The Vantage Point
In any situation, there are benefits to alternating between an up-close approach and a bird's eye view
In the day-to-day of your life, do you get up close and personal with the challenges that you face? Or do you take a more detached view?
Is one approach better than the other?
The Miami Dolphins recently hired Anthony Weaver as their next defensive coordinator. He epitomizes the new generation of defensive play callers: player-friendly coaches who focus on relationship-building and getting the best out of each player.
He replaced Vic Fangio, a veteran who is notorious for being an exceptional defensive mind, while also bringing a rough-around-the-edges, “old school” method of coaching that many current players do not connect with.
At his introductory press conference, Weaver was asked whether he would call plays from the sideline (at field level) or the coaching booth (high above the field).
Which vantage point did he prefer?
His response:
“I’m a downstairs guy, man. I need to feel what’s going on in the game, feel how the players are reacting to the situation, and hopefully be a positive influence in whatever reaction that is. I don’t think you can have that same effect from up in the booth.”
-Anthony Weaver [emphasis added]
Fangio, on the other hand, prefers the coaching booth. Here’s why:
“I think it’s the best place to watch the game from. There’s a reason they film the game from up there for the tape. There’s a reason the owners, who can sit anywhere they want, sit there. It’s the best place to watch the game from, and you can see things and adjust better.”
-Vic Fangio [emphasis added]
Luckily, you and I are not field generals on the battlefield, and we’re not NFL coaches. We don’t have to choose one approach over another.
Instead, consider implementing each at certain times:
When it comes to staying calm during heated, pressure-packed situations, you might benefit from taking a detached view. From a distance, physically or emotionally, you can observe all the moving parts. You can see where the problem areas are. You might even discover that you contributed to the issue.
When you need to take action or deal with a difficult relationship, you may be better off taking a personal, face-to-face approach. Sometimes, we need to get out of our heads and step onto the playing field. We spend too much time analyzing a situation, and very little time executing under duress.
And people want (and deserve) empathy. We should look one another in the eye. We should embrace and hold space for one another. We should understand that to be human is to grapple with the imperfections of the world (and our own). The human experience, then, is messy, and it’s always personal.
As usual in these writings, there is no right or wrong approach. There will be a time to detach. To observe without bias and analyze calmly from a 30,000-foot view. And then there will come a time to get dirty, step out on the field, and lead from a place of compassion.