Corporate Athletes - How Sports and Business are Alike

Corporate executives are very much like elite athletes.   Read the following points and consider how great business executives and  world-class athletes exhibit exactly the same traits: 

1) PERSONAL "DRIVE"  AND AMBITION

The business executive moves up the corporate ladder by channeling long hours of work and mental focus constantly on the business.  On an extreme scale, corporate work ethic can sometimes be reworded as "workaholic".  These corporate athletes retain and capitalize on their intense mental focus -- their desire to succeed never wanes.  

  

The sports athlete moves up to world class status by employing unwavering effort and thousands of hours of practice, through the appropriate channels in their own sport (leagues, tournaments, competitions).  Sports athletes have an unparalleled drive to achieve, whether at a professional, world-class or Olympic level . They do not let anything deflect them from their goals - they exhibit incredible work ethic, intense focus and a "never-give-up" attitude.

2) TRAINING AND PREPARATION

Business executives begin their careers with education in an area of expertise, then progress by gaining varied experience in higher and higher levels of business.  Business training and preparation is both formal and informal. Learning the politics of people, business deals and corporate culture is often as important as any technical education.  

 Sports training and preparation begins in a similar way, with technical skills development as the foundation, complemented by increasingly complex nuances of learning in a particular sport.  The right mix of training to enable athletes perform using both technical skills (the  "science") and natural talent/ability (the "art") is key to elite status.  

3) CROSS TRAINING

Broad-based expertise is a key ingredient for successful business leaders.  Decision-making requires expertise in multiple disciplines (marketing, financial, operational).  Mentorship and career development programs are a great way to focus on this broader range of skill building -  MBAs are an example of diversified training in the business world.  

In sports, the importance of sport-specific training is always present; however cross-training adds complementary strengths and skills to support an ahtlete's success in a variety of situations.  Yes, hockey players may employ strength/yoga/core training to complement their speed skating and puck-handling skills.  Bikers and runners will add upper body weight training as part of their overall training plans.

4) CONTINUOUS SKILLS / STRENGTH BUILDING OVER A LIFETIME

Executives and leaders never stop learning or building their business, it's a "compound effect".  Some leaders will never retire - their business has been continuous for decades and stopping or retiring is just inconceivable.  Success to these individuals is often as much the journey as the destination.  

Athletes parallel this attitude.  Physical training never stops - the invested effort to achieve peak physical conditioning and elite performance levels is so significant, athletes are usually reluctant to stop or take a break because the decline in performance takes too much effort to recover later.  Often, the psychology of sport is embedded in an athlete's persona; their love of hockey, basketball, etc is a lifetime passion.

5)  NATURAL TALENT / ABILITY ACCELERATES LEVEL OF SUCCESS

Natural business leaders with an instinct for making deals or obtaining innovative results will achieve greater levels of business success.  

The same principle applies for athletes - those with natural ability will excel because they have found their "niche" talent and are tapping it.

6)   PERFORMANCE UNDER PRESSURE

Imagine running a multi-million dollar company with thousands of jobs depending on you and competitors trying to cut you off at the knees on every deal you make.  Hundreds of daily decisions are necessary, each with big risks in terms of money, jobs or the business's reputation - and the days are  always 12-18 hours long.  

Athletes experience comparable pressure.  Mental focus and concentration culminates in competition; sometimes years of investment riding on one moment or one event.  Consider what goes through the mind of a golfer in the Masters Tournament, or how a hockey player handles overtime playoffs in the Stanley Cup.  

The key to reaching elite status, whether in business or in sport, is the combination of all the above factors:  preparation, hard work, mental focus and life experience all contribute to hone the capabilities and potential of each individual. 


Find your passion, then pursue it with determination and planned action!

Nightmare team projects - tips to "turnaround" into success

My worst team project ever turned into my most successful accomplishment.  How?  By rebuilding the group into a great team! 

A DAUNTING TASK +  IMMOVABLE DEADLINE



Here was the recipe we started with:

- a daunting task never-before accomplished in our business or industry,

- an immovable deadline (failure could sink the business),

- a team of intense, diverse individuals who fought, stormed and drove each other crazy.  

Imagine the following individuals (identities have been changed to protect privacy):

Chris - a.k.a. "Eeyore", the gloom and doom guy.  Slow but thorough in his work.  Knows operational issues within the company better than most.



Sandy - a.k.a. "Gerbil on speed" - talks forty miles a minute, thinks even faster.  Easily annoyed by people who cannot keep up to her trail of thought.  New to the company but quick to understand and improve processes.

Jerry - a.k.a. The Comic with a strange, warped sense of humor.  Giggles  and offers humorous (or not so humorous) commentary without mercy until the group cannot stand it.  Very high technical skills, can troubleshoot anything in the business.

