The Talent Equation Podcast

The Talent Equation podcast is an 'exploration in human advancement'... mostly (but not exclusively) through the lens of sport and physical activity. Each episode is an 'emergent conversation' with practitioners, parents, researchers, authors (or some combination of all three) taking a deep dive into the ways that people can help others to enhance their developmental journey in whatever field they are committed to. These conversations are not mainstream - you will not hear ideas that are provided on standard education courses - they often fly in the face of convention - they will sometimes be controversial and provocative - the show is about doing things differently and doing different things. The people who come on the show are innovators - they are trying to break new ground or swim against the tide of what they see as a broken culture or an ineffective system - what they say will prompt new thinking or new ideas. All that is asked of the listener is to embrace the conversation with an open mind. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-talent-equation-podcast--2186775/support.

Episodes

The dilemmas of talented children - a conversation with Paddy McQueen

March 22, 2025 • 78 mins

I recently had the privilege of speaking with Dr. Paddy McQueen from Swansea University to discuss a fascinating paper he had authored exploring the ethical dilemmas of supporting talented children. Our conversation explored the philosophical questions about childhood, talent development, and the responsibilities we have as parents, coaches and policy makers.

Paddy introduced me to three different views of childhood - 'the sapling ...

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A conversation with PDS Ninja Alan Keane - PBNO 9

March 14, 2025 • 84 mins

Mark and I welcome Alan Keane to the show for an in depth discussion around the intersection of PDS and Ecological Dynamics, how Alan builds an unique open and trusting relationship between him and his assistant coach and also whether we have absolutes more objective moral rules guiding our practice.

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-talent-equation-podcast--2186775/support.

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"We coach like we train ballet dancers - but tennis is an MMA fight" - a conversation with Steve Whelan

February 27, 2025 • 90 mins

In this episode I speak with tennis coach Steve Whelan about his transformative journey from traditional technical coaching to an ecological, constraints-led approach. Coming from a football and multi sport coaching background, Steve describes how his unorthodox path led him to question conventional coaching wisdom. After 18 years of frustration trying to conform to rigid technical models, Steve discovered the power of game-based l...

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Dog Walk Diary - The Eighth Waste

February 2, 2025 • 34 mins

Out on my morning dog walk (yes, the one where I have to put the flashing collar on my black dog ‘Flo’ so we can be seen in the dark!), I found myself reflecting on what I call the "eighth waste" in organisations - the waste of human potential.

Drawing on Toyota's management principles, I explore why so many of us in workforce development struggle to make our case to leadership, despite knowing just how vital our work is.

If you'r...

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"Parenting is often 'undisciplined squads of emotion' - a conversation with Richard Shorter

January 22, 2025 • 49 mins

In today's episode, I'm thrilled to welcome back Richard Shorter, also known as 'Non-Perfect Dad', for a deep-dive conversation that every sports parent needs to hear. Rich brings his unique perspective as both a Baptist minister and a "conversation architect" who works with sports organisations, schools, and families to navigate the complex world of sports parenting.

We explore the challenging emotional landscape parents face when...

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The quiet secret of performance... 'ARP' - PBNO Episode 5

January 14, 2025 • 74 mins

Mark shares the PDS Action Review process and we discuss how coaches and leaders an use it to review performance but also how it is used for athletes, employees, etc can use it to self review.

This then becomes a foundational aspect of the way that organisations communicate leading to a shared dialogue about performance that becomes part of the normal fabric of organisational life.

To enter our competition to win 1 to 1 coaching wi...

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"They ought to be ashamed of themselves" - a conversation with Shawn Myszka and Tyler Yearby

January 11, 2025 • 79 mins

In this special New Year's Eve episode, I welcomed back Shawn Myszka and Tyler Yearby from Emergence to discuss a recent academic paper criticising ecological dynamics and many of researchers and practitioners working in the space. The article is called "Ecological Dynamics as an Accurate and Parsimonious Contributor to Applied Practice: A Critical Appraisal" by Dave Collins, Howie Carson, Par Rylander and Ray Bobrownicki.

I invite...

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The 'Excellence' Christmas Episode - PBNO - Episode 4

December 24, 2024 • 66 mins

Mark and I get together before Christmas to talk about how this time of year offers the opportunity to recharge and replenish ourselves in order to embody excellence for others going forward. We talk about how being 'selfless' requires us to be 'selfish'. Also Mark makes an announcement about our New Year giveaway.

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-talent-equation-podcast--2186775/support.

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"I kept winning but realised that I had failed all those that I left behind..." - PBNO Episode 3

December 13, 2024 • 52 mins

Mark and I talk about the origins of PDS from his time in the military and how we came together to embed the principles of PDS across the sporting landscape.

We also discuss my own commitments and some conversations we have had about honouring my own journey of change.

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-talent-equation-podcast--2186775/support.

