Training plan for system shifters

So, why go into the philosophy of athletic performance? Fair question. You can think of systems change as a form of sport, a team sport. Imagine organizations you work for or with as athletes trying to get in the best possible shape to win it all. The final score, the win, is a fundamental shift in culture, norms, operations, and policies. Simply saying we want to win and winning looks like “this” is not sufficient. 

We must invest in the “how are we going to win?”. What do we need to do repeatedly to get us in the best possible “shape”? What processes and mechanisms do we need to ensure we stay on course and change when needed? Most elite athletes have a daily practice of tracking what worked, what was challenging, and how to adjust the next day. A million little things can get in the way of training at that optimal level, so their goal is to remove those barriers as quickly as possible in order to focus on the most important thing: their preparation and training to be the best they can be.

Those brave enough to sign up for systems change boot camp, what does the training plan look like? Here is what we learned.

• Bring out your curiosity, and question everything. Only then can you discern what is meaningful, essential, and a priority to develop.

• Do your daily stretches! Flexibility matters in systems change as much as in athletics; you cannot be successful without nimbleness.

• Plan, measure, evaluate, and revise. Repeat. It takes a long time to grow those muscles, make sure you invest as much in nutrition as in measuring progress and adapting for improved results.

• Be careful of muscle asymmetry! We’ve all seen those fit people whose upper body is 2-3 sizes bigger than their lower body and vice versa. The reason is they only focus on developing a small concentrated group of muscles. Systems change requires that all muscle groups be developed simultaneously to be successful. It is both an art and a science.

• Value your teammates. In a team sport, one player can’t bring that trophy home. They can be a GOAT (greatest of all time), and they will still fail. To fundamentally shift the status quo, we need diversity of thought and approaches. Inspiration often comes from the “unusual suspects.”

• Break it down! It is a very long road from a small child on a football field/bike/skis to an elite-performing athlete. Be ready for the long haul; nothing worthwhile can happen overnight.

• Get your first-aid kit ready. Along the way, you will encounter many scrapes and bruises. There will be times when you feel like you are on life support or when you feel like giving in. Make sure you have what it takes to hunker down as you recover. Perseverance is half the battle; injuries are part of the course. We didn’t say it was easy.

• Get your support team in place. You are not alone in this work. Chances are others are also interested in playing. You can work together, learn, and support each other.  Or you can just share in your misery, that has a purpose too!

• Small steps consistently are how you move forward. Take the small wins as they come, one game/race/match at a time is how you get to the championship.