Alex - Social butterfly.  Loves coming to work, but gets little done because of time spent walking around and chatting.  Good understanding of market issues which could impact the project.

Ryan - Control freek.  Project leader in charge of making the objectives on a very tight deadline with the above individuals, who are the only "experts" in the particular areas needed on the project.



Month 1 - the group worked on this project 50% of their time.  They spent every afternoon in month 1 formulating a critical path timeline with key milestones.   Ryan (the leader) was late to most meetings, building resentment in the group for wasting their time.  Within 2 weeks, every individual had complained about other team members to anyone in the company who would listen.

.......time for group dynamics review: 

1) admit breakdown within the group

 - gain acknowledgement from all group members of frustration

 - identify key frustrations and areas of breakdown

 - group identified frustrations into "themes"

2) review end vision and goals to ensure all group members agree

- identify "gaps" in vision

- brainstorm solutions to gaps

- conclude with all group member on the same page for the "final vision"

3) have the group set its own ground rules of behavior

      - attend meetings on time - personal commitment

      - come prepared with all relevant materials

      - don't commit to more than you can deliver

      - acknowledge the others' contributions

      - agrue respectfully if you disagree with an approach

      - bring solutions not complaints to the group

      - MRI (most respectful interpretation) used at all times

4) identify group members' strengths and contributions

     - senior leaders regrouped with the team in a teambuilding setting

     - senior leaders identified each group member's unique contribution to the team

     - team members each acknowledged their own individual styles and the advantages of the group's diversity

This DISC evaluation process helped "restart" the project - members refocused on the end goal, learned to appreciate team members' differences and were able to gain traction in their execution of the project plan.  
Bottom line: don't forget to deal with the people issues on your project - they are the key to your eventual success!

Business Introductions - add value to your own business network

Building a network of business contacts takes time and patience.  One great way to expand your network is to add "introductions" to your regular routine. 

1) Utilize business cards - when you meet someone interesting, ask for their card and jot a comment or two on the back regarding the conversation / issue / opportunity:

 

USE BUSINESS CARDS TO STRENGTHEN RELATIONSHIPS



2) expand your electronic contact list, add new business cards into natural groupings (by interest, business opportunity, etc).  Make notes of issues, interests and possible introductions where possible

3) use a business card scanner to easily enter your business contact information electronically.  Technology has made these card readers easily accessible and useable for very reasonable prices at office supply stores.

4) when you meet someone who would benefit from an introduction to another contact, ask their permission to provide an introduction -- note the "introduction" opportunity on the back of their business card to jog your memory later.

5) link up two or more individuals who may have a mutual benefit by email:

   "Joe, I met Suzie Cue, who is an entrepreneur in the same business you are.  She has some interesting marketing ideas that you might also benefit from.  Suzie, I have known Joe Shmoe for 10 years and he runs a great small business in XYZ community.  I think you two would enjoy meeting over coffee to discuss common business interests.  Please consider this an introduction to both of you.  your emails are as follows:

    joeshmoe@anyweb.com   suziecue@bizzness.com "

I have made an effort to facilitate at least 2 or 3 introduction per month.  Over the years, I have had many thank you's from those folks I have introduced - and some great stories of new opportunities and alliances formed.   What a great feeling to know you have positively impacted other businesses in your circle of colleagues!

Career Acceleration: 4 Essential Elements (pt4: the 4-eye'd employee)

The following is based on a presentation made to the UBCO (University of British Columbia Okanagan) female business students affiliated with the Sauder School of Business on January 28, 2011. (Presenters: Meryle Corbett, CMA,FCMA CFO of Kelowna Flightcraft Group of Companies; and Paulette Rennie, President of ValleyFirst Credit Union)

What strategies will make YOU successful in business? A group of C-suite executives agreed that the key to a rising business career includes four main characteristics. They are described below in our series, "The 4-eyed employee" :

So what are we talking about? The first "eye" or "I" attribute is the underlying foundation for business success:

INTELLIGENCE

The second "eye" or "I" attribute is the secret to longevity in your career:

INTEGRITY

The third "eye" or "I" attribute is the driver of where and how far you go:

INITIATIVE

The fourth "eye" or "I" attribute is the attribute that will accelerate your accomplishments:

INTUITION

This is the magic ingredient that makes careers soar!  Even though you can be intelligent, of the highest integrity and a great worker with lots of initiative, sometimes it's a combination of luck, timing and "street smarts" that will make your career take off.

a) Read body language and get to know your customer / boss / client

One great style assessment tool is the DISC model:  Dominance, Influence, Steadiness, Compliance.    Are you task-oriented, needing a high level of control over your world?  Are you a relationship-based consensus builder?  Are you an analyzer preferring routine activity?  are you most comfortable with rules and regulations and heavy structure?    Do you have problems relating to peers because their style is different than yours?  Do you have problems with team members  or subordinates "clashing"?

