When we think of the sporting world, we tend to think about the gold medals, scoring that last-second winning goal or being an icon to idolising fans. It’s not often that we think about what happens behind the scenes – the gruelling hard work and commitment that leads to these moments. But without those hours of training sessions, coach meetings and thorough preparation, achieving defining moments is something we can only dream about. 

The same can be said for the business world. The day to day running of the company, from employee performance to creating opportunities and consistently looking for ways to improve are what truly determines the success of a business. 

Here’s 5 ways you can relate sport to your working life: 

 

1. Teamwork: 

The concept of teamwork is extremely important to the success of any team – sport or business. A productive team has ‘players’ that share common goals, a common vision and have some level of interdependence that requires both verbal and physical interaction. Teamwork is also about self-awareness of weaknesses, appreciating others strengths and recognising when something isn’t working out.

Remember, the team working as one unit is going to be the key to success.

Teamwork lessons from the football field: 

Good football coaches know that building a good team takes more than just finding good players. It’s better to have a team of decent players who work well together than a team of outstanding players who have no synergy. 

 

2. Communication: 

The importance of communication is said to be the key to success in both the sport and business world. Recent research has shown that 41% of employers believe communication helps to improve productivity and performance, and the sporting world is no different. Better communication from coaches and team players will result in a positive impact on performance.

No team can win without communicating to each other. If a team in sport or business doesn’t communicate, they have no chance of succeeding.

 

3. Strategy & Competition: 

Business, like sport is naturally competitive, and those businesses who do not implement appropriate strategies and tactics in response to the needs of changing environments and competitors can risk stagnation or failure… 

The strategy is a form of communication that allows people to share and achieve common goals and objectives. In both sport and business, part of the role is facing a series of challenges that will test the individual or the organisation. 

With a good strategy in place, the athlete or businessperson can be sure of the competition they are facing, the nature of the environment, the deadline in which they are working too, the rules of the game and the reward for success. 

Pivoting for success: 

In netball it’s all about competitive spirit, and in order to win the game you change tactics and make sacrifices to do just that. With such a fast –paced game you need to be able to adapt in the moment, just like in business! 

 

4. Resilience:

In sport and the workplace you can bet that things will go wrong at some point. Resilience is characterised by the ability to adapt by changing characteristics and situations to suit you. 

For athletes it’s a crucial quality that is vital to their success. Likewise in the workplace, resilience is the set of skills and behaviours needed to be successful in the midst of a fast paced, dynamic work environment. 

By producing a portfolio of these skills, the individual gives themselves the best chance of a flexible approach to such situations as they will have an array of options to choose from that are best suited to overcoming adversity! 

 

5. Respect:

The most successful and pleasant company cultures are centered on respect. Creating a workplace of mutual respect between management and co-workers can attract top talent and increase competitive advantages!

Business of rugby: 

In rugby, they recruit on character as well as talent. The current England side are known for being a ‘band of brothers’ meaning that no player is bigger than the team. Likewise in business, mutual respect allows for team spirit and a solid team culture. 

To create a winning team in sport, it takes a number of things. It’s the combination of factors and how they are implemented, not just on the pitch but behind the scenes too. This is the same for business – because to be successful you have to do a number things well – everyday, to create value and stay on top of the game!

 

To find out more about Adlestrop Consulting: 

Please Call: 0370 240 1010

Sign up here: http://www.adlestropconsulting.com/newsletter_signup  to receive our quarterly newsletter. 

Get in touch with one of our consultants:

Tim Bates

Charles Magill

Follow us on LinkedIn: Adlestrop Consulting