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Friday, August 1, 2025

Strategic Basketball Notekeeping


Notebooks Are Underrated. Here's Why.

Clayton Christensen, one of the most influential thinkers in business and innovation, had a habit that set him apart—even among Harvard Business School students. As John Coleman recalls in Critical Thinking Starts with Careful Questioning, Christensen kept a notebook to record the best questions his classmates asked. He didn’t just admire them—he studied them. At home, he’d reflect on why a particular question cut deeper or revealed more than others.

His habit wasn't about collecting answers. It was about improving the way he thought.

Coleman shares a few practices that sharpen critical thinking:

  • Hold your hypotheses loosely

  • Embrace the discomfort of not knowing

  • Listen more than you talk

  • Ask open-ended questions (avoid yes/no)

  • Consider the counterintuitive (don’t jump to conclusions)

  • Sit with a problem longer

  • Ask tough follow-ups

He closes with a reminder that’s both simple and profound:

“Learn to formulate and ask questions, rather than simply answering them.”

This approach to thoughtful inquiry is a cornerstone of how high achievers learn, lead, and solve problems.

Quick Note-Taking Hacks

Notebooks don’t have to be leather-bound and old-school—though they can be. Here are a few quick ways to capture what matters:

  1. Use a smartphone notes app

  2. Take a photo or screenshot

  3. Copy a URL and email it to yourself

  4. Send yourself a short text with keywords

Why It Matters

High performers almost always track ideas, questions, and insights. What separates the great from the average isn’t just hard work—it’s structured thinking. They have systems to gather, sort, and share information effectively.

One of the emerging superpowers of artificial intelligence is helping us develop those systems—making us faster, clearer, and more organized in how we handle information.

Coaching begins with preparation, attention to detail, and sharing clear, impactful information. Start with a notebook. Physical or digital, it’s still one of the smartest tools you can carry.

Lagniappe. Let your best players know that you will coach them hard because that helps both them and their teammates. 

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