The 2x2 Matrix for Coaching Decisions
I've spent thousands of hours with coaches at the highest levels of sports — in the NBA, NFL, WNBA, and MLB.
The best coach differently. And not just technically or tactically.
They teach differently.
When you're coaching someone, the temptation is to jump in and provide feedback often. To "help", as much as you can. To make sure the person you're coaching gets it right as quickly as possible.
The best coaches use a different framework for deciding when they should or shouldn't give feedback. And it cuts against the typical coaching you see. The philosophy that essentially says, “more is not always better.”
I've found that the best coaches instead use a simple 2x2 matrix to figure out if they should be teaching or letting the player figure it out.
Along one dimension, they ask themselves:
"Will changing this actually help?"
And along the second, they ask themselves:
"Can this player do it?"
It seems simple.
But you'd be surprised at the number of coaches who ask for changes that won't make much of a difference and instead reflect a silly personal preference. Or they give feedback for the sake of "coaching," forgetting that the whole point of coaching isn't to hear yourself talk but to help your players perform.
Even if the change would help, that's a simplistic way of evaluating the utility of feedback.
If the player can't change it, how useful is the feedback, really?
This isn't to say people can't change or learn new things. Of course they can. But some limitations are better accepted and worked around than adjusted.
If your player can't do what you're asking for - or you have low conviction that it would be successful, even if they got close - let it be.
The best coaches spend less time teaching to deficits and as much time as they can playing to strengths. Rather than focusing on what isn't working or what can't change, they double down on what works.
I find that those who use this matrix well end up talking a lot less at practice. Not because they have less to say, but because they're most interested in letting players optimize on their own and only jump in when the answer to these two questions is a clear YES.
The next time you’re coaching or leading someone, try and use this matrix for deciding what/when/how you give feedback.
You’ll be surprised at how useful it is for streamlining your teaching and making you more effective.