous precedent, one where we expect people to be perfect…and once they reach perfection…they don’t have to practice ever again!