How would your team or organization look if you were able to identify someone's mindset indicators and how strong or weak they were in the key areas of performance and competing? We discuss the main indicators of mindset performance, what they mean and how to use them.

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Ryan: Welcome to shift happens athlete Mindset hacks, where we talk everything mindset development, taking lessons from the college and pro athletes, coaches and teams, we get to work alongside. I'm Ryan Schachner. This is Cheney Robinson. And today we're going to talk about our mindset, performance indicators. Right. And so we just refer to them as performance indicators, but really they're how your brain processes information to then impact how you react in certain situations.

Cheney: This is going to be a very good one that I think will be very impactful because it's going to create awareness in some areas that we probably know, but we can't really articulate it or put words to it so that now we have a little bit better understanding of what these things are and how can we improve upon them.

Ryan: Yeah, absolutely. So we break these into kind of four main categories. And the cool thing is we can tell how strong or, you know, how moderate or how lacking you are in some of these. And so it's important to note that, you know, just because you're strong in some doesn't mean you're going to be, you're guaranteed success in life. And just because you're weak in some mean you're going to be a failure. Right. We all have different ways that we process information and then execute that information in a physical manner on the field or in the workplace and that sort of stuff. And so this just gives a coach or an employer the information to align really the people in the right position given those position needs. So the first category that we talk about is the competition and performance capacity, right? So I like to say or think that, you know, this is really how the mind works in the heat of battle, right, leading up to battle and then as you're going through the battle or pre game planning, right. We're in football season now. So the week leading up to the game and then all of a sudden it's game time. How is your brain processing what's happening inside that game to maintain your performance? And then the next one we have is the people and team capacity. To me, this is how you interact with individuals. It doesn't mean it's good or it's bad. You could be outgoing or you could be more reserved. It's just going to tell us how, how you're going to react and interpret different situations around people. Then you have the trainability and, you know, I like to describe this as, you know, how do you adapt to the team and take feedback? You know, how are you processing what's going on inside of a certain culture. Right. Work environment or teen culture. And how are you then adding to that? Or how do you feel about that culture impacting then how you act? And then the last one is well being. And this, with the things that we measure in this, it's really how do you process struggles? Can you manage tough situations? Can you manage stress? Those types of things is really what I like to, how I like to classify the well being.

Cheney: I think we're going to be here a while because there's a lot to talk about in all four of those areas. And also how do we help people in those areas, too? Because, again, you're exactly right. You're going to have strengths and you're going to have opportunities for growth. And just cause you're strong in some doesn't mean you can't get better in it. Right.

Ryan: We could be here forever and we're not going to. The amount of information that we can tell and pull from these four categories of these performance indicators is, it's almost endless, right. And it's really how we help teams align, how we help them recruit, how we help them put people in the right positions in a corporate world or on the field or in the locker room to really build that culture and build the dynasty, right?

Cheney: No.

Ryan: So first one we're going to cover is the competition and performance capacity. So again, this is how the mind works in the heat of battle. And there's five different indicators, right? Five different performance indicators that we have in here. The first one is noticing an intuition ability. So I'm going to give a stab at describing this cheney, and then you can add to it, or me, I was wrong. Right. And so the, so noticing an intuition ability, can you read the room? Do you recognize what's happening around you? Can you read the team if things aren't going well, if someone's down, can you, can you tell the nonverbal cues and identify what's going on with them to be able then to address it? Hopefully. Can you tell if the momentum in the game is changing before the scoreboard reflects it? Maybe the easiest way is do you have an accurate gut feel on what's going on?

Cheney: You've hit the nail head there. And also, you know, it's that intuition, too, that the instincts of how to making sure that I'm positioning myself for what I'm seeing, the work that I've put in, the strategy that we've got in place, all the planning that we've done prior to watching film. Right. Have I focused on that, paid attention to it and internalized it so that when I see something happen, I've got a pretty good idea of what they're trying to do and how I, how I knew that or not from an offensive perspective is, hey, they're playing this particular defense and I know how I can exploit that, too.

Ryan: Yeah. So it's, so, again, so some of this is the intuition, right. It's just going to be a natural. But, but a lot of this can also be a learned through study, right, through watching game film. And, you know, I like, you know, you look at, let's just take football since we're in football season. You know, we talk about Peyton Manning and Tom Brady, Patrick Mahomes, these guys that just study what the other team is doing. You know, they had high, if I had the guests, they would be high on this noticing, an intuition ability.

Cheney: Yeah.

Ryan: Anyway, but they can also enhance it by all the film that they're watching. And so on the flip side, then you could be lower in this and enhance that by watching the film repeatedly so that it's, it's kind of ingrained in that muscle memory for the, for the game coming up ahead.

Cheney: No, that's exactly right. I saw a clip the other day. It was the Panthers and Cam Newton was quarterback and they were close to the scoring. And Cam's going through his signals and positioning everybody. And one of the defenders says something, cam picks it up and kind of laughs. He was like, okay, you've been watching film, now watch this. And he makes a tweet to the play and they score a touchdown. So there's that noticing, too, and that understanding strategically of, hey, they've been watching this, they know how to defend it. And we've got a little wrinkle here that is going to help us be able to beat that.

