After watching one of my first games on World Cup (Germany and Australia) I realized that there are a lot of business lessons that can be drawn out of a 90 minute intense soccer match. I rarely watch soccer due to the adrenalin levels and emotional earthquakes that normally come. I was at the edge of my chair jotting my notes as the game progressed. Whether you like soccer or not, you have some business lessons you can draw from there.
Lessons
1. Its teamwork that wins the game - selfishness will create problems for your team. What you need is not the individual glory but the whole team to look good. Unity of purpose. Teams where it is always about the individual usually fail dismally. Where purpose is not shared, where everyone does as they see fir "under the given circumstances", then organization goals will remain a far-fetched figment of imagination. Unity is the foundation of every team. When everyone realizes their contribution towards excellence of the entire group then you begin to see progress in quantum level.
2. Plan your moves, show you think - a lot of thought comes into plotting a goal. Plan your formation, is it 4:4:2 or 4:3:3 formation? You cannot approach a game without a clear and definite game plan. Similarly, starting a business with no business plan is a sheer waste of energy and time resource. All progress can be traced back to the level of planning that was done. In soccer, the team is prepared mentally, physically and emotionally before the game and at every opportunity available. Everyone get to be told of the strategy and plan ahead of time so that whoever is involved has clear
3. Study your competition - are they very fast sprinters? What is their SWOT analysis like, what can you capitalize on the competition's weak points. Your competition is certainly not your enemy. In this case it sounds so because you fight over the same small ball. In business scenarios, usually you have enough clients no matter what business you are in. At the end of it all, as you have competition around you, it helps you to do business better and not take for granted the opportunities
4. Listen to the coach - Leadership may not be hands on but they have a full view of operations from their office. Take their advice seriously. The leader is usually not on the production with employees and yet from where he sits he can tell who is not pulling their. It is the coach who can do performance management and analysis and tell those who see unable to achieve the required output to stand back while a new replacement comes on board. You cannot argue with the coach, you can simply comply and move out.
5. Precision in passing - When you delegate, pass a message on to others etc ensure there is precision. I have seen that success comes when a team has good ball possession, passing on to the next person precisely, not losing possession unnecessarily. The team that is sharp and precise in passing the ball end up having more possession of the ball than any other team. There 11 members on either side of the team. When you have individuals who keep the ball on them without taking it to the next player then possession of that ball could be limited.
6. Speed combined with accuracy is critical - When your speed does not compromise your delivery, you are poised for success. Speed alone will not help you. A combination of speed and accuracy is a major ingredient for success. We could be two businesses serving the same community of clients, it is how we receive orders and produce results that will keep customers glued to our service and not the other. Accuracy in business is important in that you then don't do the same thing twice as there is not time for that. Accuracy has a lot to do with paying attention to detail. This means there are no haphazard decisions, half hearted efforts etc. Everyone considers the quality of output at all cost.
7. Don't give up too soon - Even though your competition may claim a bigger share of the market, realize that it is perseverance and endurance, consistency and stability that will see your team succeed on the marathon of business. Some teams could be fast for a season and soon faint into the horizon when they don't realize that business is a marathon not a 5 minute dash. Keep the fighting spirit. War with everything in you. You desire to keep fighting usually sees you through any obstacles or difficulties.
8. Leadership is not granted by age but by willingness to accept responsibility - the German team was led by the youngest captain in the history of World Cup soccer. He managed to deliver. Those around him never looked down on him but considered the mantle over the age. In business the same thing happens. If subordinates become so sensitive about age, with such attitudes and comments like "who is this little boy, who does he think he is? Does he not consider us, the adults?" etc Age aint nothing but a figure.
9. It's not how much noise you make that matters - it's the shots at goal that end up as goals - No matter how many quotes you make, how many invoices you generate, it is money that ends up coming into the bank account that matters. The goal behind having a business is having more and more profit. Progress is not measured through the sweat produced or teas or ideas but through REAL tangible scores.
10. If you do not play fair - you will be moved off - There is no room for rough play. There is no room for people on the team that want to play with their own rules in mind. If you are the wrong person on the bus you will be sent off by the driver. A red card will be shown to underperformers. First you get a verbal warning, then a yellow card (written warning) and a final dismissal note (red card). Once a red card is shown, you have no business on the team. You belong somewhere else. You have to leave everyone else working their way through. They even work harder to cover for what you were doing. Never feel offended if someone is brought in to help the team to go to the next level especially where your energy levels are seen to have gone down. You can always play on another project but not on this one.
Rabison Shumba is a young African entrepreneur who has interests in Information and Communication Technology, Agriculture and Mining. He is also a motivational speaker, trainer and author. His book, The Greatness Manual and various online articles are tools for personal and professional development. Together with 100 other Career Experts, Rabison co-authored the 101 Great Ways to Enhance your Career. Rabison has a personal vision of impacting the lives of children in marginalized communities by creating platforms for career counsel and guidance, information empowerment and capacity building through the Greatness Factory Trust, where he currently holds the position of Chairman of the Board of Trustees and Acting Executive Director. He is actively involved in the organization of career enhancement and guidance colloquiums to propel and inspire both young and mature professionals to greatness. His areas of expertise include strategy, leadership, personal and professional development.
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