Practice makes perfect – but is all practice created equal?
Photo by Brett Jordan on Unsplash
In our last coaching webinar we talked a lot about practice and application. Not many would argue with the value of practice but two questions did come up – is all practice of equal value? And, what kind of practice is the most effective?
Let’s say you were studying for an exam. As part of that study, you might re-watch a video, or refresh your reading. And while this may help you retain knowledge – just going over your notes or revisiting theory isn’t application and practice. To build your skill, you’ll need to practice old exam questions, or re-write your old answers, not just re-read them.
It’s the same with any skill; proficiency is built through doing, not reading or thinking. And doing – putting practice into action – is the only proven way to build mastery.
But back to the question – is all practice of equal value? The answer is no. There are a couple of key things to consider that will help you know whether it’s good quality practice:
• The practice you’re doing is challenging, and
• Ongoing assessment
Deliberate practice is a technique developed by psychologists Anders Ericsson and Jerad Moxley. It uses repetition and successive refinements to address a specific skill and enhance performance.
Deliberate practice is a type of training where someone practices a skill in a way that challenges them just beyond their current abilities, in what's called their ‘zone of proximal development’. So, you (and your coach) have to decide on which skill and at what level you need to perform it. That way you can tailor your practice session to push yourself just a little further.
Most elite performers follow a ‘challenging but not overwhelming’ training principle. This means, don’t worry about the end outcome too much, just push yourself to be a little better every time you practice. Think about it like learning a new language or playing a musical instrument – you don’t go straight to a playing a piano concerto – you start with the easier pieces, and steadily make small improvements. It’s got to be small enough so it doesn’t feel overwhelming, but challenging enough you push yourself. Good practice should make you feel safe to try – and win and fail – until one day, you can play at a mastery level. There’s no other way that we know of to get better. You have to do the reps.
Deliberate practice also involves ongoing assessment. This could take many forms: it could be self-assessing against a proven framework or standard, or close mentoring or feedback from an expert. Ease of assessing your progress is another reason for keeping your practice or changes specific and small, so they can be clearly seen or heard by yourself or others.
At GRIST, we teach deliberate practice as a Learn – Practice – Feedback loop. Repeated over and over again, these small loops build skill easily, consistently, and ensure the skill is embedded for the long term.
So next time you’re looking to build your own skill, or coach someone else to build theirs, think about how and when you’ll practice it and how you’ll ensure that practice action is effective. Deliberate practice is a powerful skill in itself to master. By keeping your practice small but challenging and ensuring you’re assessing your progress as you go, you’ll be on a path to mastery.
