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Making seemingly random connections across disciplines

Cross-Pollination Vol. 9

12/22/2022

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Life Hacks
​

I thought this would be a good place to start. Considering the fact that I've had all these browsers open for nearly a month, with the intention of sharing its content.

"When you have 90 percent of a large project completed, finishing up the final details will take another 90 percent."

This, one of Kevin Kelly's life hacks, can be found here. Be sure to check out the links within for more.
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Silence

We could all use some. But we could all certainly create more.

Link here.

"When we’re constantly fixated on the verbal agenda—what to say next, what to write next, what to tweet next—it’s tough to make room for truly different perspectives or radically new ideas. It’s hard to drop into deeper modes of listening and attention. And it’s in those deeper modes of attention that truly novel ideas are found."

​"Cultivating silence isn’t just about getting respite from the distractions of office chatter or tweets.  Real sustained silence, the kind that facilitates clear and creative thinking, quiets inner chatter as well as outer."​

"This kind of silence is about resting the mental reflexes that habitually protect a reputation or promote a point of view. It’s about taking a temporary break from one of life’s most basic responsibilities: Having to think of what to say."
​
A pause. Something so simple, yet so necessary.

Make sure to check out their book, "Golden: The power of silence in a world of noise." I just finished it and it was a great way to start the new year.
"The world is getting louder.  But silence is still accessible—it just takes commitment and creativity to cultivate it."

On Reading
​

I never read fiction. I know I should (it's been stated that those who read fiction are more empathetic), I just don't. The goal for this year is to read at least one fiction book. 

Regardless, we all know we should read. And many of us do. But many of us also overlook the link between reading and writing.

"You can't think well without writing well, and you can't write well without reading well."

"You have to be good at reading, and read good things."

"People who just want information may find other ways to get it. But people who want to have ideas can't afford to."

​So if you have an idea, you need to write about it. But in order to write about it, you should read about it.
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On Writing
​

​But of course, writing isn't easy.

Our minds spin with ideas, many of which escape our short term memory. Then when we do start writing, all we can come up with are one or two sentences. If that.

But we press on. We put ideas into words.

We jot down our thoughts, even if incoherent. We continue this process. And write some more. For it is then, and only then, where we finally have content and when we are finally able to refine.

Until we go back and read it of course.

"You have to pretend to be a neutral reader who knows nothing of what's in your head, only what you wrote."

What matters little is the sense that it fails to make. What matters most is that we write.

"If writing down your ideas always makes them more precise and more complete, then no one who hasn't written about a topic has fully formed ideas about it. And someone who never writes has no fully formed ideas about anything nontrivial."

A notebook, your notes app, post-it notes. 

Just write.
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Putting ideas into words is certainly no guarantee that they'll be right. Far from it. But though it's not a sufficient condition, it is a necessary one.

​~ Paul Graham
Overcoming Fear...Cautiously

"Our culture still treats mistakes as impediments when they are, in fact, the path to betterment."

Experience matters here. There is no experience without "try."

"When you have a history of overcoming adversities, you can become highly confident in navigating future follies when they arise. You are confident and cautious."

"You can develop that confidence by marching into the din of battle, being as informed as possible of potential outcomes, and committing to adapt to whatever comes your way. Most importantly, once you overcome challenges, you update your self-talk and beliefs, realizing you can adapt to failures, which changes your life for the better."

Courtesy of Austin Einhorn.
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People are confusing the quality of the communication of an idea with the quality of the idea itself.

​~ Steve Mesler
Communication
​

​When the responsibility is on the other party as well.

​Some nuggets on ideas and communication from Steve Mesler.

"...good communication doesn’t magically transform a bad idea into a good idea. It simply changes the perception of the idea in a way, leading us to buy into it, invest in it, or simply believe it’s a good idea. But at the end of the day, a bad idea, bad product, or bad service is still bad."

"It’s not their job to communicate better. It’s MY job to understand incredibly well." 

Space and Time
​

Two closing links on space and time.

First, the Luddites. An emerging group of "rebellious" young adults, intentionally creating space between themselves (individually) and technology, so that they can create connection, collectively.

A tribute to 18th century, Ned Ludd, members of this collective have distanced themselves from social media and iPhones, to the point where they've reverted to flip phones for necessity, and focus on true connectedness and friendships. 

