As we’re approaching the SuperBowl, my football loving friends’ Facebook and Twitter messages get more and more emotional. It’s the post-season crunch time, and these few weeks define their year as fans. Post season is like the end of the quarter crunch in sales: closing, closing, closing. There is no second chance, there is no room for error … you either move on or you go home. For those of you who don’t understand what I am talking about, I recommend you talk to Elise.
Some Win, Some Don't
But how did we arrive here? I am sure the Vikings had better plans for this year and while it is no surprise the New England Patriots are doing well, you have to admit that the NY Giants were not on your list to get as far as they have. So why do some teams do well, while others struggle, or just plain fail?
With football, as with business, the most important thing as a leader is to make up your mind way before the season starts and decide who are you and what are your goals - your strategy. Budgeting, coaches, and players are all tactics that should follow your view of the bigger picture.
Know Who You Are
Strategy is decided for NFL teams long before their players take the field on the first Sunday in September, let alone the playoffs. Are you betting on this season or are you planning the team for sustainable growth? General managers and owners have to set their player roster, hire their coaching staff and plan their fiscal budgets in line with their vision of what type of team they want to be. This will shape their tactical approach to every facet of the game, from offense, defense and special teams.
And so it is with business. You have to decide who you are and what you do before you can start executing. Is your business model to build fast and sell or are you planning to grow over time?
Pitch / Deliver
It is not just about what you want to do, but also about delivering on the expectations you set. Fans, the people, the sportscasters they all want to know what you stand for, and you better be able to articulate (pitch) this vision. In 2010, the New Orleans Saints, in the wake of Hurricane Katrina’s devastation to the city and the state of Louisiana, made it their mission to bring back pride and a championship. And they delivered on that expectation.
When you position your company you need to be very clear about what your customers, partners and your employees can expect. If they are aligned behind that goal, you have achieved a major step to becoming a great company.
This is why we at ifridge & Company always look at your strategy first when it comes to assessing your business and what we can do to help it. Stay tuned for the next post, where we look at Innovation, Marketing and Operations - all key components to make a company hum and a football team Super Bowl bound.
Read the whole story: Championships start with Strategy.
