The Power of Positive

The last few weeks have been crazy busy. The gym has launched a new structure for programs and price, and marketing is underway to get the word out. On the home front, the West kid-lets are running their mother ragged with their constant extracurricular activity. I'm not complaining, (I love my life) but whew! I am tired. Today I literally tried to open my front door by pointing my car keys at the lock and clicking..not once, but twice.

During this super busy week I heard a great story about a work group who went from having a large amount of injuries and attendance issues to almost none. The difference was a new manager, and some changes in the work environment that resulted in a huge positive pay off for the organization. According to the workers, the atmosphere went from punitive to positive. Workers were given a voice, and listened to. Positivity, it would appear, pays.

I reflected on this story today as I was coaching the level four girls. These super cute kids are still relatively new to routines, repetition and repeated correction. I tried very hard to balance the verbal and tactile corrections needed to teach and perform the skill, with praise for honest effort and, the willingness to keep repeating the skill over and over until it was correct. I used a ton of positive reinforcement to drive my lesson. I noticed that whenever I acknowledged a gymnast, they would light up. That smile would last for a long time, and the work that followed was fast and furious with few corrections needed. The power of positive.

On the flip side (since this is a gymnastic blog after all), negative words can have far reaching, and not easily repairable damage; sometimes long term. Damage to relationships, self esteem, and trust. Unkind or hurtful words once spoken even if retracted immediately, leave a mark. Coaches need to be mindful of the words they choose when making corrections for skill work. Positives will go a long way for building foundational trust and relationships.

With coaching this is not hard to do. With life: work and home relationships, sometimes we forget how sharp our tongue can be. The co-worker who hums all day long, the employee who always has an issue. The constant need to accomplish more work with less resources. The temptation is to go to the place where you demand, direct and expect. Without any thanks because, after all, that is the what the job requires right? Results? Sure. Long term success with your employees, co-workers, family, and gymnasts. Good luck.

I choose positive.