Trust in the System: How Being an Optimist Will Help You in Strength and Conditioning
Written on November 4, 2014 at 6:57 am, by Eric Cressey
I'm always trying to learn about things we can find outside the strength and conditioning industry that may in some way benefit the way we coach athletes. I recently finished up the audiobook, The Pursuit of Perfect, by Tal Ben-Shahar, and there was a section that really stood out for me.
It can be quickly summed up with this quote:
"Those with a positive view of old age lived on average more than seven years longer than those with a negative view."
Immediately, I began thinking about this message's implications with respect to training progress, coaching approaches, and running a business.
As an eternal optimist, this quote resonated with me. With respect to personal relationships, I joke that I don't have any enemies; I just have raving fans who are in denial. I do my best to see the good in people and always try to give folks the benefit of the doubt, even if a first impression was less than favorable. In short, I feel like good things happen if you think about good things!
Applying this to the strength and conditioning field, I've always said that I want athletes to see training with us as a competitive advantage for them. I want them to know just how meticulous we are in our assessments and programming, and how nobody else takes as much pride in delivering baseball-specific training. I want them to know we're getting out to do continuing education instead of "getting comfortable;" have developed a great network of everything from pitching coordinators, to physical therapists, to nutrition consultants, to orthopedic surgeons to help them get the best training and care; and have built a system where our training model dictates our business model (not vice versa). I want them to know we've fostered an environment where they can train around individuals with similar goals and look forward to training around people who want to "get after it."
In short, them having an extremely positive view on training with us is vital to their success. If they don't buy in, they're starting behind the 8-ball.
"Buy in" doesn't always happen, though - and it's for one of two broad reasons:
1. The athletes' personalities don't allow it; they're skeptical of everything.
2. The program simply isn't worth buying into; the athletes have no confidence in it.
In the first instance, as an example, I've actually had a few people request refunds for The High Performance Handbook before even starting the program. Conversely, I've had other folks that open up the program and instantly email me about how excited they are to try out some new exercises, or how they're really excited to finally have some good structure in their training programs.
Which group do you think is going to train harder and with more consistency over the long haul? If you're questioning a program (or a coach) before you even try it (or him) out, you might as well just stay home. You have to get your mind right before you can get your body right.
There are parallels in the business world, too. When business owners encounter new ideas (especially from other industries) that may be worthwhile to incorporate in their existing structures, many immediately insist, "My business is different; it won't work for me." Usually, these are the same business owners who spend their entire professional careers (which are often short-lived, because they go out of business) speaking negatively about their competition, as opposed to emphasizing their own unique strengths. Clients and athletes perceive and dislike pessimism, regardless of the industry.
The "hardcore" evidence-based crowd in the health and human performance industries can trend in this direction, too. They're often so pessimistic about every new idea because it's not backed by research that they completely discount anecdotal evidence supporting new ideas. It's important to remember that everything we understand with research-backed certainty was just a theory supported by anecdotal evidence at one point, though. And, if we wait around for the peer-reviewed literature to "approve" everything we do, we'll miss out on a lot of beneficial stuff, and the industry will progress at a snail's pace. Evidence-based practice is tremendously important, but you can't combine it with unyielding pessimism.
In the second scenario above, some programs and coaches just aren't very good. And, the problem about delivering a low-quality product is that word spreads much quicker than it does when you do a great job. In our business, if a kid drops a weight plate on his foot, word spreads quickly. If we train 100 pitchers in an off-season and none of them has an arm surgery, though, nobody really hears about it. Building credibility and a confident following of athletes takes time.
I think college strength and conditioning is the best example. We have some athletes who absolutely dread going back to school in September because their programs are the exact same thing every year, and there is no element of individualization. It's the same old repeatedly-photocopied-program from 1989, plus loads of distance running. They have no confidence in their programs before they even show up because they've experienced it first-hand, know its reputation, and are keenly aware of the fact that it hasn't changed at all.
