DAVID KOCH: What business leaders can learn from their favourite football clubs as the season wraps up

As football season ends, there is a lot that business leaders and owners can learn from their favourite clubs.

The AFL grand final last weekend and NRL’s final game this weekend end another season and all clubs go through a process of reflecting on their performance and planning how to get better next year.

It has been fascinating to be part of a professional sports organisation for a few years now and observing how high performance teams across the competition operate. And I reckon all business owners can benefit from many of the strategies adopted by their favourite club.

What I’ve learnt

The first thing that struck me is the similarities between every business and a professional football organisation. They are not so different to your business. Yes, they have an enormous profile and focus and, yes, they have very passionate supporters who are emotionally attached.

They also operate on the same fundamental principles — at a heightened level — which we all should aspire to in our own business.

The key takeaways for me have been:

• Business owners have to become head coaches
• It’s all about the right people in the right place
• Developing a unique brand is the ultimate differentiator
• Engaging the tribe and building a passion
• Review, observe, review
• Be brave. You get what you deserve
• Involvement in your community becomes your soul

You are the head coach

We all need to think, act and behave like a head coach when it comes to running our own business. In football the head coach:

• Sets the philosophies and values of the group. What do you stand for and how do you want to operate? Fast and creative or defensive or physical? They decide what they want to be known for. The same as a business owner should.
• Outline the goals, not only for the team but also for the individual players. And how the goals of the players help to achieve the overall team goals. The ideal is to have players and staff who buy into the importance of their role in the whole organisation.
• Provide KPIs. What is success and what is failure? It’s not as simplistic as winning and not losing. Head coaches set individual KPIs for each person to achieve which, when combined, add to team KPIs. It’s exceeding those team KPIs which hopefully delivers success. Could be tackles, ball efficiency, scoring accuracy — a whole range of benchmarks.
• Motivate staff. In football, the players are generally young Australians, while high-performance coaches and assistants are older. They are a cross-section of Australian society and demographics. Head coaches put a lot of development into how they communicate. Clarity, effectiveness, simplicity. Head coaches often use consultants to critique their presentation and communication skills.
• Mentor and inspire. Building a connection and trust with players is the key to motivating them and building loyalty. A head coach understands everyone is different, so you need to understand their background, values and what inspires them. They develop a bond where players commit and perform for them.

As the head coach of your business, and driven by success, you need to set up the environment for your staff to perform and you have to build a connection and understanding which builds loyalty.

Right people in the right places

Look at your staff and you soon realise everyone brings a different set of skills. It’s the same with football teams. Success is not only identifying those skills but also building an environment where those skills and personalities gel together. An important part of that environment is respecting everyone’s role. Every role is important.

Football is high-pressure. You work all week towards that three-hour game where every part of your performance is judged under a microscope.

How to make smart decisions under pressure is a key ingredient of success. What eases that stress is having in place a system or process of work that is a dependable fallback that staff know intimately and gets the job done.

It’s processes that get the job done but it’s the addition of individual flair, creativity and instinct which can provide the magic to produce something extraordinary.

The hard bit is getting that balance right between having process as the foundation without suppressing the flair which creates that special differentiation from competitors, leading to success.

Constantly review

The amount of time and attention in reviewing all aspects of a game and player contribution is enormous — way more than in business.

Imagine your staff getting a post-game video of all their mistakes and achievements, then sitting down with their manager and colleagues to have it analysed and critiqued. It is confronting to say the least.

But it is part of the football department routine.

The review looks at the last game in the day or so after the game to see what worked and what didn’t, who played well and who didn’t. Suggestions are made and adjustments implemented. It’s full on but I think business owners don’t review as much as we should. There’s a happy medium and we should build this sort of routine into our planning.

The bottom line is about getting better and more successful.

Engage your tribe

There is no other organisation, club or business that attracts more passionate members and supporters than a football club.

That passion is incredibly motivational to players but also drives attendance at games, memberships, merchandise sales, commercial partners and a stream of other revenue sources. That financial outcome is then ploughed back into football department resources and community projects.

Engaging with your tribe is absolutely critical. Because while they can be passionate advocates, they can also be your harshest critics when disappointed.

It’s all about engagement. That package of great customer service, respect from staff, special insider opportunities and rituals that say “you are important to this club”.

In business, it’s the same. Customer engagement is crucial to build loyalty. But do we focus on it enough?

Brand

In the AFL, Port Adelaide has 17 competitors on-field and off-field fighting for premiership points and financial support. It is a highly competitive marketplace.

The key is finding a differentiator. Something that sets you apart from your competitors.

For Port Adelaide, it’s the style of game we play, our 154-year history, the quality of our community programs, being seen as an international club by playing in China, and being an innovator.

Your brand sets a line in the sand against competitors.

Not only does it help attract new customers but can also be a key factor in attracting the right staff and building the right culture.

Be brave

Football teams encourage their players and coaches to be brave, to be constantly improving by trying new strategies. Being nimble and evolving ensures you keep up with the competition.

In AFL, standing still means going backwards against the competition as they continue to progress.

The same is true in business. Don’t be afraid to try something new. But know when to adjust if it’s not working and continually learn from others.

Hope your team wins.

David Koch is the chairman of the Port Adelaide Football Club