Coaching Insight Volume 8 | Page 50

48 Liquid Thinking D amian Hughes is a best-selling author, sports psychologist and “change consultant”. His concept of “liquid thinking” has inspired business leaders and elite sports teams and he was a keynote speaker at Change the Game in 2017. To formulate his ideas, Hughes has distilled the thinking and methods of top achievers in sport, business and other fields, and shown how these can be applied by anyone to achieve their goals. His advice is down to earth and avoids the trite buzzwords often used by other self-improvement gurus and psychologists. Its basic tenet is that we’re all capable of achieving more than we think. So what exactly is liquid thinking? The concept bears a resemblance to psychologist Edward de Bono’s idea of “thinking outside the box” or lateral thinking, he explains. “It’s the opposite of limited, static thinking; it’s the ability to see things from different perspectives and then translate the insights gained into actions and behaviours.” Hughes’ CV is eclectic. As well as working as a sports psychologist, notably with Warrington Wolves and the England and Great Britain rugby league squads, he has spent a number of years in HR in the corporate world. But sports coaching is in his blood. His father is the legendary Manchester boxing coach Brian Hughes, who produced a number of title-holders and was awarded an MBE for his services to the sport. As a schoolboy footballer, Hughes played for England but he knew he wasn’t destined for the top level of the game. His passion for coaching led him to gain his FA badges at a young age and he ended up working at the Bobby Charlton Academy, which was then taken over by Manchester United. As a coach to juniors, his contact with Sir Alex Ferguson was minimal but he says: “Just being in that environment was fascinating, and I got to experience the culture first hand. I learned the importance of making it fun, and that had a big i