"And she began waking up without an alarm clock at 7 a.m., no longer falling asleep to the glow of her phone at midnight."

"My parents are so addicted. My mom got on Twitter, and I’ve seen it tear her apart. But I guess I also like it, because I get to feel a little superior to them."

In the end, what they've regained is time.

Which as you'll see, is not absolute: 

"Real time is actually something quite different. In some of the odder corners of the Universe, space and time can stretch and slow — and sometimes even break down completely."

"In places where gravity is very strong, time as we understand it can break down completely. At the edge of black holes, for example, the powerful gravitational pull slows time dramatically. And upon crossing the black hole's point of no return, known as its event-horizon, space and time flip."

It's a narrative.

"Time is a human affair — a result of neurons firing and memories formed and books written."
​
Be free of mind and free of time. Boredom leads to creativity.

~ Naval
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Cross-Pollination Vol. 8

12/19/2022

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Creativity and LEGO

Why do we love LEGO? 

Of all the toys that have come and gone, why has LEGO stood the test of time?

They answer, arguably, lies in creativity.

The more building blocks we have, and the greater diversity of shapes and colours of them we possess, the more interesting our creations will be.

Maria Povova, author and creator of The Marginalian, theorizes that creativity is combinatorial. Where nothing is original, and that everything is built upon that which precedes it. That creating is a byproduct of taking existing pieces of inspiration, knowledge, skill and insight, gathered over our lifespan, and recombining them into new creations.

Much like LEGO.

She writes,

“We take information, from it synthesize insight, which in turn germinates ideas. And then we take these ideas, ours and those of others, we toss them into our mental reservoir…where they sit and sort of just float around until one day they float into just the right alignment to click into a new idea.”

We just have to remember that nothing is truly original. 

“In order for us to truly create and contribute to the world, we have to be able to connect countless dots, to cross-pollinate ideas from a wealth of disciplines, to combine and recombine these pieces and build new castles.”

LEGO has not changed. Yet our creations become more and more astonishing every year.

The keys to creativity and the ability to “make seemingly random connections across disciplines,” for Popova, are curiosity and choice. With “curiosity” being the hunger for knowledge and understanding and “choice” being the discipline to focus and channel our attention.

We all love LEGO. And we all love information. But I think we can do a better job, if we want to, in both reinvigorating our child-like curiosities and channelling a monk-like discipline.

“How we choose to pay attention, and relate to information and each other shapes who we become, shapes our creative destiny and, in turn, shapes our experience of the world. And, in my mind, there’s nothing more important than that.”

Speaking of creativity...
​
Creativity at Play
Lil Jazz here from the 1998 DMC World Championships.

Like playing with LEGO, Jazz takes independent and diverse pieces of music and uses them as building blocks in a combinatorial manner to form new sounds. New creations. Creations that were the result of deep work and trial and error... 
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Errors

We all make errors. But not all errors are the same. 

Recall that there are two types; errors of commission and errors of omission. 

Commonly attributed to, and used in, the realm of accounting, the two errors can be understood as follows:

  • Errors of Commission - doing a wrong thing
  • Errors of Omission - failing to do the right thing

With the latter being the less harmful of the two. 

In team sports, for example, a player can be where he/she is supposed to be, yet make a mistake. This is an error of commission. But if the player is out of position, leading to the opposing team scoring, this is an error of omission.

So where am I going with this?

It is not uncommon for those of us in clinical realms to be presented with someone who is actively trying to be healthy but doing the "wrong" things. Chasing fad diets, doing ineffective exercises, etc. Although well-intentioned, often these individuals are unable to rehab their injury or improve their body composition  due to errors of commission.

In contrast, we have also encountered others who don't make the time for exercise, rarely sleep longer than 5 hours, and/or never show up to their appointments or training sessions. Errors of Omission.

But Errors of Commission aren't always the innocent of the two...
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Artificial Intelligence

ChatGPT has been rapidly rising in popularity and it’s been suggested that this new AI (artificial intelligence) tool may eventually replace google’s search engine. However, what are the chances this leads to misinformation?

This is what Kompella and Cooper have to say,

“What complicates matters is that AI-generated content will commingle fact and fiction, and the end result will often seem believable enough. How will we know whether the AI-written output is accurate? Some parts of the content make sense and some parts may not. It is not always clear which is which. Well-meaning users can actually end up believing in falsehoods and unwittingly spread misinformation.”