Ryan: All right, so the next one then we can get into is the strategic planning and vision. So I like to say this one is, can you, and also, do you enjoy identifying a game plan? And it's not just putting a game plan together, but it's also plan B, C, D and so on. Right. Can you be that coach on the field if that intuition. Right. The noticing, an intuition ability shows you like that, your example, Cam Newton. Can you, can you process that information and then come up with the strategy to counter what you're seeing? And so this one, you know, again, do you, can you do it? A lot of people can do it, but it's also, do you enjoy doing it? Because a lot of times you'll put more effort into the things that that you enjoy.

Cheney: Right. And some people may not be interested in this. It's like, hey, what's my job? I'm going to do my job. I want to know what everybody else is doing, too, but I want to what's, what's right in front of me, and I want to take care of that. And then you, you guys handle that big picture stuff. Just tell me where to be and who to hit.

Ryan: Absolutely. Yeah. And so you can have good players on, on with both that are high or low in this. In this performance indicator. It doesn't mean they're, you know, good or bad.

Cheney: Right.

Ryan: It could get indication of leadership and not necessarily one of those vocal leaders. It could be a locker room leader that helps the team understand what's going on. Right. It could be those leaders that are, you know, don't necessarily get the attention that, you know, the captains get, but they're helping people process what's going on so that everyone can be in the right place at the right time to execute that strategy. And so, again, another example, it's not good or it's not bad, but having too many of those strategic planning high on that in a locker room or in a position group could create a conflict. Right. Because everybody may not agree on the plan. And so it's understanding who you have, what pieces you have, so that you can put them in the right positions.

Cheney: Right. Like too many cooks in the kitchen.

Ryan: Exactly. And that can hurt. Right. And so you need both sides of it. And it's important to understand who you have that can help be, again, either that outward captain type person or that inner, you know, inner position group, inner team leader that can help, you know, the behind the scenes, the locker room coaching, those sorts of things.

Cheney: That's right. And again, you make, I want to reiterate this point, too, and it's not good or bad to not be strong in this area. Right. Because you think about it, growing up, we're not necessarily taught how to be visionary, big picture, strategic thinkers. It's, hey, be a good friend, be a good classmate, be a good teammate. Right. Or get your work done, you know, keep your nose clean, do your work. And those are the things that were really kind of ingrained in us, is those two things more on the personal side and then that kind of work task, the detail oriented side. Not necessarily, hey, think about this from a long term perspective, right? So you're a catcher, but you got to call your games, right? Not all, especially at the high school level, very few. I mean, even in the pro level you got pitching coaches calling games, so I can go down a rabbit hole with that. But there's. There's a lot to say with, hey, let's train these young people and how to see the big picture, looking at things critically. But how do I get from a to z and knowing that I can't jump b to get to y to get to z, though?

Ryan: Yeah, absolutely. Absolutely. All right, so number three performance indicator in the competition and performance capacity is taking strategic action. And so this one, I like to say, is your ability to take the game plan, whether you came up with it or not. But to be able to take that game plan and without help or a tremendous amount of coaching, be able to identify what actions need to happen in order to execute that game plan with.

Cheney: High quality, this speaks to having a very deep understanding of what the game plan is and what the purpose behind it is. Right. So if we know that, hey, Greg Maddox, for example, would throw a pitch in the second 3rd inning to set you up for something, he could throw you in the 7th and 8th inning and know that you're going to be thinking about the second 3rd inning pitch, and he's going. He's going to switch it up on you because he knew, hey, I've set you up here, and I'm going to be able to go here late in the game, and I'm gonna get you out.

Ryan: Yep. And that's a great example. And I think, you know, another one that you just take off the field. Right? You have the Tom Brady, who wanted to play until he was 45 and at 35, said, hey, I need to be able to physically get to that point. And so he was able to help come up with that strategy, that vision for what he wanted to be able to do. But then he was able to do and take that strategic action to where his workouts were different, what he put in his body was different. And he didn't have to have that. He did have a coach, but it was that initiative to say, hey, I need to take these steps in order to achieve this vision. I don't need someone to push me. I'm going to be able to understand it and push myself to execute on the right things.

Cheney: That's right. When, you know, you think about. We talk about Jordan a lot, too, you know, he wasn't the best shooter, good shooter, but that wasn't his game. His game is, hey, I'm driving to the basket, I'm getting fouled, I'm hitting free throws. And I read something yesterday, saw a clip yesterday about Dwayne Wade, similarly, that was his game. It's like, hey, I'm taking you off for dribble. I'm gonna get to the basket, hit some free throws. And he realized, as did Jordan, okay, I've got to improve as I get older. I can't take this physical beating of trying to get to the basket. So I've got to figure out other ways to improve my game to this gonna benefit a team. And that's where they worked on the long range shooting. Yeah, three point shooting, and got. They got better and very efficient as well.

