I’m a big sports fan, so naturally, sports analogies and comparisons make a lot of sense to me. I especially like comparing sports to business.
Why don’t we have fantasy football league for business? (Maybe we do -- it’s called the stock market.) But just like in football or many other sports, business is a game that has high stakes.
When we think of sports, we do think of fun, but there are professional athletes who play sports as their career. It is their business. There are coaches, staff members, marketing, broadcasting and merchandising that are involved, as well as millions of dollars. It may be fun for us fans, but it is a business for all involved in the show.
It’s like looking at how many passes the quarterback threw, how many points the defense held against the opposing offense, how many yards the running back carried. The action is boiled down to numbers produced by production from the players.
“How you play softball may determine whether or not you get a trophy, but how you play the business game is going to have a big impact on whether or not you can support your family, put food on your table, and fulfill your dreams,” Stack also says.
Getting people involved and engaged in the game of business is how we make it fun. Showing individuals how they have contributed and help advance the rock for the team. Good play calling helps, but having people execute is the key. And people will execute when they have buy-in and feel that they are making a difference.
Business is a game, and playing the game well is important for everyone’s success.