24. The Danger of the Self-Fulfilling Prophecy

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Have you ever heard of the self-fulfilling prophecy? It’s the phenomenon where an individual’s</span> <span style="font-weight: 400;">or a group's expectation for the behavior of another individual or group serves actually to bring the expected behavior. As a dance educator, it means that your expectation of your dancer’s behavior and ability can actually bring about that expected behavior… good or bad.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Here’s one example where it plays out as a dance educator… There are so many decisions I wrestle with when I'm preparing a competition routine.  I seem to spend a lot of time deciding which skills to include, and once I've decided, I then struggle to choose who should perform those skills. What should be a team trick? What should we do as a highlight trick? Who can I COUNT ON to perform that trick when the pressure is on? It’s one of the bigger coaching decisions we all have to make. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">What I didn’t always realize is that my expectation of who could do the skill (and who couldn’t) would actually influence the end result. That’s the self-fulfilling prophecy and as coaches and teachers, it’s a scary but important reality. Our expectations can become an athlete’s reality.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">__________</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Did you enjoy today’s episode? Please leave a rating and review on Apple podcasts!</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Be sure to snap a screenshot and tag me on instagram</span> <a href= "https://instagram.com/dr.chelsea.pierotti"><span style= "font-weight: 400;">@dr.chelsea.pierotti</span></a> <span style= "font-weight: 400;">as you’re listening to the episode. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Check out the full Show Notes, including episode highlights, key takeaways, exclusive resources, and more:</span> <a href= "https://chelseapierotti.com/24"><span style= "font-weight: 400;">https://chelseapiero