Coach
Unlock potential. Ask, don't tell.
Help gamers to transfer the benefits of gaming into all facets of life.
Diagrams | Matrices | Thinkers
Context
Problems
Escapist gamers that are attempting to avoid real life, not use gaming as a way to improve real life skills and connections.
Questions
Practice asking more insightful questions to get the most out of gaming:
- What is their favourite game right now?
- What does it take to be good at the game? What skills does it require?
- What personality or temperament does it require?
- What have you got better at playing this game?
- What is the hardest thing you have accomplished playing the game?
- How did you manage to accomplish this goal? What steps did it take?
Skills
People that are able to describe their progress and how they set about making that improvement in a gaming environment will take those abilities into all facets of their life. Key skills gamers need to develop include:
- Manage breathing and heart rate under pressure
- Information gathering and creative problem solving
- Persistence through difficult times
- Strong positive communication with teammates
Time Optimisation
Over 21 hours per week is the tipping point when physical and mental health can begin to suffer.
Play video games before homework (90 mins max). The brain will focus on most salient problem you were last focused on.
If stuck in a negative thought cycle, playing a game before bed can (tetrus) can hijack the brain and prevent negative thoughts
Profile Matching
Right Game, right time, right person. Aim to curate a set of games that can play the role you need dependent on your situation.
- Single player game better to focus on improving attention, manage anxiety.
- Social gaming, playing with same people leads to stronger connections.
Understanding
You might not understand why they enjoy the game, but can still reflect back what you observe as strengths and improvements. Games are vehicle for demonstrating appreciation of:
- talent
- commitment
- values
The greatest gift you can give a person is to make them feel understood without judgement.
Activate When
- 1:1s and mentoring conversations
- Team conflict or low morale
- Someone is stuck at their edge
- Onboarding new people
- The problem is people, not systems
What It Fights For
Potential. The Coach dies on the hill of people. "What about the team?"
The Coach sees the gap between where someone is and where they could be. Without this mind, you build systems but lose souls. Capability atrophies.
The Shadow
Coddling. Care without challenge.
Signs you've tipped over:
- Avoiding hard feedback to stay liked
- Enabling weakness instead of growing strength
- Taking over instead of teaching
- Confusing being supportive with being soft
Quick Activation
Before stepping into Coach mode:
- Ask more than you tell
- Find their Zone of Proximal Development — where's the growth edge?
- Scaffold, don't solve
Warning Signs
You're in the wrong mode if:
- The task requires a decision, not a conversation
- Speed matters more than development
- You're coaching to avoid building
- The person needs direction, not questions
The ZPD Dynamic
Everyone is Coach and Student. Context determines which.
- When you know more: scaffold the other
- When they know more: receive the scaffold
- The role flips constantly
Top 5 Capabilities
| Capability | Why Coach Needs It |
|---|---|
| Questioning | Unlock insight through inquiry |
| Listening | Hear what's beneath the words |
| Empathy | Feel where they're stuck |
| Presenting | Model what good looks like |
| Negotiation | Navigate resistance |
Context
- Realist — Coach balances care with Realist's hard truths
- Philosopher — Coach and Philosopher both ask questions, but Coach develops people while Philosopher seeks meaning
- ZPD/MKO Framework — The scaffolding dynamic