IN rugby, the athletic make-up of players is continually improving year after year. The youth academies that are in place at professional clubs are producing bigger, faster, stronger, more physically capable young players than ever before. However, this is only a starting point for them. Being a physically gifted, great athlete does not necessarily make you a great rugby player.
There is a lot more to it than that.
So what separates the best from the rest? In an industry where there is not a lot of difference, physically, between players, it comes down to certain specific things.
IN rugby, the athletic make-up of players is continually improving year after year. The youth academies that are in place at professional clubs are producing bigger, faster, stronger, more physically capable young players than ever before. However, this is only a starting point for them. Being a physically gifted, great athlete does not necessarily make you a great rugby player.
There is a lot more to it than that.
So what separates the best from the rest? In an industry where there is not a lot of difference, physically, between players, it comes down to certain specific things. We are largely dependent on our team mates. Having good team mates makes it a lot easier for you as an individual to excel. However, good players will always be good players, no matter what team they are in.
They will always do their job well. Of course, natural ability has a lot to do with that. But good players always seem to respond well to any situation. No matter what is asked of them, no matter what the circumstances, they generally do the right thing when called upon.
For me, preparation is the key to success. Having a plan in place before an event goes without saying, and the better the plan, the more likely it is to succeed. The best can respond quicker than the rest because they are more prepared and well equipped for most outcomes.
Visualisation in sport is a very useful tool, particularly in sports that contain closed skills e.g. golf, goal kicking in rugby, or serving in tennis. Also, visualising certain situations prior to the event that you may need to adapt to, will help to maintain clarity of thought if it actually happens – as it won’t come as a surprise. Building the visualisation into the plan is essential.
In my opinion, it’s reasonable to suggest that employing similar techniques before important meetings or events, could be useful in the business world. One thing is certain, you will be better prepared going in, and that is certainly a good thing. It could make the difference in a competitive environment, whether that be against your competitors, or even one of your colleagues when you are both seeking the same promotion.
Brian Wrigley of Maximum Profit Growth comments: “Stephen is absolutely right about planning in business – and it goes even further. Planning for specific events is vital, but so is having a long-term plan: the most successful sports teams and businesses have a plan, mapping out how their management intends to take them forward over the next year, and outlining their goals and aspirations for the longer term. As business coaches, at Maximum Profit Growth, we do the equivalent of the coach of a sports team – help management formulate their plans to get the best performance they can.”