While we’re certainly not immune to this in our current state of wired connectedness, my personal concern is that not only will we be unsure of accuracy of information but effort in knowledge seeking may be reduced further in future years to come.

Especially if the sea of information continues to wash over us in repeated tsunami-like fashion...

Rapid Innovation vs Creativity

"The difficulty seems to be, not so much that we publish unduly in view of the extent and variety of present day interests, but rather that publication has been extended far beyond our present ability to make real use of the record. The summation of human experience is being expanded at a prodigious rate, and the means we use for threading through the consequent maze to the momentarily important item is the same as was used in the days of square-rigged ships."

So it has never been more imperative than now, with the rapidly evolving landscape of technology and information retrieval, for society to take command and control of AI innovation and more importantly, creative thought.

"Much needs to occur, however, between the collection of data and observations, the extraction of parallel material from the existing record, and the final insertion of new material into the general body of the common record. For mature thought there is no mechanical substitute. But creative thought and essentially repetitive thought are very different things."

For it is not the search of information, or knowledge, that we must seek but wisdom...
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Knowledge vs Wisdom

And perhaps, according to Morris et al,

" (The) difference between wisdom and knowledge (is) information about something? The latter being driven by certainty and control; correctly labelling objects inspected, destined to be classified away into their ‘correct’ places as if the world is static. The former being driven by uncertainty and humility; appreciating that the world is not filled with objects to be inspected and recorded, but is a dynamic, tangled mesh of things woven together, things perpetually on the move."
  1. There appears to be a wisdom in not knowing, a wisdom that keeps one open – responsive – to what the world has to share, such that the can get to know it a little better than before.

    ​~ Norman MacCaig


We must embrace what we do not know and more importantly, embrace WHEN we do not know. For it is within this space specifically, that we are most curious, most attentive, most malleable.
  1. Who of them is wiser? The one who professes to know the correct names of the things they look at? Or the one who does not proclaim to know, but looks and listens response-ably, with care, sensitivity, and humility?

    ~ Morris et al.


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Cross-Pollination Vol. 7

12/13/2022

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Lateral Thinking and Incubation

The story of a monumental discovery by Dr. Rishi Rajpopat, who recently published his thesis defense at the University of cambridge this month. 
If the solution is complicated, you are probably wrong.
Often, we are tempted to create or “invent” new solutions to challenging problems. Yet, in most cases, the answer simply lies under a cloak of simplicity and lateral thinking, waiting to be discovered. 

To recall from a recent OLAD,

To discover is to reveal, or make light to, that which is already there.

​
And uncovering, by lateral thinking, literally, was what Dr. Rajpopat did as he solved a grammatical problem that was created in the 5th Century BC. 

​The key for Rajpopat’s a-ha moment though, laid in his process of thought. More specifically, the "Incubation” stage of Graham Wallace’s Four Stages of the Creative Process that I outlined in an earlier Cross-Pollination post.

The Incubation Phase is the period immediately after you put in the work. Where you remove yourself and let things “simmer.” This is the stage of unconscious processing and that which precedes the “a-ha” or “eureka” moment, the Illumination Phase - the moment when the answer bursts into one’s consciousness. 

While working on the problem (Wallace’s Preparation Phase), naturally Rajpopat struggled at times. But it wasn’t until his supervisor told him, “If the solution is complicated, you are probably wrong,” that he decided to take some time away from the problem and place himself (perhaps unknowingly) in an Incubation Phase which led to his Illumination. 

He states,

“Six months later, I had a eureka moment. I was almost ready to quit, I was getting nowhere. So I closed the books for a month and just enjoyed the summer, swimming, cycling, cooking, praying and meditating.

Then, begrudgingly I went back to work, and, within minutes, as I turned the pages, these patterns starting emerging, and it all started to make sense.

At that moment, I thought to myself, in utter astonishment: For over two millennia, the key to Pāṇini’s grammar was right before everyone's eyes but hidden from everyone's minds!"