Ryan: Yep. Perfect. All right, so the next performance indicator is problem solving, pace, and quality. So I would define this as your ability to adapt when things aren't going well, adjust what you need to do, and then execute those adjustments with high quality results without having to come out of the game and have the coach tell you what to do. So can you process what's going on, adjust, and still have high quality results? And so this would be, you know, to me, a good example is a good hitter, right, a Barry bonds or, you know, someone that, you know, big home run power hitter, that they're thinking fastball is coming, they see, they notice that it's curveball, and they're able to adjust their swing and still hit that home run. So they can still execute on that high result, but they're able to adjust very, very quickly and maintain those results that they're seeking.

Cheney: I want to say he did something bond, something similar to what Maddox did, where he'd swing over the top of something and kind of make himself look foolish at the plate, setting you up for that pitch later on in the game, where, hey, I think I can get him on this because I got him earlier, or he looked bad earlier at the plate, and now he's sitting on that thing and he hits it into the. Into the bay.

Ryan: Yeah, well, you mentioned. You mentioned something. I think, you know, we talk about those players that are at that elite level. So a maddox, a bonds, a Brady, a manning, and. And they have a lot of these, you know, they are. They tend to be higher on. On a lot of these performance indicators, and. But their focus, their strategy is so far beyond the mindset, the mental game that they're playing is so far beyond what everybody else is playing, that it's almost like they're nothing even playing the same game.

Cheney: Right, right. They're playing a game of one.

Ryan: Exactly. And so, you know, we always talk about the game being 90% mental and 10% physical. And I think, especially as you elevate into higher levels of play. Right. So you go from high school to college, right. And you're. Now you're on the field or on the court, and you're playing. That's elevated. You've weeded out the talent or the less talented physically individuals, as you then step up into the higher divisions, and then all of a sudden, you're at pro or Olympic, the physical side of it tends to even out, which is where you get that 90% mental, 10% physical. But how do you then develop that mental side of it in order to, you know, be playing a different game than everyone else? And when you look at goats, it's not. I mean, you look at a Brady and a manning and a maddox. You know, physically, they're, you know, they look like us.

Cheney: Right, right.

Ryan: And so it's. It's not that physically, they're operating on such a level that they're just that much talented, and that's why they're getting the results. It's mentally, they're operating on a different level. And so how can you, as an athlete, even down to high school, get on that page? How can you develop that in order to excel and get to the levels that you want to get to?

Cheney: Well, I think there's two things. One, it's you got to have full self awareness, right? What your capabilities are. Again, not to cap yourself, but you understand what you can do and areas improvement that you can get better at. But also, it's understanding the game, too. And I think that's the big ticket is, hey, I understand how this game works and the games within the game, but that's why I think, you know, both of us being baseball guys, there's. There's so many games within the game of baseball. But that's also inherent with all sports, right? There are games within all the games. And so it's understanding, okay, what are we trying to do offensively? What are they trying to do defensively? And how do I best strategize to beat that or put ourselves in the best position to be successful? So it's understanding of self, but also, I got to understand the game that I'm playing as well.

Ryan: All right, number five on the competition and performance capacity category. So the performance indicator, number five, focus ability. How well do you perform under high energy, high stress with a lot on the line situations? So games on the line, you know, performing in the first, second, and third quarter is one thing, but when there's two minutes left in the game and you need a. A touchdown in order to win, how are you going to be able to react? Are you going to be able to process and, you know, get in that zone and execute at a high level or are you going to let that all affect you? Are you going to let it diminish your physical output?

Cheney: Yeah, absolutely. I think also it goes to the preparation, right. We were talking to a coach, what, a month or so ago, and he was talking about one of his athletes wanted to play division one basketball, but what the output or the focus, just how this athlete was conducting himself was not at a d one level. And the coach pointed that out to him because it was just, there was just a lack of focus in the practice setting. And that's where we really have to hone in on the ability to focus, because once we get into the game situation, like Jordan said, look, I just want to react when I get to that point. I've done it. I've already done the hard work over here, so that now all I have to do is just react to it.

Ryan: Competition performance capacity. Five performance indicators. Mindset performance indicators. Noticing an intuition ability, strategic planning and vision. Taking strategic action, problem solving, pace and quality and focus ability. And so coaches use this to help bring the right people in, whether it's free agents, whether it's recruits, high school recruits that they're bringing in. They use this information to help culturally map their players, their teams so that they can identify who's in the right position. Am I overweighted on, like we mentioned earlier, the strategic planning in a certain position group, do I not have that in a needed position group? Do I need to find someone that has that? What parts do I need from a mental and a mindset standpoint? Do I need to add or shift around in order to have balance within my organization? And that could be on, within a team, athletic team. But at the corporate level, we see a lot of times people that are in management or leadership positions that they shouldn't be, or they're in a certain department that they would have success or higher success in another department that aligns with their skill sets. And so this is how individuals use this information, again, to map out recruiting, hiring, all that sort of, all that sort of stuff.

Cheney: Yeah. And I think that's why what we're so passionate about here is helping to identify leaders and, and bring them up. And how do we, how do we, how do we coach them up? Right. And that's what we get to do on a day to day basis, whether it's an athlete or a coach or administrator or somebody that's looking to take over a CEO position.

Ryan: Absolutely. Hey, thank you for joining us on shift. Happen. I'm Ryan. This is Cheney. We'll see you next time.