Alignment, Assignment, Technique

When football coaches review one of their players performance, they assess 3 important criteria. First, is alignment. Are they in the right position to make a play. Second, is assignment. Are they doing the right thing or playing the right role. Third, is technique. Are they executing their role how they are supposed to be doing it.

I think it applies far beyond the football field and into just about everything we do. 

Alignment is about being in the right place. You can’t make something happen unless you are in a position where you are capable of enacting change. You can’t bench press unless you are near a bar and some weights. Getting your foot in the door for the opportunity is an essential component to taking action on it. And it can’t happen until you’re present.

Assignment is about spending your energy doing the right things. What tactics are you using to achieve what objective? If you want to read a book, looking up YouTube summaries might not be the best idea. But if you want to write a review on a book, then that would make sense. You need to be sure that you are clear on what you are trying to accomplish, or what the assignment is, so that your actions can contribute toward that goal.

Technique is defined as, “a skillful or efficient way of doing or achieving something”. Now that you’re in the right place, working on the right problem, you need to make sure you are being as efficient as possible. Learning best practices, being open to trial and error, and optimizing your processes are necessary to applying the best technique in your actions.

To summarize, alignment is the where, assignment is the what, and technique is the how. Use these three together to guarantee you are being as effective as possible in your performance.