Take that to the bank

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BY: Rob Smith

Published: 11th March, 2011

There's a coaching management tool that I like to discuss with my students because whilst it sounds ridiculous, when people stop to consider what it means it's actually very true and something that when done correctly can have quite an effect on team work and productivity.

It's called emotional banking. In a nut shell the manager "pays into" the individuals emotional bank account by letting them go a few minutes early, not minding if they spend a bit of time on the internet doing personal things, personalising work spaces that kind of stuff.

So when the time comes for the manger to" make a withdrawal" perhaps to ask for something more; like working late to achieve a deadline, miss out on a lunch break, do some tasking perhaps not fully within the terms of reference, they have got credit to draw against and invariably the employee will be more willing to dig out because of the "investment "already made by the manager. "You scratch my back I'll scratch yours"

What's all that got to do with riding a bike? A lot's said about banking miles and base training so does "emotional bank accounting" work as a training tool? With your legs the team and your mind the manager.

As I've already discussed I've actually been doing some serious training and now that the weather has improved I've been "banking" some quality miles (well for me at least) and I've managed to ride everyday for over two weeks which for me is something of a result.

Getting out over the weekends something my domestic situation has hindered until recently but last weekend Mrs Smith finally got to attend her skills day with Maddie Horton. So whilst she and two other giggling girlies were doing their thing in Newnham I took the chance to ride out of the park and up on to the moors, the weather was glorious so I thought a re-trace of the Newnham 60 route was in order. Off onto the moor I went heading towards the quarries when I spied a long line of bikes heading in the same general direction. Once I caught up with them I fell into conversation with some of the riders at the back.  Seems I'd found the monthly social ride of the yogi bike club and was invited to join them for a ride out to ditsworthy warren and back, rather than the solo ride I had planned.  "Windy" was leading the days jaunt and it seemed that his intention was for every one of the 23+ riders to get wet at least once.  Something I did with a certain degree of aplomb by falling off in the first river crossing that most of the others had managed to traverse with out even a dab.  Think I'll be signing up for another skills day.  Anyway after a couple of pleasant hours in the company of like minded soles we parted company and I returned to Newnham just as the three amigos returned for lunch. All grinning like the proverbial cat and swapping stories of daring do in the bomb holes. Seems that Jane had parted company from her bike on more than one occasion but not to worry because she now knows that crashing actually doesn't hurt that much!

As the evenings are now lighter I've been able to ride home "the long way;" an undulating, county road route of about 20 miles, add in the lunchtime sessions of spinning or circuit training as well as the Thursday night glee club get together and the bank account is beginning to resemble that of a city trader at bonus time!

But will it be worth it? Will the legs pay out?  Only one way to find out.  The last round of the Soggies this Sunday, the trails are dry and the weathers looking reasonable (he types optimistically) time to see if the theory survives scrutiny.  
 

Rob Smith

RNRMCA http://www.navycycling.org.uk/