The mind can be powerful, if we let it. Far too often we try too hard to be creative and end up complicating matters. But by putting in the work and thinking laterally or cross-pollinating, combined with giving the mind the ability to unconsciously process via rest, we give ourselves a greater chance of solving challenging and complex problems.  ​

Peloton Formations in Hockey

As a reminder, 
Richard Martin penned a collection of pieces regarding organizational and team dynamics utilizing road cycling as a framework. An overview was included in Cross-Pollination Vol. 5.

Martin states,

"What cycling illustrates constantly is that leadership can come from anywhere. At the heart of the peloton formations concept is the notion of fluidity; fluidity of organizational structure, as well as fluidity of roles and responsibilities."

He describes the following team members within the peloton and the potential for leadership roles dependent upon the daily context: 
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  • The Barouder - The change agents, the non-conformists, the risk takers. They typically work on their own time.
  • The Climber - The mythical member of the team. High energy and driven. The Visionary
  • The Sprinter - Both a leader and a serviceman. Through both their words and actions, they unite the team.
  • The Rouleur - Role players who lead in service. The domestique that quietly does their job with their heads down.
  • The Puncheur - The specialists. They lead in specific contexts, but are content working in the shadow. 
  • Road Captain - The liaison. The teacher, the tutor. Role assumed not by hierarchy, but by knowledge and mastery.

"Strong, trust-based relationships are the genuine currency of networks…What characterizes the network in situations is a fluidity of knowledge, roles, responsibilities and authority. Leadership is in motion, governed by context."

In the sport of hockey, similar "formations" seem evident. Where, on any given night, individual players may work themselves into such positions or roles throughout the game. The pace and dynamic nature of the sport, combined with injuries and relatively compressed schedules create windows of opportunities where player roles both magnify and work together in dependant complex systems.

  • The Barouder - The Sniper - The change agents, the non-conformists, the risk takers. They typically work on their own time.
  • The Climber - The Captain - The mythical member of the team. High energy and driven. The Visionary.
  • The Sprinter - The Goalie - Both a leader and a serviceman. Through both their words and actions, they unite the team.
  • The Rouleur - The 4th Liner - Role players who lead in service. The domestique that quietly does their job with their heads down.
  • The Puncheur - The Power Play Quarterback Defenseman - The specialists. They lead in specific contexts, but are content working in the shadow. 
  • Road Captain - The Glue Guy / Vet - The liaison. The teacher, the tutor. Role assumed not by hierarchy, but by knowledge and mastery.
 
"Leadership has to come from within the team, from anywhere on the playing field. It is not the case of a coach simply instructing players on what to do. Instead it is about developing a partnership, recognising the skills and mastery, the autonomy, of each individual." 
​
The very best teams harness individualism, not exile it.

~ Paul Rees
Perfectionism and Loss Aversion

A good episode on coaching Gen Z athletes. The focus here was on swimming but the principles discussed within can certainly be applied to any sport, though other realms included. One thought, in particular, came to light:

That the fear - and/or pain - of losing being twice as powerful than the pleasure of gaining. Where loss aversion may prevent younger athletes from getting started.

More on this...
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Catch Them Doing Things Right

Todd McLellan was recently a guest on 32 thoughts. ​As above, he too discusse coaching the new waves of athletes. Specifically, he shared his thoughts on the importance of catching players doing things right.

"Coaches have always been repairman. They open the hood of the car even if it’s running good, and tinker around with it. Not so much anymore. (Now) they fine-tune things a little bit. They (look for) things that players maybe wouldn’t have tried before..."

And they guide and encourage them.

He continued,

"I don’t believe there’s no "I" in team. I think there are 23 "I's" and they’ve got to fit your team. If you approach them that way, then you give them the self satisfaction and the recognition that they’re their own individual identity, and that they fit the group. Because players think about themselves first and that’s okay. We just need to recognize that and understand it and manage it. And deal with players (in ways) they may be more receptive to."

​Great perspective in my opinion and a podcast episode I truly enjoyed.
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The Mood Meter

Speaking of working with younger generations, we know that these athletes are more in tune with their feelings, thoughts and emotions. And we know that each of these impact their moods. 

The Mood Meter below is a tool that helps identify, in greater depth, one's mood. The tool is divided into four coloured quadrants, each representing a different set of feelings. The feelings are grouped together on the mood meter and based on their pleasantness and energy level.
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In many settings, I think this may be helpful in fostering connections and relationships with young athletes.
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A quote to sign off with, courtesy of Michael Garfield:
When unpredictability increases, the inefficiency of the generalist starts to pay off.
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Cross-Pollination - Vol. 6

12/12/2022

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The Ringelmann Effect and Social Loafing

Is less more?

