Standing with your back to the action

Angie Flynn-McIver

Angie Flynn-McIver

For several years, I sent out a blog to readers a few times a week. These posts gave pointers about how to practice, shared relevant stories, and provided a way for people to connect with my coaching approach. In 2022, I wrote my book, Before You Say Anything, which brought many of these ideas together in one place. The blog posts have continued to resonate with clients and readers, and they're useful as a quick reminder, so I'm including them here!

I was watching a basketball game recently, a big, high-stakes game. In one shot of the crowd, I saw a security guard standing directly behind the bench of one of the teams. He was wearing a bright blue jacket with SECURITY across the back, and he was stock still.

 

It was just a fleeting glance, but I started thinking about this man. He was right behind the bench of the biggest game in basketball, probably thirty feet from the court, but he couldn’t see what was happening. On the other hand, that’s not why he was there.

 

It’s an exercise in perspective, isn’t it? For me, it’s hard to imagine standing there for the whole game, unable to turn around and see what the thousands of people around you are cheering or booing.

 

But his story was completely different. He had a different intention. He was surveying the crowd, keeping the area safe for the team and the coaches. In his experience, he was facing the action, not turned away from it.