The 'Rachel Rule' - for Coaches

I love Friends. I was sad when Matthew Perry died. But this isn't about Friends - it is about coaching.

I invented 'The Rachel Rule' many years ago. I suspect others invented it before me but I came up with it independently. So I'm not taking credit for someone else's rule (ie: not being a Musk) but am probably being a Baird, rather than a Farnsworth, if you will.

So, 'The Rachel Rule' was invented in 'collaboration' with an athlete I was coaching (name withheld). We were doing some individuals in preparation for her to go back to college in the Fall and I would always be asking her what she felt about the actions she was doing. She would immediately tell me five things that she did wrong. This was ok for a while but unltimately had to stop.

'The Rachel Rule' states that you MUST say something you were happy with, BEFORE any corrections/criticisms.

When first implemented it might have taken 30 seconds to come up with a positive. Occasionally we would just move on without her providing any verbal observations. But over time she would come up with insightful positives, and then move into the corrections.

Then the other day I thought - what if we had 'The Rachel Rule' but for coaches? That is, you MUST say something you were happy with, BEFORE any corrections/criticisms.

Yes, I know this is not at all new. But do you think you could do it? For one warmup, or one hour. NEVER provide correction, to ANYONE, about ANYTHING, before giving a positive?

Give it a try and have someone at training track your communication and give you feedback afterwards (after providing a positive first, of course).