Plain English with Derek Thompson

The Science of Achievement, With Adam Grant

Christian Champ's AI podcast notes
AI-generated based on their snips

1. Sending the star player home for a period of time can actually benefit the team. Research shows that teams often perform better overall after their star player returns from a temporary absence due to injury or other reasons. A star player's absence can stimulate the organization to explore new approaches and routines.
2. There is evidence that rooting for brief injuries to star players can actually improve a team's performance. A study of 28,000 NBA games found that when star players missed about 13 games (around 20% of the season) due to injury or other absences, the team played better overall after they returned. The absence of a star player triggers a search for new routines, which, when combined with pre-absence routines, improves teamwork and performance.
3. A star's temporary absence triggers a search for new routines. Combining new routines with pre-absence routines can improve teamwork and performance. Relying too heavily on star performers can constrain our own potential. Becoming better workers and our best selves often requires being shocked out of comfortable routines.
4. The book challenges the belief that natural talent is the most important factor for success and growth. The notion that hard work is the key ingredient for unlocking hidden potential is questioned. Effort is important, but learning effectively is ultimately what matters. The book includes stories about sports that exemplify the concepts discussed.
5. Sports examples are less applicable to psychological flexibility. In non-sports skills, it is easier to transform oneself. Improving in diving and public speaking requires immense effort. This person was initially very bad at diving but eventually qualified for the Junior Olympic Nationals.
6. The speaker struggled to become a skilled diver, enduring years of hard work and training. In college, the speaker realized that there were others who were even more talented and skilled in diving. On the other hand, the speaker found it easier to improve their public speaking skills. The speaker believes that mental skills and behaviors are easier to learn compared to physical skills, which can limit athletic potential.
7. The concept of deliberate play can be powerful in turning practice into something more enjoyable and engaging. Deliberate play can counteract the monotonous and strenuous nature of repetitive practice. By incorporating elements of playfulness in workouts, one can avoid burnout and maintain motivation in skill mastery.
8. Practice can become a slog and lead to burnout or bore out. Psychologists suggest using deliberate play to add fun to skill building activities. Adding autonomy and variety can make the task more enjoyable. Interleaving refers to bouncing from one activity to another in skill practice.
9. The research shows that interleave and vary the skill moment to moment for deeper learning and motivation. Interleaving is especially helpful for complex skills. Interleaving can be applied to multiple skills that are part of the same task. Going back and forth between different aspects of a skill can lead to improvement in both areas.
10. Interleaving and varying the skill moment to moment leads to deeper learning and increased motivation. Consolidating what you learn and retrieving information from memory improves skill development. Interleaving is particularly beneficial for complex skills and can be applied to multiple skills within the same task. Repetitive practice of the same skill may not be the most effective approach to mastery. Improving public speaking skills can involve focusing on specific aspects such as pacing and tone.
11. Basketball teams often improve if their stars are briefly injured. There is an optimal time off the average team would need its star to play about 43 games after missing 15 games in the NBA. The study suggests that when a star player gets hurt, people have to reconfigure their roles in routines. Peripheral players may become more central and unrecognized strengths or unused skills can be brought into the team.
12. The advantage of earlier drafted quarterbacks is more about opportunity than ability. The importance of hidden potential in evaluating quarterbacks. Research by Danny Southwick suggests that drafting should prioritize the match between the quarterback and the system. Context plays a significant role in quarterback performance, accounting for about two thirds of the variance. A quarterback's performance can drastically improve when placed in a different team. The Kurt Warner effect exemplifies how a mediocre quarterback can excel in the right circumstances.
13. Quarterbacks are highly influential but also heavily reliant on their supporting team. Evaluating a quarterback's potential should consider the team's specific needs and desired qualities. Quarterbacks are the most crucial position in sports but require significant support from teammates.
14. The success of a quarterback is highly dependent on the team and system they are in. Quarterbacks are often ranked without considering the interdependent conditions they operate in. In order to accurately evaluate performance, various factors and dependencies need to be taken into account. The importance of context and external factors in evaluating performance extends beyond sports to other domains.
15. The difficulty of a major should be taken into account when evaluating grades. Freshman grades have little to no impact on future success. Improvement in grades between freshman and senior year is a better predictor of earning potential. Grade point average is a flawed metric for college admissions.

Highlights created by Christian Champ

Should Teams Send Star Players Home for a Month? The Benefits of Temporary Absence

02:47 • 1min

Evidence suggests rooting for injuries helps NBA teams improve

03:03 • 1min

The Benefits of Temporary Absence in Organizations

04:03 • 1min

Challenging conventional wisdom on success and potential

06:18 • 1min

The Contrast Between Sports and Non-Sports Skills Development

08:38 • 2min

Overcoming Challenges in Diving and Public Speaking

09:45 • 1min

The Power of Deliberate Play in Turning Practice into Something Playful

19:30 • 1min

Why Turning Practice into Deliberate Play Can Help Avoid Burnout and Boreout

20:05 • 2min

The Benefits of Interleaving and Varying Skills for Deeper Learning

22:11 • 1min

The Benefits of Interleaving and Varying Skills for Deeper Learning

22:11 • 2min

Study shows basketball teams improve when stars are briefly injured

23:59 • 58sec

The Importance of Context in Quarterback Performance

30:07 • 60sec

The Role of Individual Potential vs Team Needs in Evaluating Quarterbacks

31:07 • 56sec

The Importance of Context in Evaluating Performance

31:18 • 1min

The Relationship Between Grades and Success in Education

32:14 • 1min