Football Shows You How to Run a Business Built for Success, It's Not a Sports Story

You may be a sports fan or not. Either way, you can’t miss the videos, replays and photos of the football field at this time of year. You can’t miss the news stories, the game statistics, the win loss record and second-guessing of the coach’s decisions by fans.

Regardless of what level of play, there is one aspect throughout football which is worth exploring here. Let’s begin with a few basic concepts. In the game itself, a team may take four times to go ten yards and then they are rewarded with a first down. They may continue in this manner and move all the way down the field. Typically this is done in three times and if not going the ten yards for a first down, the team kicks (punts) the ball to the other team. During any of these three times, the team with the ball may go all the way down the field and score. Each of the three or four plays or attempts to reach a first down must be started within a certain amount of time.

Not to go into the rules of football much past this point, but isn't this just how you should set up your goals for your business? Small attainable steps, with an element of time to reach them, which when all put into place, lead to a larger goal to be achieved? The fact is that the game is based upon moving up and down the field by attaining yards and first downs. Football is heaven for statistically minded people. There are the statistics for the one single game. The statistics for within the one game, such as one quarter of play, one half of play and more. There are the statistics of multiple games and categories. What is the point of all of this for football? To create accountability and see where the team needs to improve, and how they are doing in different aspects of the game.

Translate this to your business. What type of tracking do you have set up to measure how you are progressing? Have you set up methods to easily track and see how you are progressing on your short-term goals? How about your long-range goals? How are these being tracked? How often are the results reviewed to determine if course corrections need to be made? Are the parameters able to be summarized into an annual or quarterly graph or other display to read the movement(s)?

The creation of accountability and measurement, and reacting to the reality of the direction these reflect, will go a long way to creating a business built for success. Isn't it time to set up methods of tracking your business goals, projects and direction? Contact Mitch Tublin today.