Today sports is not only the practice of regular physical activities. For many, it has become a way of life…and therefore a way of working. So sport mindset and attitude are also present in the office (consciously or unconsciously). It is no secret now that companies realize the benefits of having healthy, active staff, either physical or mental for the individual and the teams.

During my different work assignment, as either IT consultant or now project lead, I have been trying to bring the culture and attitude of sport with me and give to people working with me.

Nowadays, there are many example companies use sport to foster collaboration and team building, from running during lunch break to enrolling to team building sport activity (like paintball, running, football,…). The example of endless. In my current companies, there are currently more than 50 different sport clubs and you there is a place really for everyone.

The relationship and attitude from a colleague, including your boss, when this person wears a suite might be radically different when the same person is playing a basketball games in shorts. You might be very surprise and learn different trait of character of this person. Also some studies showed that people who are doing certain type of sports will fit better for certain roles. Example  ? Take someone who loves extreme sport for example skydiving vs someone who is more into long distance running.

The first one will fit much more in a role where

• decisions must be made quickly and high risk must be taken
• the personal has the ability to move on quickly and deal well with rejection
• results/feedback  are visible visible quickly
  • Example: Sales/Lead generation

On the other hand the second one will fit much more in a role where

• long term strategy and vision are more present
• perseverance is key to succeed (vs a sale person can try few times to get a customers, but then he has to move to the next opportunity)
• Patience, empathy
• results/feedback are received more on long term basis
  • Example: Teacher, Doctor, Engineer

Top 10 sport rules you can use in business to succeed

1. Focus on your strengths, not on you ‘area for improvement’
2. Respect decisions
3. Put the team first, no matter what
4. Keep the feedback channels from your colleague, boss, etc… always open
5. Prioritize Continuously
6. Lead by Example and show always high integrity. Do what you say, say what you do
7. Support people as much as you can
8. Visualise success
9. Simplify. Do not over complicate things. Break it down and focus on what you can do now
10. No matter what, never give up until the end