Knowing Too Much
For someone who does not know basketball, common sense says that a better player will make a better coach. Common sense is wrong.
Counter-Intuitive Relationship
Brian McCormick is a basketball coach and performance director of TrainforHoops.com. In The Curse of Knowledge, McCormick describes the counter-intutive relationship between knowing how to play and coaching other players.
Re-Creating the Learning Experience
Many former players find it difficult to coach because they are unable to re-create the learning experience. If they were particularly gifted in the game, they just “got it”. It’s difficult to show someone else the path to take if you’ve never taken that path yourself. Some of the best players traveled an accelerated path to excellence. Most people struggle.
Strugglers Know the Path
Those who struggle experience every turn and pothole of the learning path. Every turn and pothole. The result: When it’s time to communicate the learning experience to others, the strugglers know what they’re talking about on an intimate level. And they communicate effectively.
Basketball and Business
You’ve already discerned the business metaphor. Those of us who want to succeed in business must bring others along. Sometimes we must act as coaches. Other times, we must be coached. And if a member of the team doesn’t seem especially proficient right now, be patient. With hard work, that person may become a great coach one day.