These are the slides for my talk at NUX6 2017 --- Elite sportspeople rarely work in isolation. If they are to master their sport and achieve their sporting goals they must have a dedicated team around them. The whole team needs the motivation to continuously improve, to deliberately practice and, most importantly, schedule a dedicated practice of reflection. During my time designing a learning platform for elite sportspeople, I discovered the way athletes trained (and learned) was similar to the way we develop digital products. I’ve since learnt the lack of a reflective practice in my personal life and the teams and organisations I work with takes it’s toll, mentally and creatively. While design teams aim for continuous improvement, elite sportspeople are more disciplined and better focused with deliberate and reflective practices. It’s not easy, but I’ll share my experiences (good and bad) about what makes a productive team and how reflective practice helps you achieve it.

1. Down time = Up time
Building effective teams
@mrbootle
Pop Gun UK Ltd
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Photo: Clint Budd

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5. Sometimes we’re
too busy sprinting
to notice where
we’ve come from
Photo: Ghislain Berger
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6. Illustration: Pawel Kuczynski
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7. No downtime
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Photo: photographymontreal

8. RULE #1:
EVERYONE
IS BUSY
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Photo: Tibetan Review

9. Dave + Clive
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Photo: David Roger/Getty Images

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We not only wanted
to become the best
rugby team in the
world, but to
become one of the
best teams across
any sport
Sir Clive Woodward,
Former England Head Coach

11. Vision + Principles
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12. The four stages of learning
1
2
3
4
Don’t know
that you don’t know
Know that
you don’t know
Know about it,
but have to think about it
Know it so well you don’t
have to think about itMastery
Ignorance
Mistakes
Confusion
Ref: https://braintrainconfidence.coachesconsole.com/the-four-stages-of-learning.html
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13. 3 key things I learnt
from the sporting elite
1. Continuous Learning
2. Deliberate Practice
3. Reflective Practice
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14. 1. Continuous
Learning
Focus, schedule and a goal
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15. TRAIN
ANALYSE
REFLECT
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16. Routine
Routine
Routine
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17. Retros
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18. Measuring
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19. Walls
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20. 2. Deliberate Practice
Practice the right things
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Photo: Carlos

21. Motivation
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Photo: NAVFAC

22. Learn one…
Do one…
Teach one…
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Photo: Toby

23. Sir Dave Brailsford
Marginal Gains
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24. LANCE ARMSTRONG
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26. Clough and Taylor
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27. Only three things will
change behaviour in the
long term
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29. [anchor]
+ [new behaviour]
+ [celebration]
Tiny Habits
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30. 3. Reflective Practice
Deliberate time looking back
Photo: Rishi Bandopadhay
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31. Reflective practitioner
Donald Schön
Reflection-in-action
“thinking on your feet”
• Thinking ahead
• Analysing
• Experiencing
• Critically responding
Reflection-on-action
“naval gazing”
• Thinking through experiences
• Discussing
• Journal
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33. DON’T BE
AFRAID TO LEARN
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Photo: Celine Nadeau

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THIS IS HARD
Photo: Cennydd Bowles

35. W.I.P. Yourself
http://decisionhacks.co/wip-yourself/
list of everything
you've started
but seen no value
3 mins 2 mins
what's the minimum time you
need to get each thing done
enough to give you value.
Start the two that are the fastest to complete
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36. Walking
Photo: José Luis Serrano
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37. Define your purpose
Motivation
Schedule
Create tiny habits
Find an expert
Re-evaluate regularly
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Photo: Jeff Turner

38. PROCESS
NOT TOOLS
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39. Thank you.
Any questions?
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@MrBootle | popgunuk.com
#NUX6