You can easily find coaches (and C-level executives) that can Read the Game but only some make it to the top and win the Super Bowl or, in case of a business, lead a market. While there are many reasons to fail or to be stuck in mediocrity - you at least need to have your homework done.
In modern football, the entire eco-system needs to be covered. It’s not just the players on the field. You need to plan how to get them to play, keep all the resources focused on the goal and - often overlooked - you need to make sure they have all the infrastructure required to get it done. Those same ideals can be translated into the three core elements of operations: a business plan, a budget and and a solid structure.
Playbook - Build the Plan
A business plan or a playbook requires that you first have a vision of who you are and what you do. With that in mind you can start looking at the path you want to take to reach your strategic goals - winning the Super Bowl or taking over the business world!
Think of a deep playbook that includes not just smart plays to dominate a weaker team but also some nasty tricks to finally crack that long time rival that always had a higher budget or better players. Every playbook includes special treats for divisional rivals you’ll be playing twice per season. The crucial point here is that you take your whole environment into play both in football as well as in business. You want to know the opportunities and threats from economic, political and industry trends, as well as key details like market size and growth.
You need to find your own rhythm on that. Some highly effective coaches, like the Patriots’ Belichick, go so far as to script the first 20 or 30 plays of a game in an effort to establish dominance on the offensive side of the ball. Others build on a more flexible approach taking two of three most likely scenarios and plan around those. Regardless how you approach it, you need to have a plan!
Discipline - Establish a Budget
Once you’ve established your goals and your planning mix, you can start to build out the financials as a model of your business that includes revenues, expenses and cash flow. Look at the truly successful teams; they have all figured out a way to keep money in check. You often find people who argue that good financials will follow success, suggesting you don’t need a plan. Interestingly, these are often gone after their teams get sold (again) or their businesses tank.
We believe there is no alternative to building a plan. If you are detailed on the large amounts like people, travel, office space and marketing and keep it simple on the small items, you’ll have a solid foundation in no time, just as you need to make sure your team is robust enough to last the whole season. And don’t forget: cash is king in business. Deal closing is just the beginning, so make sure you collect cash fast and have a clear understanding what amounts are leaving the house. You can easily fill the stadium if you give tickets away for free, but that doesn’t pay the bills.
Empower the Team - Don’t Forget Structure
And lastly, structure is key to a successful business and sports alike. How the disparate parts of your business or team work together is vital. Every team of athletes will run out of batteries if the recovering takes too long due to lousy infrastructure like the gym, the medical team or their accommodations on the road. And the same goes for your company. Do they have the right communication infrastructure, good offices, solid processes or simply “Pizza Friday?”
Operations sounds boring, we know that. But it is such a crucial component of success. Make sure you address it and you’ll have your house in order. Now you can get your team out on the field and really start to compete.
Read the whole story: Championships start with Strategy.
