Let’s stop being less than the sum of our parts
Let's connect as a Gestalt. Let's create something greater than the sum of our parts. Let's connect for more, not less.
Players first learn the parts and then connect them in a framework of parts. Any disconnection leads to unexpected errors, that lead to performance falling below the sum of the parts. Most of us settle for getting as close to the sum of the parts as possible. And the occasional fleeting moment of connection that creates something greater than the sum of its parts, a phenomenon known as Gestalt, that is often considered outside the scope of training.
A lingering question remains: if the distinction between exceptional performance and failure is tied to the ability to discover and maintain a state of Gestalt, then assisting athletes in finding and preserving this state must be possible. Clearly, it should be teachable. If this is achievable, it can lead to performances that exceed the norm and hold value, even if only aesthetically!
The elite of the elite seem to access Gestalt effortlessly and sustain it. So, what distinguishes their approach? Because their mastery of the parts is good enough win without them having to give them any attention, even when tired, they put all their attention on to the connections between the parts. They engage with Gestalt to keep it interesting. As a result many coaches players will do Gestalt connection after they have mastered the parts. This not only misrepresents the facts, but it also restricts access to Gestalt. When perfecting parts, we measure them. When we lockdown on a measurement between two parts, we turn two parts into a single part and limit the two parts to the sum of the parts, thus obstructing access to Gestalt. Training Gestalt, for those who are not the elite of the elite, involves maintaining focus on the dynamic connections between all parts, even when we know, especially when we know, we can’t execute all the parts flawlessly. The resulting gestalt of connection puts us on a learning curve where we achieve performance greater than the sum of our currently ineffective parts, and that will speed up the process of learning to execute the parts better.
In sport and in life, we must all continually train our *Gestalt*, as the increasing capacity of technology to measure performance metrics often shifts our focus back to perfecting parts.
Our ability to apply Gestalt to sports is not limited to studying elite performers, who frequently engage in Gestalt intuitively. Instead, we draw upon 15 years of experience teaching autistic children and adults how to access Gestalt.
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The ability to connect to create something greater than the sum of parts is a crucial life skill of the 21st century.
If we don't keep practicing it, we lose it to technology-based connections.
St Albans and surrounding areas - not for profit - community events
Older adults and adult beginners play Basketball (2)Wed 11 MarLoreto College, St Albans- All-ability adults play Basketball (3)Sun 15 MarWatford
Gestalt coaching for problem solvingTue 17 MarLocation is TBD
Late paymentThu 31 DecAL3 5LH- League-level BasketballDate and time is TBDLocation is TBD
All-ability adults swimDate and time is TBDLocation is TBD
My
Story
Get to Know Us
In the 1990s, I was tasked with pinpointing the elements of human connection that could be effectively integrated into an innovative online collaboration platform known as Lotus Notes, as well as identifying those that could not.
I classified the forms of connection into two categories: measurable and immeasurable. The measurable connections are for agreeing on a sum of parts and allocating these parts for people to play. These were moved online. The immeasurable connections could only be done face-to-face and involved creating something greater than the sum of the parts, a phenomenon known as *Gestalt*.
As the Internet and Google began to rise, I shifted to using my connection skills to assist struggling technology projects on the verge of failure.
After that, I dedicated my efforts to helping young individuals with Autism forge joyful connections. It appeared that the autistic brain recognized the presence of a Gestalt connection; they desired it and needed it, yet found it challenging to access. Teachers attempted to create pathways to a Gestalt, but the young people often interpreted these pathways as rigid parts to play within a fixed sum of the parts. As a result, the more they tried, the more they felt rejected. Consequently, I discovered how to offer an immersive experience of Gestalt. It turns out that young people with Autism can learn to connect to a Gestalt when they truly experience it.
I then spent 6 years working out how technology-based connections appear to have taken over face-to-face connections.
Technology supports measurable connections for agreeing on a sum of parts and allocating these parts for people to play.
When players are asked to commit to a plan that involves fulfilling a specific part within a collective effort, it becomes selfish not to strive for perfection. It is disrespectful to decline an opportunity to play a part in helping others achieve a shared goal. It is natural for players to concentrate solely on executing their part flawlessly. In this way, each part becomes fixed in a fixed sum of parts. In this way, measurable technology-based connection removes the immeasurable connection that can only happen face-to-face.
Inevitably, there will be moments when the fixed sum of parts stops working.
During these instances, players who are dedicated to their fixed part feel disoriented and overwhelmed, and make fundamental mistakes that are not typical of their performance. The team becomes less than the sum of the parts.
Tackling this challenge isn't about making players execute their parts more efficiently. Instead, it involves fostering connections to create something greater than the sum of the parts, a Gestalt. Players observe one another’s actions, looking for opportunities to step in to provide a previously unseen alternative just as someone's option begins to diminish. This Gestalt of connection makes players more comfortable moving into the unknown, believing they can accomplish anything together.
In both sports and life, connection holds equal importance to all other aspects combined. Mastering Gestalt is one of the essential life skills in the 21st century.
However, if we neglect to continually practice Gestalt, our reliance on technology will lead us back to playing fixed parts in a fixed sum of parts. We will find ourselves becoming less than the sum of our individual contributions.
SkillsofWow.org is the governing body for those who coach the skills of Wow.