By Andrew Calvert
Manchester United played Tottenham Hotspur in the League Cup final a few weeks ago. The match was 0-0 at full time and remained scoreless after an overtime period.
At that point, the match referee called the managers and team together to prepare a list – a detailed sequence in which all 11 players on each team would take a penalty kick. The team with the highest score would win (and get 12 months of bragging rights).
During the eight minutes or so that it took to compile the list, the Manchester United goalkeeping coach took his goalkeeper aside and showed him a iPod video of Tottenham players taking penalties. A few minutes later, Ben saved one penalty and unsettled the Spurs’ other penalty kicks. Manchester went on to win 4-1.
Click here to read an article about the event.
What an excellent example of just-in-time, mission-critical, workflow learning mediated through technology!
But if you think about it, the video and immediate coaching (valuable as they were) were only the tip of the process. This goalkeeper works out many times a week, conditioning his reflexes, and gets coaching in every aspect of his profession – penalty-saving just a part of it.
So, a lot of thought, practice, and dedication – and then at the critical moment, the iPod video... Technology is good. It helps. But without practice and dedication, would this goalkeeper have saved the game?
What are the lessons here for blended workflow learning in a corporate environment? I'd welcome your thoughts...
