I drove 3 hours to tie my shoes. Why simulated practice is necessary for improvement.

In 2002, 76ers Head Coach Larry Brown and NBA player Allen Iverson had probably the most widely publicized discussion about practice . (Not the game -practice!??).

At Exemplary Performance, we believe that one of the keys to improvement is deliberate practice - a training method that includes highly structured, repetitive practice with immediate feedback for the purposes of improving a very specific, narrowly defined aspect of performance. We've written about it earlier this year in ATD . It's this conviction of deliberate practice that motivated me to race last weekend.

"Success has to do with deliberate practice. Practice must be focused, determined, and in an environment where there is feedback." Malcolm Gladwell.

During USA Triathlon's National Championships at the end of April, the sprint duathlon was (comparatively) my worst event. Evaluating the data suggested that I could improve my overall time by faster transitions (changing shoes from running to biking to running) and tucking my elbows on the bike for a more aerodynamic (less wind-resistant) position. Racing a road bike without aero handlebars alters the biomechanics slightly and I didn't have the strength or discipline to keep them tucked for hours. Since April, I've worked with strength and conditioning coach @Chris Marino at Marino's Fitness on back, shoulder, and triceps strengthening exercises to make the tucked position easier to sustain.

I had trained for a 5/31 sprint race which ended up being postponed to late June and I was still eager to assess my progress. Despite hours of practice during the week, if you want to get better at racing, you need to race. After researching local events, I registered on Thursday (the deadline) for last Saturday's Falcon Triathlon at Cedar Crest High School in Lebanon, PA.

I'll deny it, but my family and friends will tell you that I get a little onery the days leading up to a race, no matter the distance. Usually, I plan my races months in advance and as it nears, and my training tapers, I get a little stressed with performance anxiety, obsessed about all of the race and course logistics, and the lack of training when tapering literally makes me stir crazy! So, this impromptu race was also an exercise in mental preparation (and a challenge to see how quickly I can pack!).

Though it's tricky to compare races (due to different distances, terrain, competitors, and environmental factors), I'm pleased to share that I tucked my elbows most of the ride and shaved seconds off of my transition times, and even experimented with different shoes.

??My goal for this event was to finish in 75 minutes. Final chip time was 71, losing first place overall by .07 seconds. (See below - notice it still comes down to transition times. In a shorter race, transitions are a larger percentage of overall performance??)!!!

As we packed up to head home, I told my dad that there has to be an asymptotic graph of my performance - the idea that I might be approaching my best performance (and haven't yet) - and the way to get better is to continue to make slight tweaks and gains where I can. I'll never run a 3-minute-mile or bike 50 miles per hour, but I can continue to make tiny improvements, consistently, over time, to near "better."

And so can you...The application to business:

• Do you know what great looks like for your role?
• Are you willing to take a critical look at all aspects of your performance (individual or team), breaking down your outcomes into discrete skill sets, in order to improve?
• Do you know what skills or tasks, that, once improved, will yield the largest gains? For you and each member of your team?
• Do you have access to the resources (deliberate practice structure, access to feedback, a coach, etc.) required for success?
• Are your training interventions generic, off-the-shelf solutions ("sales foundations," "coaching for leaders," "communications that persuade," "building trust," "negotiations," etc.) or are they aligned with the tasks for your specific job and specifically designed to increase performance?

??Calling All Leaders

If this issue of The Positive Deviant made you curious about your team's performance, please participate in our 5-minute survey . Our LinkedIn Poll in March received over 35,000 interactions and we were blown away by your willingness to share your expertise and perspective. Your answers will be crowdsourced and shared back with you so that you can:

• Understand how you compare to peers,
• Learn what steps you can take to optimize the performance of your high-potential individuals and teams, drive overall success, and foster the pursuit of excellence within your organization.?

??ICYMI - We're having a moment here at Exemplary Performance:

• In May, we obtained both our SBA Women Owned Small Business and WBENC certificates!
• Who's Who in America added Jaime Torchiana, M.S. to their 2023 registry for her dedication to the field of human performance.
• On the heels of our presentation last month to Boeing's Human Performance Improvement Center of Excellence, we've been asked to help similar organizations - stay tuned for more details!
• Having completed a few more interviews and article submissions, you'll see some new publications coming soon!

??Here's what else we've consumed during May for Mental Health Awareness Month:

• Let that Sh*t Go: Find Peace of Mind and Happiness in Everyday. Nina Purewal and Kate Petriw. (2019).
• The Mindful Athlete: Secrets to Peak Performance . George Mumford. (2016).
• Girls on the Edge. Leonard Sax. (2020). Although I read this earlier this year, this remains my #1 recommended book for parents of tween girls.