Conversely, take a college program that wants to do right by their guys with continuous improvement. We often host an Elite Baseball Mentorships at Cressey Sports Performance, and we've had strength and conditioning coaches, athletic trainers, and baseball coaches from dozens of top tier D1 schools attend over the years. Many of these coaches go out of their way to tell us just how excited their athletes are to hear that the coaching staff is attending. Seeing their coaches want to get better enhances their confidence in the program. When they return, the athletes get excited when they see new exercises implemented, a new piece of equipment in the weight room, or some updated coaching cues to clean up movement. A dedication to continuous improvement among coaches fosters an environment of optimistic, motivated athletes.
What's the take home message of this post? Put on a happy face, be open-minded, give people the benefit of the doubt, and try new things. Doing so might not add seven years to your life, but it'll certainly help you build a life that's a lot more fun to live.
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November 4th, 2014 at 8:48 am
Wow eric. How did you know exactly what I needed to hear today? Thanks for the reminder. And for “raving fans in denial”!
November 4th, 2014 at 8:53 am
Great post Eric, been looking at your info more lately as I am going to start my personal training career very soon. I was just reading a book about pain and how your emotional state, thoughts and expectations all play into how much pain we feel and for how long… extremely interesting.
That old cliche that attitude is everything is turning out to have a lot scientific support!
Thank you so much for your material, it has been very useful in my education.
November 4th, 2014 at 11:13 am
Your point about how continuing education helps to build your athletes confidence in your training program is a great one! That resonated with me, thanks for sharing.
November 4th, 2014 at 11:56 am
Your Show and Go program is the basis for our offseason program combined with things I have taken from Ron Wolforth.. Our kids feel like they are getting aan offseason designed for them and not a “general” program that football does. We have consistently been among the elite in Texas and I truly believe you have gioven me another advantage over the competition. Thank you for the message today. sometimes I feel myself becoming negative about some things. time to shift gears!!
November 4th, 2014 at 1:03 pm
Great post Eric! I really enjoy these psychology posts. Keep up the great work.
November 4th, 2014 at 4:11 pm
Have you written at all in the past about how your training model dictates your business model? That point caught my attention. And if not, maybe you could in the future? 🙂
November 4th, 2014 at 6:13 pm
Jeremy,
If you search for “business model” on this blog, you’ll find some stuff. Also, this article might interest you:
http://ecressey.wpengine.com/strength-and-conditioning-programs-think-the-opposite
November 4th, 2014 at 8:40 pm
Been long time Eric since being on your site. I have pretty much stayed away from social media, just getting tired of it all as I approach that crazy age of 50. Based on what you wrote, I look at this as a positive, I am halfway to my goal of 100yrs old, LOL.
With regard to creating that positivity and what we use to talk about in my MBA program years ago about “corporate culture”. Every company, program, team, etc… has a culture. The key for business owners is to know those clients like they know their own family and figure out quickly whether or not that customer is a “good fit or good egg” for the culture.
It’s like what I have talked about to you before in my 20-yr military career and working with soldiers. Some guys/gals are hard headed and not willing to listen and learn from us old Senior Level Sergeants and they think they know everything and those are usually the guys/gals that “don’t fit” into the squad, platoon, team, or overall company culture. They get weeded out. Just like with baseball or any other team……the old saying “The cream will rise to the top”.
In closing, although I have expressed my opinions about training, about whether a degree is worth or not, etc… I always respect what a young guy like yourself has done for our health and fitness industry. You know your strengths, you know what you need help with or guidance on and you know who to hire or be part of your “Cressey Culture”…..look at that, I just came up with a new hashtag for you….LOL
I think that is why you have succeeded, besides being a good guy to folks and looking for the good in people and surrounding yourself around folks with your mindset, you have created a Cressey Culture that is very hard to replicate or even duplicate. That is why your athletes miss being in your environment. They leave and end up possibly going to some S&C guy that doesn’t have knowledge or care you have.
Keep doing what you are doing, keep being positive, and lead by example for others to follow……BTW, congrats to you and your wife on the twins, they are going to have an awesome set of parents.
Take care,
Tom
November 5th, 2014 at 5:02 am
Amen, Eric!
November 5th, 2014 at 5:36 am
Thank you, Tom!
November 6th, 2014 at 10:21 am
Love this article, I agree 100%. Our belief determine our outcomes…