What sport can teach you about business
The comparison of running a business to team sports is a familiar one - and for very good reason.
The similarities are undeniable, so it’s easy to see why so many sports terms and analogies are used by business experts. Discipline, accountability, a strong, shared effort to achieve a common goal - these are just a few of the parallels shared by the two fields. So, what lessons can we learn from them?
Teamwork
As you’ll often see during sports analysis, the vast majority of sport successes come down to how the team works as one unit. Of course, you’ll always find individuals that stand out, but the group dynamic as a whole, combining individual talents and experience, delivers the overall success. This should also be the case when you build your business team. What does success look like for your business or department? What factors will be required from individual players to contribute to the wider success? Look at what each person can bring to the team, what gaps need filling, consider how potential new candidates will fit in with the team and above all, encourage diversity.
Discipline
Whether it’s time management, work ethic, attitude, dedication or a number of other factors, team sports demonstrate the importance of self-discipline in a wider context. Understanding the team mentality is crucial for progress, so show your team players how their contributions fit into the bigger picture, and why their individual actions are so important. In sport, each player relies on their team, whilst also having those same basic responsibilities to show up and perform as a group - an extremely important concept to consider when managing a team.
Determination and Resilience
Setbacks happen in all walks of life, and sports/business are no exception to the rule. However, it’s how you respond that’s important, and sport can teach us that determination and resilience are integral for recovering from losses. Whether it’s losing a game or a business deal, being able to handle adverse situations and use them as
lessons for the future is a crucial factor in moving forward as a team. When a football team loses, they don’t pull out of the entire competition - they pinpoint what went wrong and what should have happened, and implement these learnings to improve their game next time. Having that mindset and getting stuck back in straight away is what garners success over failure.
Focus
When it comes to sports, there’s no expectation that every team player is good in every position. They’re assigned a role based on their strengths, each playing their individual role to contribute to the overall success of the team. For example, in rugby, forwards are larger and stronger whilst the backs are smaller and faster. Hookers have extremely accurate throws, and in the scrum, the second row players are the tallest on the team. Every player has been strategically placed in their position, and this is no coincidence - the same approach should be used in your business. Find employees who are specialists in their field, and hire for the gaps you have.
Celebrate Your Position
An effective team requires trust to succeed. Understanding your position and celebrating your role and responsibilities is incredibly important, and so is recognising that your teammates have their own too. Much like a goalkeeper wouldn’t suddenly move into an attack position, trust that each member is going to do what needs to be done to achieve your overarching goals, and let them get on with things the way they need to.
