Listening Is Like Athlete Screening

Jesse Wright

September 9, 2021

2-minute read

Most of the literature on effective communication will include some form of counsel on being a committed listener prior to speaking. It is likely the foundational component of many of the best articles.

It is even more likely you have already read and listened to that type of advice many times before. See what I did there?

This is not another email that instructs you on how to listen. It does, however, wholly support the concept.

I would like to offer up an analogy to help you think a bit differently about it. It's more about the "why." And possibly drive home the importance in an alternative way.

Listening is a lot like screening an athlete or conducting a battery of pre-training baseline testing on a new client.

A physical therapist or ATC would screen to gather information. Or to diagnose. A new case is presented, and they would seek to educate themselves on the details. "The purpose of the assessment is to understand the patient's problems, from the perspective of the patient as well as the clinician, and understand what happened to cause the patient to complain." (Wallman, 2009)

With this newly gained intel, a treatment plan can then be developed. It is a critical first step.

A strength & conditioning coach or personal trainer will develop a similar initial profile with a new athlete or client. Whether it is a body composition test, a series of mobility assessments, or a more-advanced screen such as a countermovement jump on a force plate to measure ground reaction forces or asymmetries, the importance of collecting information on a new arrival cannot be overstated.

It will be used to establish a starting point. It will be used to re-assess in the future and show progress. And it will be used to design a personalized plan, relative to that client's specific goals and needs. The data collected serves as a foundation upon which decisions about the upcoming programming can be made.

And above all those important items ranks one more. It lets them know you care. You are willing to take the time and attention to see them as an individual, rather than just assuming they can benefit from the same exact approach you take with others.

Of course, you could just hand them a generalized, one-size-fits-all program for designed for the masses. They will certainly benefit from it, beyond that of no training at all. But we certainly can't call that high performance or best practice. We can be better. N should = 1.

Beginning a conversation with mindful listening works in much the same way. While it may not always be a scenario that involves a brand-new client or person, each novel interaction with someone represents a chance to learn and gather and connect.

In listening, you are mining for information. You are assembling relevant background for the conversation at hand. You are collecting evidence, to be used effectively in the upcoming case that is a back-and-forth conversation. Why did they seek you out? What might they have on their mind?

You aren’t entering into the exchange with guns blazing and ready to say whatever it is you wanted to say. You aren’t assuming you know what the conversation is about. And you certainly aren’t assuming you know what it is they need to tell you.

Listening helps you to dig. And clarify. And close the gap prior to your turn.

You are making an attempt to understand. Or even better, letting them know that you want to understand. You are a more prepared participant as a result, and you can develop and execute a better, more compassionate, and more helpful conversational plan.

The key is in the initial step. Choosing to listen before speaking. Just like with a new athlete or client, in choosing to screen before programming.

Three Strategies for Early Success in your New Fitness and Training Position

Jesse Wright

August 25, 2021

5-minute read

Hard work and opportunity finally collided for you. You got hired for your very first full-time job and are brand new to the position. Insert high performance role here: Personal Trainer, Strength & Conditioning Coach, Athletic Trainer, Physical Therapist, Dietitian, etc. Regardless of your specialty, they all bring the same assortment of emotions and opportunity.

Excitement. Anticipation. Gratitude. Nerves. Concerns. Insecurities protected by a layer of confidence. All of these are sure to be present, and each one of them is normal and expected. Of all of them, however, one of the most prominent is likely to be the drive and desire to make a big impression. You are brand new to your job and in a brand-new gym, training center, or clinic. How do you connect early? How do you ensure a great start? How do you deliver and stand out in the right way, despite not having much experience?

One big item to understand is that each new environment that you find yourself in has their own set of norms and standards. There is the chance that what was common and expected at your last stop or previous place of employment might be similar to your new one. But it might not be. In fact, it is likely that there will be differences. The approach or day-to-day execution that brought you success before may not be the one that accomplishes the same in your new place of work. It will benefit you tremendously for you to recognize these differences as accurately and as early as possible, to avoid any missteps that may erode confidence in your abilities before it even gets established.

Here are three strategies to consider that may help you get off the ground in an impactful way:

Observe and Inquire​

Chances are, you will be introduced to some type of orientation or new employee training program. You will be taught a lot of the ins and outs of the job; everything from how to turn the lights on, to how to enter a new client into the system and take a payment, to how to use their training program design software. It will cover a lot but will likely omit many of the hidden, key components that can empower you to make a big impression early.

This is where you want to take charge on your own and not rely solely on the structure of the company’s onboarding plan. You can do this two ways: mindful observation and asking the right type of questions. Take notice of your new surroundings and the interactions that go on naturally. Don’t just enter rooms or walk the training floor but do so with the intent to learn about the new world in which you find yourself. Ask questions that will add to your new cultural knowledgebase as quickly as possible

Here is a small list of topics and questions that will be helpful for you as you integrate in your first few days and weeks. You can answer these simply by watching on your own or asking them of your leader or a trusted teammate: