"When Your Team Doesn’t See the Fake"

I was talking to someone who played under-19 basketball for England. At that level, the game is sharp, every move counts.

But when he dropped down to the lower leagues, his usual tricks stopped working. He’d fake left, drive right… and nothing. The defender didn’t even flinch.

Confused, he asked the coach why.
The answer? “They didn’t see the fake.”
The solution? “Slow it down.”

What felt like slow motion to him was just right for his new context.

It reminded me of delegation. We think we’re being clear, that our “moves” are obvious. But if our team doesn’t pick up on the cues, the outcome will miss the mark.

In the next few emails, I’ll unpack why that happens, and what to do instead.

Until then,
Dermot
​The Messy Middle

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