On a Saturday morning walk, I witnessed something so common we ignore the lessons it teaches – a tennis match.
On the face of it, it was nothing extraordinary. Three matches, three courts, and twelve players. No umpire, no coach, no scoreboard, and no announcer. Just a regular competition between two teams.
What caught my attention was the fact that twelve players all assembled independently at an appointed time and location to begin playing. No one directed them on the sidelines. They called shots that were out of bounds or winners. They all knew the score.
They had clarity.
The tennis league has rules, and the coaches had given the players instruction on how to be their best. The game itself has rules agreed to by all. Because of these things, the teams knew what they were supposed to do and simply set about doing it. The objective – beating the other team while having a good time – was clear to all. Everyone agreed on how the game, sets, and matches were scored. Players knew what to expect from their teammates.
Wouldn’t it be great if our businesses operated with the same clarity? Businesses can learn from the world of sports. Think how well your team could function if your company had the same clarity of goals, rules of engagement, and KPIs as a sports team.
If your team isn’t operating at its best, perhaps you could take a page from the sports world. Make sure everyone knows their roles and your expectations. Establish clear goals and measurements. Hold people accountable. Coach employees so they can perform better and break bad habits.
Opal Partners helps small businesses with challenges like these. If your business can learn from sports, Contact us or connect at https://linkedin.com/in/cmatt to discuss how you can help your team excel.
https://opalpg.com/2020/10/29/business-can-learn-from-sports/
