James Metcalfe
There are plenty of different analogies and messages in the world of sport that we can all take into our working lives. For years and years, managers and owners have used the ideas of teamwork, hard dedication and constant improvements as a way of illustrating how they want their businesses to run.
We spoke to several leading individuals for the inputs on how we can bring the world of sport, and all of its messages, into the world of business and improve all of our outputs.
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#1 Defence Wins Championships
When creating your business model, always anticipate potential risks and pitfalls. The impulse is to only focus on potential success, but the businessman that sees a problem coming and prepares for it, get the gold.
Contributor: Emmanuel Frost, CEO & Co-Founder from brandalignmentinc.com
#2 Work On Your Skating Before You Work On Your Slapshot
If you don't have your fundamentals mastered then you won't be able to get into position to score a goal. That means having your content marketing solid, your infrastructure on point, and your sales guys well trained. What good is media PR if you can't handle the workload that's coming?
Contributor: Emmanuel Frost, CEO & Co-Founder from brandalignmentinc.com
#3 Sometimes The Quarterback Has To Block For His Wide Receiver
If a VP of Sales loves to sit back and coach but finds that one of his sales guys is struggling to update his CRM with dozens of new companies in time for a sales call, sometimes that VP of Sales needs to step up and get his hands dirty doing data entry. This is just one example of many where a superior must temporarily take on the job roles of a subordinate in order to keep everything balanced and on track.
Contributor: Emmanuel Frost, CEO & Co-Founder from brandalignmentinc.com
#4 Go For The Balanced Attack
All sports are based on balancing both offense and defense to create a balanced attack, and business is no different. Business must keep a balance between both sales and marketing, the offense of the company, and keeping its customers happy and product fresh, the defense of the company. Many companies put too much emphasis on sales, leaving their customers unhappy, just the same way as so many prolific sports teams only focus on scoring and not on defense.
Contributor: Tim from athleticlift.com
#5 Preparation Makes Perfection
Successful sports teams are the ones that prepare the hardest behind the scenes, focusing on practice, conditioning, film work, and more. By the same token, a business that works hard to prepare for success will be ready for it when it arrives, and succeed more as a result.
Contributor: Tim from athleticlift.com
#6 Striving To Be Better
I believe the major determinant is the mindset that comes along with being an athlete. Most people who play their sport at a high level have an internal drive to be better. It's often the hours put in off the field that make the player on it.
That can be said the same for most people in the business world. Those without that drive to be better, will often become complacent - which also means replaceable.
Contributor: Dan Connerty from investorsgroup.com
#7 Passion
It goes without saying that if you are pursuing a sport, you are genuinely passionate about it because otherwise, you had the chance to pursue anything- exercise, meditation, or else partying- but you chose sports in spite of the fact that it takes a lot of sweat and perseverance to follow it.
In business, you have to keep your passion burning to be able to succeed no matter the outer hardships and inner battles you face every day.
Contributor: Ketan Kapoor from blog.mettl.com
#8 Sportsmanship
Sports help you in the realization that just like you are breaking sweat and giving it all in achieving something, so are your competitors. In business too, you don’t have to be arrogant and negative about competitors, investors, or doubters because just like you, they come with their own set of opinions, judgments, and beliefs.
Contributor: Ketan Kapoor from blog.mettl.com
#9 Team Building
If you are playing group sports, it teaches you that you are as good or bad as your single team member. Business is a lot about how much your employees see the company as their own, how much motivation and inspiration you give them, and you don’t make it alone to success. You learn to keep the flock together when your chips are down and to celebrate each other’s achieved milestones to together drive success home.
Contributor: Ketan Kapoor from blog.mettl.com
#10 Equanimity
Losses are as much a part of life as wins are- you won’t win every chance at your favorite sport, and you won’t even lose every match. Sports teaches you equanimity which you can leverage in business when things are not going as expected and you are taking too long to be on the right track to success by taking the best lessons out of sports like staying calm, being resilient to failures, remaining neutral in wins, and to always keep moving on.
Contributor: Ketan Kapoor from blog.mettl.com
#11 Following The Captain
The CEO is the captain and his team takes on all of his strengths and weaknesses. If he's confident, the team is confident. If he is lazy, so is the team. If a high performing captain is finding that his team is slacking, he needs to start by looking in the mirror.
Contributor: Emmanuel Frost, CEO & Co-Founder from brandalignmentinc.com
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