Thinking Thursdays

The Rio Olympics. Team GB win women’s hockey Gold.

I avidly watched the entirety of their knock-out matches.

Forget the fact that in both semi and final, vanquished opponents Kiwi then Dutch had all the play. Our girls never knew they were beaten. An incredible belief coursed through their collective spirit. Right through to the remarkable “shuffles” penalties clincher.

England and GB coach Danny Kerry is widely praised. Players state that he is head and shoulders the best tactician they’ve ever worked with.

One of his popular and telling coaching innovations seems to be a session entitled Thinking Thursdays.

Players are given certain game situations and asked to talk through what they’d do.

This kind of approach is all to rare in selling rooms across the land.

Face-to-face you encounter a blocker. Competitive trap. Sticky objection. Chief Exec walks in. A possible showstopper. A Revanchist.

There’s an exhausting array of potential attack.

Maybe it’s ripe to make time for your own Thinking hour.