Better Never Stops.
Think of how hopeless football would be if they played like we worked.
Every year currently, as the AFL finals season launches, I have the same recurring thought. And that is, we should run business like the game of football. I mean, how great would the professional world be if only the genuinely talented players made the "team" and only the best companies "won?" Where everyone had to work as hard as individuals as they did collectively? Where there is a direct correlation between exertion, talent, hard work, performance and winning? And where everyone on the team drives through obstacles and/or jumps back to their feet and into the game if they get knocked down? It makes for the greatest work analogy.
Here's why I love it:
·Football manages performance to get results: While it is not okay to cough-up the ball, miss a goal and stuff a play, there is nothing wrong with being told you messed up. The players don't take feedback personally. Instead, they incorporate it into their performance so they don't make the same mistake again—the mark of a true professional.
Football gets the most out of its players: It's an emotional game so its fine to be emotional. No one judges the players for their reactions and feelings (within reason). No one cares, as long as they play and they play well. This way the focus remains on the game and its objectives not on personal feelings and drama.
Football creates a powerful cultural operating system (COS): COS can be a crucial determinant of a club's success. Leaders who invest in fostering a potent cultural system that enables their organisational strategy to reap consistent rewards for their investment. On the other hand, club CEOs who have failed to instil a productive COS will allow unwritten rules to fill the void, creating a disruptive internal force.
Football use the science of developing mental toughness: Have you ever wondered what makes someone a good athlete? Or a good leader? Or a good parent? Why do some people accomplish their goals while others fail?
Football uses passion to achieve their goals: What is the difference between an engaged player and a passionate one?
ENGAGED players are switched on: conscientious about their work, do everything that is expected of them and comply with strategies, structures, policies, and procedures to the letter.
Then there are PASSIONATE players: these people don't just stick to the rulebook - they do whatever it takes to delight members and supporters. These emotionally committed athletes are passionate about their work, and the organisation they play for.
Engaged employee is just the starting point. Passionate employees take your organisation to the next level.
So why not borrow from football?
Its organisational structure and the way it manages teams and performance could go a long way in Corporate Australia.
We can help - contact George Sawiris to discuss this interesting concept.
The last word...GO EAGLES and the CARDIES
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