From my time as a professional footballer, I think these can be broken down as follows:
Teamwork
There are 11 positions on the field in a football team, plus the bench and the rest of the squad who haven't been chosen. There are also the coaches, trainers, the grounds men and so on. Everyone has a role to play in preparation for the game; training, fitness, squad rotation, injury rehabilitation, preparing the pitch, washing the kit. Even in individual disciplines you are normally part of a squad or club. You learn how to be part of a team, how to work together, helping each other, covering for each other, sometimes making sacrifices for the good of the team. This carries into the workplace.
Everyone has an important role to play. If there is a role to fill in a business then that person who fills it adds value and is obviously needed. That is their position in the team. Levels of importance and skill set may vary as in sport but you cannot accomplish the organisational goals without teamwork.
Respect and values
Through sport we learn how to respect not only ourselves but also our team-mates and the opposition. We have to respect the rules, it is important to respect figures of authority and the decisions they make whether you agree with them (or not) and regardless of if they are in your favour (or not). Honesty, integrity and sport etiquette are the foundations on which acceptable sporting behaviour. Again, this resonates in the workplace. Sometimes in the workplace we are working with people who we wouldn't choose as friends as we are all different. We have different interests, values and ideals. But when we work together, it is a professional conduct you expect to shine through and this is earned through respect.
Competitiveness and motivation
When I played football I was a winner and my motivation was to be the best and win (fairly of course). This didn't mean I would behave badly if we lost it did, but make me want to understand why. Did we make mistakes? Did we not work hard enough? Were our tactics wrong? Or were we just beaten by a better side, and if so how did we need to improve? I wanted to be the best and then even better. This meant hard work and dedication. The parallels to the workplace are obvious.
Encouragement and confidence
In sport it was always nice to hear someone say 'well played' or 'you had a great game'.
Words of encouragement are important. If I had played badly or not up to my own expectations, I would know and didn't need someone to tell me. However, you have to be prepared to take the good and the bad. You have to have confidence when you take the field and believe you will win. Otherwise you are beaten before you begin and opponents will pick up on your fear and gain strength and momentum from it. One of my favourite quotes that I often use when trying to motivate and encourage people is by Henry Ford: "Whether you think you can or whether you think you can't…..you're usually right". This encourages positive thinking.
Not everyone sets themselves high enough standards or accepts their own limitations. As managers it is our responsibility to bring out the best in everyone. Assess strengths and weaknesses and try to improve upon them. I truly believe however poor someone may be performing there is always something good that you can build upon. We have to build their self- esteem and make them believe in themselves. People who feel good about themselves produce good results. Think about it.
Everyone is a potential winner even though some are disguised as losers. It is our job as managers to make them realise their potential and turn them into winners. Quite often they will look to us for wisdom and mirror how we behave. After all, it worked for us. That happens in sport, younger players look up to and learn from more experienced team members. This is how organisational culture is developed and the work ethic established.
What happens in sport if you don't pull your weight? You get dropped and eventually replaced and you end up moving to another team and it's not always a step up – It's the same in business.
Look at your goals and look at your performance. Be honest, does your behaviour match your goals? Have you tried your hardest for yourself and the team?
Elaine Cozens (pictured) is head of operations and HR at medical group, Healthcare Partners. She used to play football internationally for England.
