Man On

My oldest stepson, Jarrett, plays soccer for his high school and a travel team.  He plays forward and is the team captain.  If his soccer team were a business, he would be the CEO, Owner, or Managing Partner.  Jarrett leads his team during warm-ups and helps everyone know what they're doing when they're on the field, making sure to yell "man on!" when someone from the other team is coming up on his teammate with the ball.  Communication is key on the field to make sure everyone is aligned with what the plan is, where there might be gaps in coverage, and when someone may need help.  Organizations need the exact same kind of communication for the exact same reasons. 

During practice, the soccer team works on their plays ensuring they know what to do in certain situations and what they can expect on the field.  In leadership meetings, the C-suite discusses their plan for success, different scenarios that could occur, and what to do in each of those situations.  On the field, when there's a gap in coverage, it's likely a goal could be scored.  In the office, if a team member isn't fulfilling their duties, a customer or deal could be lost.  In both situations, it's best to look back at what happened and address the issue or gap so it doesn't happen again in the future.

The leadership team of a company is just a smaller version of a soccer team.  Both teams have to ensure they practice to hone their skills and the best teams scout out their competition to stay ahead of the game.  If you want to win,  you have to periodically review and tweak your playbook to ensure your strategy is aligned with your goals and is the best it can be against your current competition.  It's also imperative that teams review who has what position and exactly what their roles are.  Just like you always want a strong offense, you don't want any gaps in your defense.

If the team captain is the company CEO, then the soccer coach is the CEO's mentor or coach, depending on what they need.  Business owners just starting out may prefer to have a mentor so they can learn from someone who has been there and done that.  More established Managing Partners may prefer to have a coach to help them organize their ideas, think of all of the situations, and hold them accountable for doing what they say they're going to do.

Just like soccer teams, companies need to make sure they're periodically reviewing their playbook and aligning expectations so they can come out ahead of their competition.  I would love to hear about your organization's playbook and what gaps you make have in your offense or defense.  Reach out to me to setup a discussion.