42 Ways To Get Better At Getting Better

42 Rules For Getting Better At Getting Better is the sub-title of the new book, Practice Perfect.

This is an interesting book because it is co-authored by three teachers and clearly it's a book for and about teachers.

But, as the authors remind us, as leaders, we are also teachers.  And, that's why Practice Perfect is a valuable read for everyone who wants to help their employees grow and excel through practice.

And, although there's a handy three-page summary of the 42 rules toward the end of the book, take the time to read about each rule covered in the chapters:

• Rethinking Practice
• How To Practice
• Using Modeling
• Feedback
• Culture of Practice
• Post-Practice: Making New Skills Stick

Key lessons and takeaways for me from the book include the following tips for providing effective feedback when working with someone who is practicing a skill:

• Correct instead of critique.
• Ask participants to redo an action differently or better rather than just telling them whether or how it could have been different.
• Focus on the solution rather than the problem.
• Give feedback right away, even if it's imperfect.
• Remember that a simple and small change, implemented the right away, can be more effective than a complex rewiring of a skill.

Additional advice from the authors is that:

• The more consistently you give and get feedback, the more normal it is.
• What people do right is as important in practice as what they do wrong.
• Coaching during a game/exercise can be helpful, but teaching during a game/exercise is distracting and counterproductive.

Practice Perfect's authors are Doug Lemov, Katie Yezzi and Erica Woolway.  Lemov's previous book is Teach Like a Champion.

Finally, the book is packed with stories of practice masters like Coach John Wooden, surgeon Atul Gawande, and basketball star Michael Jordan.