“Seven Kinds of Decisions Sports Coaches Make”
The article describes the main kinds of decisions coaches make on a regular basis, based on the nature of the thought processes involved. We distinguish seven primary types and one special type.
The primary types are roughly ordered from the fast, simple and intuitive at one end, to the slow, complex and analytical at the other.
An essential factor in improving decision-making is appreciating how decisions get made.
To develop the typology, we reviewed models of decision making from cognitive science, psychology of judgement and decision making, and related fields. We were particularly interested to identify the types of decisions people frequently make without the need for any training, i.e. “natural” or spontaneous modes of decision making.
The seven primary types emerged from this background research.
We then checked our list of types against the academic literature on coaching decision making, and against our own experience working directly with coaches. We “reframed” the types by developing a set of labels we hoped would
(a) intuitively highlight the essence of each type and its differences with the others, and
(b) be clear, useful and memorable for sports coaches.
Finally, we sought out compelling, real-world examples of sports coaches making decisions of each of the types.
On the website of Ger Post, there are some modules, developed with elite sports coaches in Australia and the Netherlands, you can learn about the different decisions sports coaches make based on the nature of thought processes involved.
Sports coaches (and many other decision makers ) can use these modules to reflect on how they are making decisions, and how they might improve their decision-making.
Take a moment to think about the decision you’d like to reflect on. What was the main driver for this decision? Was it a story, simulation, or a weighing up of pros and cons?
The four phases of decision making
To help explain more about the cognitive processes involved
in each type, we use a simple framework that breaks
decision making down into four phases: sense-making, option
generation, option evaluation, and selection.2
- Option generation is coming up with options (i.e., things the coach might do, or might instruct others to do, to improve the situation).
- Sensemaking just means figuring out what is going on. This includes evaluating the situation: Is it going well?
- Option evaluation is assessing how good are the options.
- Selection is committing oneself to an option. This might be a conscious act, or it might just be swinging into action.
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