What we can learn from athletes

Australia is one of the most sports-obsessed countries in the world. That means that our athletes are naturally given a higher profile than in many other countries. For the past few weeks, I have been writing about how that presents an opportunity for brands and sponsors to grow outwards, capitalising on that reputation and awareness.

All that still holds true, but this week, it’s time to talk about what that athletes can do for brands and partners - internally, to help them grow and thrive.

It may seem counter-intuitive, given that many professional athletes don’t have corporate or significant workforce experience, but they have immense value to add to businesses.

Firstly, let’s disabuse that image that athletes don’t have corporate or significant workforce experience. In Australia, 63% of Australian athletes work during their season, with an average of 22 hours of training and competing to balance with work in season. Out of season, that number skyrockets, with really just AFL, NRL and rugby union men’s players, the nationally contracted cricketers (men’s and women’s), and the highest paid netball and soccer athletes in a position not to have to work during their careers.

That puts the absolutely overwhelming majority of athletes in the category that work while balancing their careers, so they absolutely have the knowledge, experience and insight to contribute wisdom to brands and businesses around them.

Secondly, even those few who don’t have hands on experience in a non-sporting working environment (none of whom are managed by Coppel Sports) have plenty of insights to add regardless - given that performing at the highest level of sport is a demanding and highly technical feat. Professional athletes are masters of their chosen craft, and even that dedication has learnings for everyone.

For all of us in our day job, there are traits that make us successful. Things like precision, technical excellence and persistence are just some of the traits that make us successful in our jobs, and the same applies for athletes.

Sometimes that need to be technically excellent and precise is really visible, like the way in which Ethan lands his hands and feet in his routines, or the speed at which Ebony gets her feet in place at the start of her hundred. Other times, that precision isn’t as obvious though, like when you watch Moesha or Andy kick in the middle of the ocean in a 10km+ swim. But I can tell you, it’s there either way.

And it’s beyond that. There are behaviours that we consider normal parts of success in the corporate world that are the same as the way that athletes manage their success - goal setting, resilience, reflection and improvement. Athletes all do this, as part of their every day work, and as part of their success.

The smallest thing that athletes can teach us is that their jobs and ours are similar, and the things that they can share with us, and teach us, are applicable for us every day to succeed in our jobs to.

The biggest thing? Athletes who are professional or semi-professional are a lot better at their jobs than we are at ours. The athletes I work with range from national representatives to world champions and world record holders - so at a minimum, they are the best dozen or two dozen in Australia at what they do, and at the other end of the spectrum, they are the best in the world. I am all for self-promotion and confidence, but I wouldn’t dream that I am the best in Australia at what I do, and there’s a good chance that’s the case for most people.

Why wouldn’t you want to pick the brains of someone who has that, and who has achieved that?

SUBSCRIBE

Get these insights every week, straight to your inbox