“Too Much Son.”

I was trying to show a six year old the right technique to throw a baseball to his teammate. In my mind, I was killing it. Explaining everything this kid needed to know to make him successful. Only it wasn’t working. Every throw was nowhere near his teammate, and I kept trying to repeat myself, thinking that maybe I wasn’t clear enough. What was clear, was that this kid didn’t understand my instructions. I felt frustrated. I didn’t know how I could simplify my direction any more than I already was.

My dad, who was walking around, watching the rest of the players saw this and quietly said, “Too Much Son.”

I was overloading this kid with information.

I was giving this kid six steps worth of information when all he was really capable of learning in that moment was one to two steps worth of a new skill.

We expect that as adults we are able to learn faster and more efficiently, to an extent that is true. What we need to be better aware of is that skills that come easy to us, may not come as fast and as easy to those who have never needed them before. We need to be careful of our own judgments. “This person isn’t sharp.” or, “Maybe this isn’t the right team for this guy.” Maybe you are overloading this person with six steps when all they are really able to pick up are three.

I hope the next time you’re teaching someone you supervise a new skill you’ll be able to recognize… Too Much Son.