BLACK BOX THINKING by Matthew Syed
FEBRUARY 2017 COACHING BOOK RECOMMENDATION
Two years ago in February 2015 I reviewed BOUNCE the best seller by Matthew Syed. A book all about the myth of talent and power of practice.
He has since followed this up with BLACK BOX THINKING – Marginal Gains and the Secrets of High Performance.
This time round, rather than focussing on the world of sports Syed hooks you in with real life stories about how the NHS could learn from the black box thinking of the aviation industry. In fact to quote from the back of the book;
“What links the Mercedes Formula One team with Google?
What links Team Sky and the aviation industry?
What connects James Dyson ad David Beckham?”
It is a book littered with anecdotes that links that will draw you in and try to second guess the link or connection and yet each time you will be enlightened with a new perspective and learning.
But what has this book got to do with coaching. Well, by drawing parallels between unexpected sources what Syed is really demonstrating and priming our brains for is self-efficacy. Self-efficacy is when you may not know the answer but you draw on previous unrelated experience to reassure yourself that you have overcome adversity before and therefore have the resilience to do so again. It also teaches us that when the answer isn’t obvious, look to other fields to inspire and borrow ideas. The richest problem solving comes from looking at the shared experience. These are basic and fundamental coaching principles so I say get the inspiration and education where you can and this book can give you some of that.
Click the link to order you copy of Black Box Thinking
On that note, I wish you happy reading and a confident and resilient day.
Lydia – The Confidence Coach
Back of the Book Blurb:
Black Box Thinking is a new approach to high performance, a means of finding the edge in a complex and fast-changing world. It is not just about sport, but has powerful implications for business and politics, as well as for parents and students. In other words, all of us.