221. How to Create a Goal-Driven Culture Without Burning Out Your Dancers

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Hi dance coaches. Welcome back to Passion for Dance. I'm Dr. Chelsea, and my mission is to create happier, more successful dancers through positive mental skills. And today we're digging into one of the trickiest balances in coaching, how to create a goal-driven environment that fuels success, without leaving your dancers stressed and burned out.

We all want teams who are driven and working hard every day and fighting for those goals, but we also want a team who can maintain that drive all season without burning out, especially when competition season gets so intense. I know we all wanna help our dancers chase those big goals, but if the culture around those goals becomes too rigid or too outcome focused, even perfectionistic, then we end up with exhaustion, stress, and burnout.[00:02:00] 

So in this episode, I'm gonna walk you through why a goal-driven culture can sometimes backfire. What research says about motivation, wellbeing, and burnout in our dancers. Of course, five practical strategies you can use this season to keep your dancers striving for excellence while still enjoying the journey because it is possible to push toward big, ambitious goals and keep dancers healthy, motivated, and thriving.

So let's dive in.

Welcome to Passion for Dance. I'm Dr. Chelsea, a former professional dancer, turn sport psychologist, and this podcast is for everyone in the dance industry who want to learn actionable strategies and new mindsets to build happier, more successful dancers. I know what it feels like to push through the pain, take on all the criticism, and do whatever it takes to make sure the show will go on.

But I also know that we understand more about mental health and resilience than ever before, and it's time to change the industry for the better. This podcast is for all of us to connect, learn, and share our passion for [00:03:00] dance with the world.

Let's talk about the double-edged sword of a goal-driven culture. Having a goal-driven culture just means you're working towards something you care about, and it's great in theory. It gives dancers a sense of direction and purpose, there's structure, clarity, and accountability.

When dancers know exactly what they're working toward. They often work harder and stay more motivated. And I've talked a lot about goal setting, and I'm a big advocate for sitting down and discussing your team values and then setting clear goals to help you get there. But here's the other side of the coin.

When goals are only about the outcome, like winning competitions or always being perfect in rehearsal, it can create pressure that chips away at motivation. Instead of fueling dancers, the culture starts to drain them. I see a lot of dancers who struggle with perfectionism, and for some it's coming from within themselves or maybe their parents, but it's also likely a perfectionist culture that's contributing to the [00:04:00] problem.

I've seen dancers who set outcome goals so high and so specific that they become afraid of failure. If the only thing I care about is getting that white jacket being top five in my solo, or making that specific team, then rehearsals feel more like a test rather than an opportunity to grow, and eventually that culture leads to burnout.

The key is understanding that goal-driven doesn't automatically mean healthy. It's about how we set those goals and how we support our dancers and the process that keeps them healthy and thriving while they're working hard. So this is where the research comes in. There's two main things to focus on when it comes to goals.

There are what are called task-oriented goals or goals that focus on getting better at a specific task. Those goals focus on growth, mastering a skill or effort. It's goals, like I want to improve my stamina so I can dance full out without gassing out, or our team wants to improve our transitions and get to formations [00:05:00] quickly and smoothly.

These are process goals that dancers can control and see their progress. The other type of goal focus is an outcome goal where it's just about beating other people or other teams being the best or looking perfect. It's goals like we have to beat X team or I have to be flawless on stage so I can win.

Here's what the research shows. Dancers and all athletes who focus on skills and growth tend to experience more resilience. They have more enjoyment and lower burnout. Those with a heavy focus on winning and being the best often experience more stress, perfectionism, and emotional exhaustion. And I'll throw this out there for coaches, if you feel like you were only focused on. Winning being the best, or you're only a good coach if those things are true, you're likely gonna add to your own risk of burnout and stress.

And here's something important for dancers specifically, unlike some sports [00:06:00] dance competitions are ultimately subjective. There isn't always a clear score that will win type of outcome.

That ambiguity makes dancers more vulnerable to burnout when goals are purely external. If a dancer is chasing a trophy that's ultimately in the hands of a judging panel, they may feel like they never have control. So what's the point? It's the recipe for frustration and burnout, and we feel it in rehearsals.

So when goals are tied to effort, growth, and artistry, things the dancer can actually control. Motivation stays high, and the risk of burnout drops dramatically.

So now that we know why it matters so much, let's talk about the how. How do you build a culture that's driven by goals but doesn't drive a dancer to exhaustion? Here are five strategies you can use. Number one is to always balance outcome and process goals. Go ahead and set the big outcome goal like competitions or performance results, especially if you have competitive dancers. That big end goal can be [00:07:00] exciting. Pair every outcome goal with at least one process goal, if not more.

For example, if your outcome goal is to make finals at nationals, your process goal could be execute two full outs, each practice, and obviously that could change depending on the time of year. It could be less as you're learning, more as you're about to compete, but you set a specific process goal that you can control in practice that will help you get to that outcome goal.

You could also have personal process goals like a dancer who wants to improve stamina so I can finish the routine with the same energy I started with. And the goal is completing two HIIT workouts on my own a week. Set the big goals, have the vision board talk about what you want at the end, but you also have to set the goals that are in your control along the way so that you remain focused on growth and progress.

The second strategy is to prioritize autonomy or buy-in. When dancers have a voice in setting their [00:08:00] goals, they're more motivated to pursue them. Invite your dancers to create one personal mastery goal and maybe one team goal. When they feel ownership, it's not just about the team's focus or their focus.

