Practicing with Purpose: What Shark Whispering Teaches Us About Risk and Readiness
In the controversial Netflix documentary Shark Whisperer, marine conservationist Ocean Ramsey dives alongside some of the ocean’s most feared predators. But her approach isn’t reckless—it’s deeply practiced.
Ramsey credits her ability to redirect a charging shark to years of practice with animals like horses and stingrays. Before she ever took a risk, she built her readiness through deliberate, focused repetition.
The concept of practice as preparation for risk resonates far beyond the world of shark whispering and has applications in work and life.
That idea—practice as preparation for risk resonates far beyond marine life. At Practica Learning, we often work with organizations that invest heavily in leadership or sales training, only to find that when the moment to apply a new skill arrives, learners revert to old habits. It’s not a failure of knowledge. The know-do gap is the space between learning and readiness.
To bridge that gap, practice has to be more than a review exercise. It has to simulate risk. It has to build confidence. It has to prepare people not just to know what to do, but to do it when it counts.
That’s why we draw from Anders Ericsson’s research on deliberate practice to help learners build real-world readiness. Here’s how that looks in practice:
Break complex skills into parts. Just as Ocean Ramsey learned how animals move and respond before facing sharks, our learners build one skill at a time, starting with something manageable and progressively layering in complexity.
Make practice safe—but real. Roleplays with professional actors allow learners to experiment and learn from mistakes without real-world consequences. The high stakes are simulated, but the risk feels real.
Repeat with feedback. Confidence doesn’t come from knowing; it comes from doing it over and over, refining the approach each time, and getting just enough challenge to grow.
Build readiness for the deep end. Immersive, realistic and challenging practice prepares learners for the real world. By the time a learner sits down with a client or leads a tough conversation, they’re not just aware of the technique—they’re practiced, fluent, and ready.
Whether you're facing a charging shark or a skeptical stakeholder, the principle is the same: practice reduces risk by increasing readiness. If your training program stops at awareness, you're leaving people unprepared for the moments that matter most.
We can help.
