Scientific method of coaching

One of the hallmarks of coaching, or at least coaching well, is patience. Coaching is a proactive pursuit where we work hard to predict obstacles and plan contingencies. Being reactive is a detriment. So how do we know when it’s time to change course?

I am not a scientist. However, a large part of my career is in reading and interpreting research. An important aspect of research is controlling for variables. The more variables there are, the less understanding we have of the specific mechanisms in action.

In nutrition, we often use some sort of cognitive oversight to control for variables. This could be macronutrient or calorie tracking, using food tracking software, and daily weighing. The more specific we are with these data points the more variables we are controlling.

When I work with clients who aren’t seeing change we rarely need to change the plan. Most often we need to see where we can eliminate variables in their day. These variables could be untracked food, meals out, alcohol, changes in activity levels. If these things, which are unknowns, are present they corrupt all other data points. So most of our work is in eliminating these variables and, in turn, creating a more robust and complete data set. Instead of changing the external controls we just work on better adherence.

The scientific method is there whether we are using it intentionally or not. We will test and retest until we find a method that works. A big part of coaching, and being coached, is the patience to work on eliminating variables rather than just jumping to a new experiment each week. Do that, and results will be more complete and sustainable. Moving the goal posts each week when we don’t even know what sport we are playing is a poor way to win the game.