Month: July 2021

Can I jump over two or three guys like I used to? No. Am I as fast as I used to be? No, but I still have the fundamentals and smarts. That’s what enables me to still be a dominant player. As a kid growing up, I never skipped steps. I always worked on fundamentals because I know athleticism is fleeting. – Kobe Bryant

Last time I pointed out that soft skills often require some combination of hard skills. There is a famous story of the great football coach, Vince Lombardi. Every year, to impress upon the team the importance of mastering the fundamentals, he would stand in front of the locker room, look at the players, hold up a ball, and say, “Gentlemen, this is a football.” Even the most experienced players, (ESPECIALLY the most experienced players!) knew that, unless they consistently focused on mastering the fundamentals, they would never be able to accomplish the great plays that that won the games.

Continue reading “Favor Hard Skills”

One day, my bike tire broke miles from home and I found a way to fix it. That’s what I learned: Even if you don’t have all the tools, you can improvise. – Tony Ferguson

Last time we discussed developing hard skills. This requires disciplined, consistent practice. Focusing on the fundamentals. This time we look at developing soft skills, which takes a much different approach. Soft skills require curiosity, exploration, and improvisation.

Continue reading “Practicing Soft Skills”