Maybe your dancer is in a technique class once a week, have them set a personal goal of what they want to achieve in that tech class.

One word of caution. If you have these goal conversations with a full intact team, try not to let them get too focused on what happened last year, then you're focused on different people and an outcome that's over. Rather than focusing on what this group wants for this year, keep it forward thinking.

The third strategy is to celebrate small wins. Don't wait until the championship to celebrate progress. Each week point out growth moments, maybe the team shaved two counts off a transition time during a section you were cleaning and so the pictures happened faster.

Maybe a dancer who struggled with confidence, tried a new skill without backing down in class. These small wins [00:09:00] fuel your internal motivation, so notice them talk about them and celebrate them. I have definitely seen firsthand how one teacher's individual comment to praise a dancer's effort, just sent them on cloud nine for weeks. So celebrate those small wins.

The fourth strategy is to normalize rest and recovery. Research on burnout is clear. Without recovery, we lose our motivation. So build in intentional breaks, both physical and mental. That might mean a lighter rehearsal schedule after a competition, adding mental skills practice into your schedule even 15 minutes a week, or hosting a fun non dance team activity to reset.

We often think we'll rest when we get to the end. Any dancer knows our season doesn't really end. It's too intense to expect high performance in a never ending loop. 365. Small rest and recovery every day and every week will help protect you from ..

[00:10:00] Coaches, this is about you too. Normalize rest and recovery for you as much as your dancers. And along those lines, the fifth strategy is to model healthy ambition as the leader. Coaches your dancers are watching you. And I think dance teachers are some of the biggest models of push through no matter what. We're fine. It's how the dance culture works and how many of us operate. And maybe it's the extreme high expectations of our time as teachers that we know are often completely unrealistic. But if you model balance, your dancers will see that. Share your own goals and progress, but also show how you care for your wellbeing. They'll understand that success and self-care can coexist.

So along with those strategies, I want to take a minute to consider the signs that your culture might be slipping into perfectionism and burnout territory. I don't think coaches create this culture on purpose. We don't set out to have this over intense environment that causes burnout, but it happens gradually.[00:11:00] 

So how do you know if your team's culture is veering into that burnout territory? Look for these big red flags. One dancers show chronic fatigue and irritability, and yes, maybe you have teenagers. It's easy to blame it on normal teen behavior, but look for patterns of worse behavior, especially among those who are not usually overly emotional or usually express fatigue.

Another flag is when motivation drops and rehearsals feel like a grind. Yes, there will be some grind. There will be hard days where you just have to get it done. But if every day feels like that and there's little joy in the room, then there's a red flag.

Another flag is if you notice more injuries or illness. These are clear signs of a lack of recovery. That could be overuse injuries, lack of sleep, poor nutrition, no recovery and self-care increases the risks of injury and illness. And we all know that tends to happen right as competition season ramps up. So practice normalizing that rest and [00:12:00] recovery in the less busy times so that you can hold those habits through the busy season.

And the last flag to think about is to notice when the pursuit of perfection outweighs the joy in performing. Notice what your dancers are talking about and what they see as success. Are they only happy if it felt perfect? Can they find joy in the progress? Have the conversations, do journal entries get to know how they notice and celebrate success. If success is only tied to perfection, red flag. So here's a reflection question I wanna leave you with that I like to ask coaches, "do my dancers feel energized by our goals, or do they seem drained?" If the answer is drained, it's time to reset and talk about it.

So let's wrap up with some clear, practical takeaways for coaches. If you noticed any of those red flags, here's what you do this week to start shifting culture. Add one new [00:13:00] process goal to your team's vision board that you think you can achieve in two weeks, and talk about how you want to focus on process over outcome.

If you already have a process goal, see how far out it is. If it's too far away, make a mini version. What's a stepping stone that will get you there? No more than two weeks so you can see and notice and celebrate the progress. You can ask each dancer to write down one personal mastery goal for the month.

Give them time once a week to reflect on progress and set clear objectives for how they will achieve the goal. Again, if they have one dedicated tech class a week, or pick a turns and leaps class, something that fits in your calendar to have them do this once a week.

And schedule one rest or fun activity for this month, or if you personally can't delegate to senior leadership or a committee who wants to take this on, or simply encourage your dancers to spend some non dance time having fun together.

These small actions keep motivation [00:14:00] alive and help dancers build confidence without adding unnecessary pressure. Because a goal-driven culture doesn't have to lead to burnout. You can have both. I love a team with a big competitive goal and dream. And when you balance outcome with process, when you give dancers autonomy and some choice, you celebrate small wins. You normalize recovery and model having a healthy ambition. You can create an environment where dancers can thrive, not just survive.

So here's your challenge this week. Take a close look at your team's goals. Are they energizing your dancers or draining them? And what small shift can you make to keep them motivated and healthy?

And if this episode gave you some ideas, I'd love for you to share it with another coach in your circle. Talk about this together, have a dance friend to talk through what this looks like in your team. And as always, thank you for being here and keep sharing your passion for dance with the world.

Thank you for listening to Passion for Dance. You can find all [00:15:00] episode resources at passion for dance podcast.com and be sure to follow me on Instagram for more high performance tips at Doctor Chelsea dot Otti. That's P-I-E-R-O-T-T-I. This podcast is for passionate dancers and dance educators who are ready to change our industry by creating happier, more successful dancers.

I'm Dr. Chelsea and keep sharing your passion for dance with the world.