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"I don't coach trampolining...I help people explore movement on a bouncy surface" - a conversationDanny Hatcher

December 4, 2024 • 92 mins

Taking an ecological approach to learning science, Danny Hatcher is an independent researcher currently based in the UK, sharing interesting trends and stories domestically and from around the globe. Danny holds a BSc in Sports Coaching and an MSc in Strength and Conditioning from Brighton University
T
Danny's YouTube channel is amazing...it blends rigorous research with animation to create content that explains complex issues in rel...

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Performance is a behaviour...not an outcome - episode 2 - Honour your commitment to those you lead

November 30, 2024 • 65 mins

In this conversation Mark and I discuss the challenge of establishing real clarity of the objectives that a person or group wants to set for themselves. We then discuss how easy it is for the leader to fall into the trap of letting them off the hook.

We discuss ways that leaders can lean into the discomfort of the difficult conversation by reframing the awkwardness as a 'duty' and an act of care rather than a point of conflict. We ...

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Is traditional swimming teaching harmful? - a conversation with Andrea Andrews

November 19, 2024 • 81 mins

Andrea Andrews is a swimming instructor with a specialist research interest in drowning prevention.

Andrea describes herself like this...

"My aim is to improve the lived human experience in water by helping all ages make sense of the water through natural learner-led approaches that trigger the amazing hidden skills we are all born with.I am in effect focused upon panic prevention by helping everyone overcome emotional dysregulation ...

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Performance is a behaviour...not an outcome - Episode 1 - 'Winning Well'

November 13, 2024 • 52 mins

A new collaboration between Mark Bennett MBE and Stuart Armstrong that looks at topical news items and explore how they impact people in sport, education, business and life through the lens of the PDS philosophy and the principles of Ecological Dynamics.

Mark and I got cut off by our recording software crashing but we thought we would publish the rough cut anyway!

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/...

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"You can't get transformation just from information" - a conversation with David Thomson

November 5, 2024 • 77 mins

David Thomson is an ex army veteran who became a leading financial advisor turned education technology entrepreneur. David is the Founder and CEO of 'Suada' a game changing learning platform that combines the 𝗧𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵-𝗕𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝗠𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗱𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗴𝘆, 𝗔𝗜-𝗱𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗻 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼𝗼𝗹𝘀, and 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹-𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘁 𝗳𝗲𝗲𝗱𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸, creating an interactive and engaging learning environment that transforms knowledg...

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"Kindness is infectious, we never know what kind of impact we can have on another person" - a conversation withTroy Urdahl

October 28, 2024 • 61 mins

Troy Urdahl is an award winning high school athletic director, a hall of fame coach and a college professor with more than twenty years experience in leadership and coaching. He is now an accomplished author of a fantastic book called 'Chasing Influence' which uses storytelling as a means to put forward lessons about leadership.

Troy shares his journey from a sports-filled childhood to advocating for multi-sport participation, and ...

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"The coaching culture is a Viper's nest!" - a conversation with Stuart Morgan 2

October 21, 2024 • 87 mins

Stuart Morgan is a high performance coach and performance director working with elite golfers and aspiring players across Europe. Stuart makes a welcome return to the podcast for another frank and forthright conversation about the state of coaching and athlete development. He is also a co host on the brillient 'Practice Thinker' podcast alongside Ian Renshaw and Peter Arnott.

In this conversation we discuss Stuart's experiences wor...

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Coach Ed is Broken - Episode 7 - 'Deconstructed Delivery'

September 25, 2024 • 20 mins

In this episode, I discuss the changing nature of coach education, particularly focusing on the concept of 'deconstructed delivery.' As we move towards more learner-centered models in education, it's crucial to rethink the delivery methods to tailor them to individual needs. I explore the challenges of implementing these models at scale, the limitations of traditional education systems, and the new suite of professional standards i...

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"Collecting memories rather than medals" - a conversation with Tom Hartley

September 10, 2024 • 79 mins

Tom Hartley is the Coaching Lead at UK Coaching and Foundation Phase Lead Coach at Oxford United women. In this very overdue episode (aren't they all!) I sit down with Tom Hartley to explore his extensive background in coaching and player development.

Tom discusses his journey in coaching including pivotal career moments at clubs like Swindon Town and Arsenal, and unique experiences such as coaching in prisons and internationally. W...

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Coach Education is Broken - Episode 6 - Embrace Complexity

September 2, 2024 • 20 mins

In Episode 6 of the Coach Education is Broken series, I discuss the need for a significant shift in the way we think about and approach coach education by embracing the natural complexity that comes with people operating in a range of contexts.

I represent the views of coach educators, system builders and coaches themselves that we need to move beyond linear development pathways, particularly if we want to engage those working in c...

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Supporting coaches to be 'prepared rather than planned' - a conversation with Alex Lascu

July 25, 2024 • 81 mins

Alex Lascu is a cricket coach that has doen in depth acadmeic study in coaching and skill development before turning her attention to coach development. She now works for one of the major state sports associations in Australia.

Alex joined me to discuss all things coach educationa and development having listened to my recent 'Coach Education is broken series'. Through the discussion we explore some of the 'system shifts' that I hav...

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