Something to consider with regards to sport medicine and/or performance departments. The Ringelmann Effect suggests that individuals may be more likely to expend less effort on given task(s) the greater the size of the group. As an extension of this, the causative hypothesis may be related to Social Loafing - decreasing one's effort when they feel less responsible for the output.

​The potential consequence aside from the obvious? Resentment from high performers.



It's Hard to Survive in the Jungle if You Were Trained in the Zoo

Replace "Jungle" with "Field" and "Zoo" with "Gym":

"It's hard to survive on the field if you were trained in the gym." 

Field, ice, pitch, court...it's all the same. The principle is what matters.

We know this, yet we still work in silos.

Sonja Blignaut notes,

"Zoos are unnatural, ordered environments where animals are kept safely in enclosures (some closely mimicking the animal’s natural habitat), grouped according to specific categories. Zoos have their place; they play an essential role in the conservation of endangered species and in education. However, they are not resilient, and they are fundamentally different contexts when compared to natural ecosystems.

In the controlled zoo world, life is pretty predictable: enclosures or cages are cleaned regularly; animals are fed once or twice a day; even breeding is controlled. The enclosures keep animals apart (much like silos in modern organisations), so there is no need for animals to be alert and situationally aware as they’d be in the jungle, as there is no immediate threat to their survival. There is no predator-prey dynamic here, no competition for resources: so complacency and lethargy soon set in. Animals born in captivity who have been habituated to this context will not last long in the jungle."


She continues,

"...organisations are still caught in outdated structures and linear, reductionist ways of thinking that don’t enable the effective flow of value or the collaboration that complex challenges require...The reality is that the fast-changing and dynamic context we now operate in requires engaged and empowered workers across all levels...The challenges we face require imagination, curiosity, and diverse perspectives. Instead of focusing on getting people back into their controlled enclosures, leaders should focus on creating enabling environments"

So, as we move from the (potential) negative effects of the Ringelmann Effect to creating productive and resilient environments (The Jungle), we need to encourage exposure and the" crossing of thresholds." 
A threshold is not a simple boundary; it is a frontier that divides two different territories, rhythms, and atmospheres. Indeed, it is a lovely testimony to the fullness and integrity of an experience, or a stage of life that it intensifies toward the end into a real frontier that cannot be crossed without the heart being passionately engaged and woken up.
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Crossing Thresholds

How often at work (micro) and in life (macro) are we faced with uncertainty and the need to step into a realm of discomfort in order to move forward and progress? It is in this space, often the unknown and almost always the uncomfortable, that lies a threshold that we must cross. And it is here that an acknowledgement must be made so that a transition can be achieved.


The Space of Not Knowing

For it is in this space of not knowing that creativity is liberated. And is here that lies opportunities to sit on the edge of, look and think outside of the box.
Not knowing
Eyes and heart wide open
Allowing time for opportunities and direction to emerge
Sense of wonder and curiosity


​~ Meryl Cook
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Curiosity

​We must remain curious. For, as Abraham Flexner in The Usefulness of Useless Knowledge (1939) states,
​ 
"Curiosity, which may or may not eventuate in something useful, is probably the outstanding characteristic of modern thinking. It is not new. It goes back to Galileo, Bacon, and to Sir Isaac Newton, and it must be absolutely unhampered. Institutions of learning should be devoted to the cultivation of curiosity and the less they are deflected by considerations of immediacy of application, the more likely they are to contribute not only to human welfare but to the equally important satisfaction of intellectual interest which may indeed be said to have become the ruling passion of intellectual life in modern times."

We are reminded in this timeless paper that it is not the immediacy of application that matters, but the persistence of thought. For the effects of curiosity and thought may not arise until many miles downstream.

​That,

"Throughout the whole history of science, most of really the great discoveries which had ultimately proved to be beneficial to mankind had been made my men and women who were driven not by the desire to be useful but merely the desire to satisfy their curiosity."

Because, as I stated in OLAD:

To discover is to reveal, or make light to, that which is already there. Because discovery is simply the merging, or by product, of two or more concepts.

