Player Perspective – Brendan LeeTuesday, April 9, 2013 - 4:00 PM - by Brendan Lee

THE WAFL website will be publishing columns from players throughout the 2013 season taking a look at the lives of WAFL footballers, and what it takes on and off the field to be a successful player and also build a life outside the game. First up is East Perth co-captain Brendan Lee who looks at the 'Five rituals for footy and business.'

Success in business requires the same strategies often used for success in playing footy. I would be lying if I said that the talk of girls or the next overseas trip didn’t still figure prominently, but over the years the coffee shop conversation has evolved to include serious discussion about success in both enterprises- the game on the field and the game of business.

Both seem to be staple conversation topics and great rapport builders across our country. However, many of us tend to treat the strategies and issues of both differently. I feel the underlying framework for success in both footy and business is not too dissimilar, both being driven by daily rituals.

1. Critical Drivers and Bottom Line Results

In footy, as in business, consider what rituals are going to have the biggest impact on reaching your goals. Once these become clear, you can focus on developing these into more than a habit, so that they become the standards by which you play, or by which you conduct business. These rituals are your critical drivers.

With footy your common rituals are training, weights, diet, game strategy and recovery. The large amount of time allocated to these is simply because these are the rituals that will create the greatest development in your game and for your team. Similarly, in business, the critical drivers could be hours spent developing new business, research on ideal client demographics or sales calls.

So what are your critical drivers? The difference between the commoner and the high achiever is the standards they hold themselves to. You either win or lose, you outperform your competitors or they dwarf you. The high achievers in their field have positive bottom line results because of their pigheaded discipline and determination to constantly deliver and meet their critical drivers.

2. Know your numbers

Numbers are indicators that will help to identify your ongoing development. In footy these may include your cardio or weights results, effective clearances or set shot efficiency. These results should reveal if you are improving or going backwards. Other questions may be considering what the benchmark for your position is? Who is the best in the competition at your position? What are their numbers? These questions will reveal what critical drivers to focus on.

Looking at and comparing these numbers regularly will allow you to steer your performance if you happen to go off course. Small changes regularly implemented are easier than making large changes when you are a long way off course.

In business we call this ‘tracking’ or testing and measuring. There are numerous programs in the market which will help you log and keep track of your numbers. Items for regular check up could be budgets, sales performance, leads generated, leads converted and cash levels. Tracking such items are essential to both help you realize where you are and help you determine which levers to pull to get back on track.

3. New voices

This is one of my favourite methods of improvement, yet one that is rarely tackled. New voices refers to consultants and coaches that have the experience and have explored solutions to obstacles. These people will bring new and improved ways to deal with issues or solve them with minimal damage. There is no easier time than now to dig for more information, seek out feedback or model past successors in your field.

Identify what kind of player you are in your business. Whether it is your business or your personal performance, you bring something to the table. A high percentage enter a start-up because they are the ‘artist’. They bring the high skill level to the business simply because they love what they do.

Others are either leader/managers or entrepreneurs. Both have strengths and weaknesses. Which kind of player are you? Identifying this will allow you to establish where your shortfalls may be and where to best position team members around you.

Injecting new voices into the business can help you see improvements in areas you weren’t identifying.

If you are struggling to get picked for the side or for that next promotion, do seek feedback. Ask what the key areas for improvement are - there are bound to be some. If it is not clear what needs to be done, ask what action points and focuses you can take away and implement. Then work on them! Your coaches will love your enthusiasm and will be keeping a keen eye on your progress. Apply these same principles to business. Ask for feedback from consultants, your boss or peers, and implement them.

4. Sales

Every day we are selling. The form of which this is delivered differs but it is a trait which we have all been doing since we were kids. Traditionally I have looked on sales with evil connotations but I am referring to the true sale, where you add real value which helps the other party reach their goals much quicker and with more efficiency. Showing your coach what value you bring to the team after six months of pre-season training, or showing your boss that you add far more value through your input, is essentially all sales. Conveying that message is undertaken by delivering results. Talk is cheap, your boss or coach will believe it when they see it.

5. Lifestyle

One of the first questions I ask businesses when meeting with them is ‘What was your reason for getting into business?’ More often than not, it is about passion for the product or service. However, after a time they no longer enjoy the same passion that drove them to set up the business. The same goes with footy. Our hobby can quickly turn something we once loved, into to a chore that we no longer enjoy as much. Whether it’s footy or business, try not to lose your grip on the passion you have that helps drive you to your goals.

Not everything will come to fruition as planned or on time, but if you are passionate and have pigheaded discipline to put in the required work I am confident you will be better prepared to face tomorrow’s obstacles and reach the lifestyle that you desire.