Did you know that the New Zealand rugby team (the All Blacks) are not allowed to let their shirts touch the floor?
The idea is that it is such an honour to wear that shirt, and that they should have such pride in their team, that the shirt itself should be taken seriously.
I think there's something important about how we treat the brand of where we work- do we have enough pride in our work that we don't just leave it on the floor at the end of the day? We can't all work for prestigious organisations- but we can all find the feeling that comes with being proud to shout about your workplace on your LinkedIn. Wearing your team name across your chest makes you think hard about whether you're inspiring a team, or just showing up. And that brings me to my first point:
1. Show up. In a boat of eight people (plus a cox), it only takes one person not getting to the river on time for the whole outing to be cancelled. I think there's an incredibly important lesson here, about what it really means to have someone else's back. If you knew that you were leaving someone in the cold at the river, you'd show up. But, even though it might have a real impact on someone's day- you may still turn up late to their meeting or sit on your phone during their presentation. My advice? Show up. In whatever form that takes, your presence as a manager has a huge impact to how the boat functions, and you can't lead it if you aren't in it.
2. Cut the human line-callers. There's a group of people that are FUMING about the reduction of people doing the line-calling at Wimbledon this year. We are moving towards a world where tech makes the decision- and therefore there are people who are out of a job (of course, in reality, a lot of these former line-callers have found alternative jobs at Wimbledon- and those that haven't are feeling angry and resentful). Perhaps I'm heartless, but I'm all for digitalising decision-making. When you work incredibly hard at something (like a professional athlete), you deserve an even playing field- it isn't fair that one single human could seriously impact your chance of success. Players deserve the equality that comes with a machine making a line-call.
If there are human (likely senior) opinions that are impacting the success of your team because of bias and emotion- filter it out. Move to a world where you're giving them the technical facts: is it in or is it out? Remove the human element for seniors and have them make choices based on reality, not their long-held feelings towards a project, person, or outcome.
3. Be polite to the ref. One reason I'm insistent that my two sons play rugby and not football (other than my need for free tickets to the Welsh Rugby in 15 years time), is beacuse of the difference in how rugby players speak to the referee. In the heat of the moment, and there is a lot of heat in rugby, I aspire to be as cool-headed as rugby captains when they approach the referee about what they believe to be a wrong call. Often, if my team has been wronged, I'm the first in with a punchy message on Slack- and I almost always regret it. I feel fiercely protective of my team, like the captain, but when something has gone wrong there is an opportunity to really show your moral fibre- when you can take three deep breaths and challenge in a really constructive way. Unlike a football player.
4. Prioritise protein and hydration.
5. Atmosphere is critical for outcome. It doesn't matter if you're rowing at Henley, on Centre Court at Wimbledon, or if you get to play in Cardiff Stadium- the home crowd are like nothing else. In the Premier League, home teams average around 1.63 points per game, while away teams average 1.1 points per game. It's because atmosphere does something for your soul- it makes you want to win more, want to perform better, and want to make the crowd go wild. When Sabalenka beat Raducanu last weekend she said "I just had to pretend the crowd were cheering for me". Are you helping your team play a home game?