Flexner continues,

"Thus it becomes obvious that one must be wary in attributing scientific discovery wholly to anyone person. Almost every discovery has a long and precarious history. Someone finds a bit here, another a bit there. A third step succeeds later and thus onward till a genius pieces the bits together and makes the decisive contribution. Science, like the Mississippi, begins in a tiny rivulet in the distant forest. Gradually other streams swell its volume. And the roaring river that bursts the dikes is formed from countless sources."

It is not the existence of knowledge, but the convergence and cross-pollination of knowledge, that drives progress.

~ Maria Popova
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Three Words

11/23/2022

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Eudaimonia:
  • A state of human flourishing.
  • Happiness. Good spirit. Welfare.
  • Not an end state but living as intended.
  • History, philosophy and Eudaimonia in psychology.


Protreptic:
  • The idea of turning a person towards their own essence.
  • The art of stewarding others in pursuit of such a good life.
  • Traditionally via a book or speech.

​Bildung:
  • Refers to the shaping of a human's personality, behaviour and moral attitude through their upbringing, environment and education.
  • Of German heritage.
  • Reliant on intrinsic motivation and dependent on the learner themselves.
  • Ownership of the learning process and conscious relation to the world.
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Cross-Pollination - Vol. 5

11/6/2022

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Making seemingly random connections across disciplines...
​

*Hyperlinks contained within. Please make sure you jump into these rabbit holes!

The Three Thinkers

- The Linear Thinker
- The Design Thinker
- The Systems Thinker

While some may boast of being the third, in this short post, Houda Boulahbel briefly summarizes why ALL three are necessary and why they must work together.
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Peloton Formations

An excellent collection of pieces from Richard Martin discussing organizational and team dynamics through the lens of road cycling.

"The world needs responsive organisations. Companies that are agile and adaptive, responding to changes in context and circumstances. 

In professional cycling, the peloton is fluid. It moves towards its destination with common purpose. Yet roles shift within the peloton as a whole, and within each team, dependent on terrain, conditions and the individual cyclists themselves. 

Each team will have slightly different objectives on each day of racing. This affects the roles each rider takes on. Sometimes they will lead. On other occasions, they will be in service of their teammates. 

As in a hierarchical company, the roles may largely stay the same, but the riders in the peloton move fluidly from one role to another rather than being constrained by a single one. They are leaders, followers, technical experts. They are climbers, sprinters, rouleurs, puncheurs and baroudeurs. 

​This is network working. Your node lights up and people, energy, ideas and leadership responsibilities flow to you. Then another node lights up, and you take on a different role in service of its goals. The network remains a hierarchy, but it is one in a constant state of flux."

Martin's writings here are reminiscent of the dynamic interplay of leadership, autonomy, communication, teamwork and specific skillsets in professional hockey. Not only within the team of players, but also within the medical and performance staff, and amongst the entire operations staff as a whole. 

Searchlight Intelligence

"The ability to discern connections across spheres, bringing people and ideas together, where others see no possible connection."

A skill possessed by "The Neo-Generalist," as per Mikkelsen and Martin. If you appreciated David Epstein's "Range", this book will resonate well with you.
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Your Idea Is Not That Important

No one is going to steal your idea (Marc Randolph). Your idea likely isn't even original. It's a thought you likely weren't even aware of or perhaps a product of, of course, "cross pollination."  

The outcome of "the idea" is the process that transforms within. The end result is who you become and what you've learned. 

Share your idea. Embrace criticism. Accept feedback.

Stop Thinking. Start Doing.
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The Professional's Creed

2/11/2022

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Ten of the many principles that I have learned through my professional experiences in a variety of industries.

  1. The less you compare yourself to others, the more you stand out.
  2. If you have a unique product and produce, you have no competition.
  3. Underpromise, communicate regularly, overdeliver.
  4. ALWAYS speak positively in public. The same privately as well.
  5. If you have constructive criticism, do so privately. Otherwise sip your tea.
  6. Others in the same industry are your colleagues. As above, not competition.
  7. Keep your head down and keep working. Once you start worrying about what others think or say, you've lost.
  8. If you feel you’ve been overlooked, quietly prove them wrong with your work. Along with a wink...and a smirk.
  9. Consistency breeds trust. Trust breeds commitment. 
  10. Being early is lucky. Getting results is deserving. Strive for both, prioritize the latter.
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Cross-Pollination - Vol. 4

10/27/2020

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​Making seemingly random connections across disciplines... 

