There are many parallels which can be drawn between sports and business and in particular the way in which a sports coach and a business manager handle things. So it’s small wonder that businesses might hire a motivational speaker from the world of sports for conferences, events, etc to boost their team up and get them feeling positive about the work they are doing (if this sounds like something you would like to have for your business, you could pop over here and see an example of some of the speakers you could hire).
There are many things that business can teach sports and visa-versa. For instance, all the members of a sports team have coordination and bonding that business employees can learn. For this, a corporate office can induce team-building activities and help employees bond over common grounds like sports. They can plan an outing and take all the employees to see a live match by buying tickets through a site similar to TickPick.
Similarly, there can be other things a business manager can learn from a sports coach, and today we are going to take a deeper look into that. The famous soccer coach Roy Spagnolo used to always say that he was able to find success in business through the use of the very same skills which helped him to be a soccer coach, and here is exactly what he was referring to.
Importance of Team
When it comes to team sports, a great coach will work primarily on ensuring that every single member is working hard for the team as one. The old saying that there is no ‘I’ in team is exactly right and that is why understanding the importance of a fully synchronized team which operates as one is essential. For business this is also the case and a team of great individuals will always be out-performed by a team which has lesser talents but better dynamism and team spirit. This is one of the most important lessons that a business manager can learn from sports.
The Important of Review
In the world of sports coaching, when a team or an individual has completed an event or a match, their performance is reviewed and they spend time with their coach to understand what was good and what needs improvement. Once again we can see easily how this can be extended to the world of business. It is tough for business managers to take the time out to get reviews done, but they form an important part of managing employees and that time must be found.
Winning Mentality
Ex-Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson was invited to give classes at Harvard University on management and many of those lectures were about how to create and maintain a winning mentality. This is a very difficult skill to achieve and it is certainly something which those in business can learn from the very best in the sporting world.
Importance of Strategy
In business you may be able to enter into a plan without a strategy and come out looking alright, it isn’t guaranteed but it could happen. In sport however, go into a game or an event without a strategy and you have almost no chance of being successful. Business coaches therefore can learn a great deal with regards to strategizing and executing the plan.
Letting Your Team Go
Sports coaches are not able to get on the pitch and play and this is a key lesson for business coaches who like to micro-manage. The job is to inspire and motivate, to make the plan and then allow the team to go and do what you have taught them to do.
These are just some of the many lessons which the world of sport can teach business.
If you wish to learn more about Roy Spagnolo and his career as a coach, more information can be found at http://royspagnolo.com/.
