Connecting the network through our #CollectiveBrilliance
The first #CollectiveBrilliance workshop was held at Bisham Abbey recently, designed to connect people with knowledge and experiences from across the UK high performance sport network for individual and organisational learning. It addresses the current needs of the UK High Performance System by the system itself.
With such a varied workforce operating across a large number of Olympic and Paralympic sports, #CollectiveBrilliance is our philosophy, it embodies our commitment to systematically and intentionally sharing information, knowledge and personal experiences, ideas and systems as often practitioners may be dealing with similar problems or scenarios in their sport.
#CollectiveBrilliance embraces a variety of information, knowledge and experience sharing events and initiatives of which this seminar series is an important part.
The collaboration between the EIS and UK Sport hosted its first session at Bisham Abbey on Monday 4 December. The first session was titled: “Telling Objective Stories With Data” with two additional sessions planned at other EIS sites, it was hosted by the Sport Intelligence team comprising of staff from UK Sport and the EIS.
It focused on the various online data tools available to practitioners and sports, how to structure, organise and visualise data and then practical case studies of effective ways of communicating data.
Will Forbes, EIS Sport Intelligence Consultant, led the session at Bisham, this was followed by one-to-one consultations for staff to discuss their bespoke, context specific needs.
Part of the role of John Blenkharn, Sport Intelligence Programme Manager at UK Sport is around developing a community of practice and an education programme to help bring the system together and develop practice around data. This includes optimising how sport uses data to drive decision making in performance so the opportunity to connect with the #CollectiveBrilliance series was an obvious one.
“It is essential for us to be involved,” John explained. “One of the key things we’re trying to achieve is about bringing expertise and best practice together. We’re there as a central team to guide and facilitate those conversations.”
With arguably more data available to those in sport than ever before, John explained how the need to use it effectively is crucial.
“Data is growing, everyone is using data on a daily basis. The most important part is around having to tell a story with it, visualise it with a way that resonates with people and is easily digestible.
“It’s not just about big spreadsheets and complex numbers. It’s about what message you’re trying to convey to a coach or practitioner, and the best way of telling a story by visualising it.”
Pete Brown, Head of Performance Knowledge at the EIS, commented: “It was brilliant to see such a good turnout from a range of front line science and medicine staff at the Bisham Abbey event. Thanks to the Sport Intelligence team for their time and expertise.
“These sessions will continue to be available for staff and we’ll be drawing upon the many talented teams and individuals across the high performance system to ensure a varied delivery of useful know-how, which importantly addresses the current and immediate future needs of our staff working at the coal face. This is very much the start of the #CollectiveBrilliance series and there’s much more amazing content to come in 2018.”