The following post is courtesy of Diane Harrison who is principal and owner of Panegyric Marketing, a strategic marketing communications firm founded in 2002 specializing in alternative assets.
If you play USTA league tennis, as I do, late spring is typically the time for championships across the country. As I prepare with my tennis team to return to the state championships to defend the title we won last year, it occurred to me that the lessons learned in winning in tennis are analogous to similar steps that can lead to success in our work lives as well. Here then are some of the observations I’ve made about what it takes to be a winner.
PRACTICE. No matter your level of skill, everyone benefits from some measure of practice. It creates a level of reliability and confidence you will be able to rely on under stress that can carry you forward under difficult circumstances.
ASSESSMENT OF STRENGTHS. A team, whether it be in sports or in business, needs to combine a variety of skills to achieve its greatest potential. Understanding where those strengths lie, and how to maximize the use of them to advance a common goal, is crucial to the overall success of the group.
PUTTING PEOPLE IN THE RIGHT POSITIONS TO EXCEL. The world of sports, and business, is not a democracy. Acknowledging whose contributions are greater and facilitating the use of those individuals to deliver results can be the difference between first and last. Successful teams apply that selection process to work towards the best possible outcome.
DEVELOPMENT EFFORTS. Every team looking to remain a winner needs to focus on building up the overall strength of the group. The best people can help mentor and support developing team members and seek to identify potential in any individual. There’s little point in aspiring to be the best at something if there’s no chance of holding onto that level of performance following the reaching of that goal.
EMBRACING THE MENTAL STRAIN OF COMPETING. No one is immune to the pressure that competition brings with it. How you react to such pressure greatly impacts the likely outcome. Winners learn to allow such pressure to sharpen their reactions and provide a level of urgency to their behaviors. People who cannot overcome the psychological pressure of competition find themselves fighting an additional layer of obstacles and tend to perform under their actual level of ability. Think of people you’ve known who practice something well, yet under achieve in a testing or competing position. Learn to be a test taker, not a perpetual practicer.
EVALUATE AND REACT TO ACTUAL RESULTS. It’s one thing to see weaknesses, and another to course correct. Most people have little trouble understanding the value of continuing to do the things that bring success. Fewer are able to dissect a problem and make the changes needed to optimize outcomes. Wishing things will get better is not a plan. Making the changes required to improve is a far better choice, even if it brings short-term discomfort, in people and processes.
DON’T BE DEFENSIVE- ACT OFFENSIVELY. Even if you aren’t a football fan, you’ve probably heard the phrase ‘prevent defense.’ When a team is far ahead and trying to run out the clock, this strategy aims to minimize the risk of forfeiting that lead, even at the expense of potential additional gains. While this can win football games, it’s a bad strategy overall in business, and in personal development. Most successful people have built their results on a healthy foundation of failure. Without the ability to stretch for higher goals, it’s very difficult to achieve progress. The general difference between winners and losers lies in how they react to the early failures and what changes they have made to overcome barriers. Sometimes a loss is just that. But sometimes it’s a catalyst for future success. Winners can recognize the difference between the two.
ACKNOWLEDGE GAINS AND EXCELLENCE. Finally, it is extremely important to continually point out and reward both individual and group performance, in teams both in sports and business. While there will always be the superlative performers, largely the cause of a team win, the overall function and long-term performance of a team relies on the positive dynamics of all the players.
As my tennis team and I get ready to defend our state title later this month, we will try to remember all these points, and bring home the gold one more time.
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