The Perils of Fitness Professionals’ Blind to Their Dogma

It isn’t a matter of if you have a dogma or not. For fitness professionals around the world, it’s a matter of whether or not they can see their dogma. (If you’re reading this thinking this message is for other coaches, because you don’t have a dogma. You’re dangerously dogmatic.)

In the Hold the Standard Summit, we talk about the concept of a Subject-Object Shift. The concept made famous by Robert Kegan recognizes that we are all subject to a certain reality at this moment. Being subject to a reality means we are in the reality without the space to see it objectively. When we can observe ourselves with enough perspective to see it objectively, we shift from subjectivity to objectivity. A classic example is:

 One fish says to the other fish, “How’s the water?” (Objectivity) 

To which the fish answers, “What’s water?” (Subjectivity) 

Remember, fitness professionals arrive in their positions of authority by learning mastery in a discipline or several disciplines that become their method for creating value in their clients. The positive intent of their dogma is that it works! If they didn’t believe it was the best way to get people fit, they wouldn’t be doing it (or so you’d hope). The problem is when the limitations of these methods live in the coach’s blindspot. In this case, the fitness professional is subject to their dogma. Said differently, they don’t have it.. It has them. 

The fitness industry needs professionals that can see the edges of their methods so that best practices can be held in context. When a coach can see his/her own perspective and hold it in greater context, he/she can challenge, evolve, and present his/her truth in the world with integrity. When you can’t see the limitations of your dogma, you become a guru who must be on guard to validate your methods. 

Our Coach’s Prep 101 development program specifically has a developmental framework that places a call to action to hold our methods in context. It’s an anti-dogma design. How do we do it? We start by acknowledging our biases and becoming experts in where our methods fail. 

To master your beliefs, become an expert of the edges of those beliefs. Objectivity over everything.