Teach the basics of the game.

Practice, practice, practice. As with anything in life, learning and practicing the basics of the game is essential to becoming a sports champion. Football champions master the basic skills of blocking, tackling, passing, catching, running, and learning the plays by practicing the correct techniques over and over again. Failure to perform them correctly during a game can result in costly mistakes that lead to penalties or even defeat.

Watch your favorite team play their next game and you will see players performing in textbook fashion. If they hadn’t understood the importance of learning and performing the basics of the game early on, they never would have made it in professional football in the first place.

There’s no doubt that the one thing organizations most need in today’s rapidly changing business world is a workforce composed of individuals who are able to learn new jobs quickly—and correctly. Think about the basic skills your team players need to do their jobs today and in the future. Are you preparing them?

Leadership Questions

  Does each person you manage or supervise have the essential skills required to perform his or her job?

  Have they mastered these fundamentals to the performance level of championship football players?

  What training and practice might you provide so that you know for certain that everyone has perfected the skills needed to perform his or her job?

  How can you keep these skills current? What kinds of skills might be needed in the next five years?