The DISC assessment tool enables individuals to view their leadership and business style in a comparative way to others, and offers solutions to help them leverage their own styles to work most effectively with others.  Learning how to read your audience can enable higher levels of success.  

b) Use your right-brain creative side as well as your left-brain logic. 

Career Acceleration: 4 Essential Elements (pt 3, the 4-eye'd employee)

The following is based on a presentation made to the UBCO (University of British Columbia Okanagan) female business students affiliated with the Sauder School of Business on January 28, 2011. (Presenters: Meryle Corbett, CMA,FCMA CFO of Kelowna Flightcraft Group of Companies; and Paulette Rennie, President of ValleyFirst Credit Union)

What strategies will make YOU successful in business? A group of C-suite executives agreed that the key to a rising business career includes four main characteristics. They are described below in our series, "The 4-eyed employee" :

So what are we talking about? The first "eye" or "I" attribute is the underlying foundation for business success:
INTELLIGENCE
The second "eye" or "I" attribute is the key to career longevity:
INTEGRITY
The third "eye" or "I" attribute is the secret to how far your career will rise:
INITIATIVE
1) Stand out from the pack:  Produce  at least 10% more than your competitors
You need to position yourself above the crowd in order to accelerate your career.  This means getting noticed by management for producing results superior to your competitors.
     - quantity of work is higher - find scalable improvements, efficiencies that save time
     - quality of work is superior - what makes a boss notice you and your work?
     - deliver more than is expected - anticipate what your boss will ask or need
If you can find a way to be seen as "above the crowd", you are on your way to winning promotions and moving up the career ladder.

2) "Results" are more valued by management than just "Effort"
Think about it:  if one employee puts in 50% more effort but delivers the same results as the average employee, he/she is inefficient compared to the others.  In fact, this inefficiency is probably even costing the company overtime.  RESULTS are what count in the long run and what get you noticed in the workplace.  

Career Acceleration: 4 Essential Elements (pt 2, the 4-eye'd employee)

The following is based on a presentation made to the UBCO (University of British Columbia Okanagan) female business students affiliated with the Sauder School of Business on January 28, 2011. (Presenters: Meryle Corbett, CMA,FCMA CFO of Kelowna Flightcraft Group of Companies; and Paulette Rennie, President of ValleyFirst Credit Union)

What strategies will make YOU successful in business? A group of C-suite executives agreed that the key to a rising business career includes four main characteristics. They are described below in our series, "The 4-eyed employee" :

So what are we talking about? The first "eye" or "I" attribute is the underlying foundation for business success:

INTELLIGENCE

The second "eye" or "I" attribute is the underlying foundation for business success:INTEGRITY

1) Your Reputation is Forever - you own it (no one else)!!
Your reputation is your own personal brand. How you develop and nurture it is totally up to you. Large corporations are increasingly protective of their brand an reputation - the latest trends in risk management are related to "reputation risk". 

                                                                                                                

I learned a great lesson early in my career when I had a choice to exercise a little-known clause in a contract that was to my company's advantage and the supplier's disadvantage. The spirit and intent of this contract did not intend to provide such a favorable advantage to my company, and would have been a significant "sore point" in the supplier's view. My choice? Exercise the clause and make a few more dollars, or forego the clause to keep the longer term relationship.

Have your own moral dilemma? consider the impact of your options in the next 10 minutes, the next 10 months, and the next 10 years before you make your final decision (click here to see the book by Suzy Welch, 10-10-10)

2) Take the "high road" - it will pay off later!
There will be moments in your career when you are the object of gossip or nasty politics. Sometimes our first reaction is to "fight back" and knock down our opponent regardless of the impact on others.

a) What goes around comes around:

A former colleague of mine gained a reputation as a tough-minded negotiator who loved to find weakness and then exploit it to the maximum. Deals were a game, and he had no mercy dealing with staff, nearly always leaving them frustrated or in tears. After a few years, people hated to deal with him. Eventually he moved on to another company and I have heard that many former colleagues have declined to do future business with him.

Here is a great book about eradicating negative people in the workforce:      

The No Asshole Rule-Civilized Workplace Surviving 

Prof. Michael Roberto's Blog: Reverse Mentorship

Many of you may have heard of the idea of reverse mentorship.

In this process, a senior level executive finds a young person in the organization to serve as a mentor to him or her. The relationship focuses on certain skills and ideas that the young employee can share with the more senior person. For instance, the young person may have much more knowledge and expertise with regard to new technologies or social media. The senior executive can use this reverse mentorship opportunity to learn from the young person, to insure that he or she keeps abreast of key trends and developments important to the organization.