In the first of a series of regular columns for Business Times, Northampton Saints star Stephen Myler, in conjunction with business coaches from Maximum Profit Growth, looks at the many ways in which the worlds of business and sport overlap THE modern sporting world is largely concerned with providing entertainment for its viewers.
In the first of a series of regular columns for Business Times, Northampton Saints star Stephen Myler, in conjunction with business coaches from Maximum Profit Growth, looks at the many ways in which the worlds of business and sport overlap THE modern sporting world is largely concerned with providing entertainment for its viewers. Although this is one of the great things about sport; that it can bring so much pleasure to so many people, for those directly involved with sport, it can be anything but pleasurable. Whether it is good for sport or not is highly debatable, but the truth is, top-level sport is highly results driven. Thus, the modern sporting world is becoming increasingly ruthless. This is largely because the rewards for success in the modern era can be so huge, particularly financially. What can often get lost when sporting organisations are in pressure situations, is a perspective of what truly is success, and what is failure. And what’s more, whether indeed a rugby club, for example, is either successful or unsuccessful. It is more reasonable to suggest that although success may not be achieved in terms of winning a trophy, a team can still progress and improve and be in a much better state for when the next season starts. This can also be true in a business environment. For example, a new or relatively new company may not be in a position to compete with more established companies in terms of finance or customer base, but if the product or service it offers is a good one, aside from attracting new custom, retaining the customers it has is paramount. Increasing and maintaining their loyalty by providing an excellent customer experience and service can serve as a solid base for continued growth. So it’s true to state that success may be perceived differently depending on the organisation or company. Whether success comes in terms of the tangible reward of winning a trophy for a rugby club, or by meeting an annual sales target for a retail company, there are a vast amount of similarities in how both will achieve their goals. Speaking from experience, establishing a strong culture within an organisation is one of the key elements to its success. Without a strong culture and identity, it is hard to consistently produce results of a high standard. This is particularly true in team sports, and in my case, rugby. Having talented players does not guarantee a successful team. When the individuals are more concerned with and more committed to the common goals determined by the group, rather than merely achieving individual goals, the team has the best chance to prosper. Management plays a massive role in implementing and developing the culture. Their vision of what they want and how they expect things to be done is crucial in a team environment. It is also important that they themselves adhere to these standards. When there is a clear understanding of what is expected of you as an individual, what you are representing ie. the organisation/club, the town, your supporters, your management and, often more importantly, your colleagues and friends, then true progress towards a common goal can be achieved. When the values and expectations of you as an individual are implemented, it can then be driven by the individuals/team and new members who arrive to the team can get a real sense of “how we do things around here”. This again helps to drive that culture and it becomes synonymous with the group. Brian Wrigley says: It is with great pleasure to work with Stephen on these articles, there is an intrinsic connection between sport and business as you can see in our Field of Business – the proven model that we use to help businesses to grow and improve. To be able to show the benefits that a professional sports star gains from coaching will also leave the question open – Why wouldn’t a professional business person do the same?