*Hyperlinks contained within. Please make sure you jump into these rabbit holes!
​

​Ultracrepidarianism
 
- The habit of giving opinions and advice on matters outside of one's knowledge.
- Common in the field of addiction, but very relevant within today's society with the presence of COVID-19.


True, True, and Related

"When unexpected information is presented, we tend to conduct an internal check against these criteria - parsimony, adequacy, and coherence - and if they are satisfied, we incorporate the new findings into our working diagnosis. 

If the new information fits, we work with it. If a major inconsistency is found, we either revise the working diagnosis or consider the findings to be true, true, and unrelated.

This...highlights the importance of not dismissing incidental findings as unrelated without thoughtful consideration of how they may be related to other abnormalities."
Dhaliwal et al. NEJM (2004)


The Augenblick Diagnosis

- That which is made in the blink of an eye.

"Becoming alert to the influence of bias requires maintaining keen vigilance and mindfulness of one's own thinking."
Croskerry. NEJM (2013 

- In Socratic dialogue, "The unexamined thought is not work thinking."


Enantiodromia

"The emergence of the unconscious opposite in the course of time."
Jung
- Is there a current societal shift as it pertains to politics and racism?
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Categorization and Periodization of Manual Inputs

4/23/2020

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Disclaimers:
1) This is an evolving hypothesis and will likely be modified dozens of times.
2) This thought process relates to physical preparation and athlete performance and not to pain and/or injury.
​3) The possibility that I am overthinking this greatly exists.
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Stimulated by ongoing dialogue between a friend-colleague and myself, the need for categorization and classification of manual inputs  became apparent.  The context of discussion was the "periodization of manual inputs" in the training environment. I've stated previously that every interaction we have with, and every intervention we give to, each athlete is considered a stressor that results in adaptation either positive or negative. It is important to “pick our battles” and intervene where we think is necessary rather than all the time. Thus, the culmination of what's contained below.

To me, manual inputs - or manual therapy - can be categorized into four main groupings. The classification (the identity) of these categories aren't so much important, however their role and the timing in which each are implemented within the training environment are. Therefore, the emphasis is not in the naming, or classification, of each category but in each grouping's contents and where, when and why they are utilized.

The four categories are as follows: Performance, Intensive, Extensive, and Restoration.

Performance 
The main objective of "performance" here is mechanical efficiency. This is the category of manual therapy that we typically see directly in the training environment. In athletics, it is often called "trackside therapy" but is also commonly seen in other individual sports such as gymnastics, weightlifting and swimming amongst others. The main intent here is to prepare the athlete prior to and during training in order to optimize their "afferent-ability", or, their ability to receive and absorb the training stimulus presented to them. Interventions here are minimal and only what is deemed necessary for the training session of that day.

Intensive:
The main objective of "intensive" is normalization. Although this category of manual therapy can also be performed directly in the training environment it is typically performed in clinical settings and therapy rooms. Should "intensive" be performed at the training environment, then it is done so at the conclusion of the training session. The intent of this category of manual therapy is tissue normalization and includes, but is not limited to, articular, neural and myofascial tissue. Although the normal adaption process of the organism should be minimally interfered with, the importance of preparation for subsequent training sessions is paramount. Manual inputs within this category are generally local and as described by its classification, intensive.

Extensive
The main objective of "extensive" is dynamics. This category of manual therapy is also performed in clinical settings and therapy rooms but it is also not uncommon to see such therapy performed in both athletes' hotel and living rooms.  Fluid dynamics is the intent here and encompasses a great number of the bodily systems. Systems considered in both osteopathy and massage therapy are commonly considered but it should be noted that articular, myofascial and neurodynamic systems are fluid as well. Because the intensity of inputs here may be significant and extensive, as its classification suggests, caution should be taken with its timing and proximity to intensive training sessions.

Restoration
The main objective of "restoration" is allostasis. This final category is almost certainly always performed outside of the immediate training environment and typically in a quiet area such as treatment rooms. As its classification states, the intent here is to aid restoration to a "state" that is most ideal for the athlete in his/her given training program or competitive schedule at the given time. Typically implemented during off-days, these inputs are often complemented with other interventions both actively (meditation/yoga) and passively (sensory deprivation).

