Changes in Sports

So hi guys, this is just a short video. It’s been a while since I made a video, but now that I finished the new design of the website, I want to publish more videos in the future. I strongly believe that video is the new way of online communication.

What I would like to share with you is a management theory about change. I’ve learned this online from a certain gentlemen named Eben Pagan. And Eben Pagan speaks about 3 phases in change. Whether you change something personal, like quitting smoking or going on a diet….or you want to change something in your sports organization, you want to change your athletes or you want to operate more professionally. This framework stays the same, and it helps you to look at the bigger picture.

If you look at the phases of change, it looks like this: Your first phase, your second phase and the third phase. Now in this first phase you’ll get enormous resistance, and it takes loads of energy to pass this phase. You can also compare this to a rocket going into the sky. It uses about 80% of its energy in the first phase. So you will experience lots of resistance, either from yourself, internally, or from the people you’re in a team with.

The second phase still has quite some resistance, but it is getting less. You have to push through and people around you are getting accustomed to the change. So it is important to not give up after or in the first phase, but to make it to the 2nd phase.

And then the third phase you will either feel yourself more relieved with the new change, people are getting accustomed, everybody knows about the new policy or the new direction of your sports organization. So the resistance is getting minimal. And then from here on the resistance basically disappears.

If you want to create change or new habits or rituals within your sport organization or yourself, I would advise you to keep this framework in mind. And my last tip is: Don’t try to change too much in a short period of time. Do take your time for change, as you otherwise will get too much resistance and you will simply not succeed.

Thanks for watching and see you next time !