Theory and Practice

Some time ago, I did a SCUBA diving Reactivate course online and signed up for a two-hour refresher in a local pool, to jog my memory on the details of the PADI Open Water Dive Certificate I’d earned a few decades before. I was excited about the possibility of diving on an upcoming trip and eager to explore the incredible underwater world of colorful corals, unique fish and surprising vegetation beneath the waves.

In the weeks leading up to the practical pool segment, I spent nearly three hours online, clicking through modules and noticing several items that had changed since I had first dived, passing a quiz for each section on (almost) the first try each time and feeling pretty confident of my grasp of the material.

When the time came to commute to the pool, squeeze into a wet suit and take a giant stride into the water in my fins, I felt a touch of nerves- would I be able to do this? And would I enjoy it? Blessed with a gifted instructor, I was soon at ease as we worked our way through various skills. Thankfully he was patient to demonstrate some of them multiple times and let me practice them myself until they’d worked their way back into my muscle memory.

As we went along, my right hand learned through repetition exactly where to find the “octopus” or extra regulator for breathing, in case my primary one stopped working for any reason. I practiced taking off and then replacing my mask in case it fell off somehow while we were below the surface and I relearned how to blow out through my nose to clear it of water so I could see once again.

My lasting impression of the pool training was how dramatically more impactful it was than the time I’d spent on my couch reading content and watching videos online. While the virtual learning definitely had its place and covered scenarios not available to us at the pool, like diving in a current or supporting a diver in distress, overall the contrast between that and the practical portion was a powerful reminder that nothing replaces “on-the-job” training. Our bodies truly are integral to our learning and literally going through the motions integrates technique so much deeper into our consciousness and long-term memory than mastering intellectual facts alone can do.

Leaders- how do you convey important concepts to your team? How does your on-boarding training incorporate opportunities for new members to get their hands dirty and create reflexes that will serve them well when they need to perform at a high level in the moment? Even taking into account that people learn differently, what shifts might you make to equip the team with new skills? What might you need to let go of to trust people yearning to grow as you delegate real projects on which they can push the boundaries of their strengths?

As professional American baseball player Yogi Berra knew so well, “In theory, there is no difference between theory and practice, but in practice, there is.”

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In the Moment: Words Matter