So where does this all fit in and why?

Discussed on a recent online meeting hosted by ALTIS personnel was the comparison between individual and team sports as it pertains to performance therapy. What has recently seemed necessary too me and evident in this discussion was the need for a classification and categorization of manual inputs in order to assist in delineating the where, when and why of intervention. The "periodization of manual therapy" if you will. While I have intentionally omitted the specific methods utilized within each intervention, it is my opinion that this categorization assists in strategic planning especially when athlete to staff ratios are greater and manual interventions within technical and tactical practices are next to impossible. Additionally, team sporting environments are typically in-season. Therefore, minimal use of the "performance" category of manual therapy in team sports is likely other than pre-training/competition and is undoubtedly contingent on therapist availability. Typically then, "intensive" and "extensive" inputs are most commonly performed, and dependant on the competition schedule. Still, time is often limited and thus,  "restoration" sessions are often reserved for athlete off-days. 

Finally, the difference(s) between "clinical therapy" and "performance therapy" are often discussed and so again, the importance of such categorization and classification of manual therapies. Whereby the objective of performance therapy would be to optimize mechanical efficiency and to use Dan Pfaff's words, "nudge" the athlete into a better state of adaptability, this dynamic and relatively instantaneous process would rarely apply in a clinical setting.  Rarely are training loads administered in such settings, at least those sufficient enough to elicit significant performance-related physical adaptation, and so therapeutic inputs would fall under the other three categories. That said, an understanding of each category is no less important particularly as it pertains to the downstream effects of each. And so, equally important is the knowledge of where an athlete is within their training program and/or competition schedule because as the mentalist Tony Corinda stated, "Good timing is invisible. Bad timing sticks out a mile."
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Dribbles

4/14/2020

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​Here is a VERY brief summary of my notes taken from Coach Pfaff's short workshop on Dribbles during the ALTIS ACP I attended in early 2019.

It should be noted that these notes are based on my understanding and interpretations so will defer to Dan and the ALTIS staff, as well as those more experienced for any corrections. However, I have included a video below from Coach Enyia that is both detailed and succinct.
 
Dribbles:

An upright, truncated drill that can be utilized at any point during rehabilitation and performance training for the purposes of improving stiffness, as well as promoting and stabilizing coordination of human locomotion. In addition to the sporting environment, dribbles can and have been used in gait retraining, neurorehab, and general musculoskeletal therapy.

In the early phases of rehabilitation (for example with ankle injuries and hamstring strains) walking dribbles can be initiated. Dribbles regressed to this form may not only help preserve coordination but also assist in initiating soft tissue healing and regeneration through increased rate of circulation as well as controlled mechanotransduction. We know that the plantar venous pump is stimulated via muscular compression and contraction so any opportunity to do so actively should permit a more seamless return to pre-injury locomotion. Following this, progression can move toward jogging dribbles and eventually acceleration dribbles. 

The main constant in dribbles, regardless of speed, is a full heel to forefoot/toe rolling contact. Posture is upright and stable, yet exhibiting a dynamically controlled rhythm at all times. Depending on athlete need and ability, three different heights can be used, ankle dribbles, calf dribbles, and knee dribbles. Additionally, progressions would move from a more basic concentric (circular) shape to a more elliptical (egg) shape. Again, with respect to early stages of rehabilitation, one can maximize safety with concentric ankle dribbles.

Finally, as tissue remodelling is influenced by forces, velocities, angles and duration, it is important to incorporate the various combinations of each . Loading must be varied and widespread as opposed to unidimensional and and linear.
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Progressions

Mode:
  • Walking
  • Jogging
  • Accelerating

Heights:
  • Ankle
  • Calf
  • Knee

Shapes:
  • Concentric (circle)
  • Elliptical (egg shaped)

Loading Parameters:
  • Forces
  • Velocities
  • Angles
  • Duration 
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I created this blog to share my thoughts with others. It is not intended to be used for medical diagnosis, medical treatment or to replace evaluation by a health practitioner. If you have an individual medical problem, you should seek medical advice from a professional in your community. Any of the images I do use in this blog I claim no ownership of.
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