The countdown has begun. NFL’s regular season delivered the playoffs which birthed the showdown this week between two teams vying for the coveted Super Bowl title. On February 2nd, the Denver Broncos or the Seattle Seahawks will be named national champions.
Over the years this game has become an entertainment juggernaut. Cities vie for the hosting privilege, commercial air play costs businesses millions of dollars and the world waits for the announcement of the half-time show entertainment. Oh..and there is a football game too.
Whether you follow professional football or not, there are some pretty big lessons to be learned from the Super Bowl – especially the hype it creates – and opportunities to create a winning team.
#1 Your team is a contender
The road to the Super Bowl is long. Regular season play determines the chance to advance to conference or tournament play. The best keep moving forward until 60 minutes of play determine an ultimate winner. Whether you agree with the process or support the two teams who make it to the big game, you can’t dispute the title. So how does your team or biz stack up against the competition. In the service world of Super Bowls, would your team’s performance make it to the championship? It goes beyond a great product or service. Your team must be a winner on all fronts – a clear strategy; every player giving his/her best; deep bench strength for the unsuspected; and a great coach helping the team navigate the path. A deficiency in any one of these elements will result in defeat.
#2 The commercials
The day after the Super Bowl there is a lot of chatter about the best commercial or most clever ad. In fact, some people watch the Super Bowl just for the commercials. People are talking and you’ve missed out if you didn’t see them. In your world, is there any buzz? What happens in between your focused work time can be just as important as the time your team physically works together. Do your employees have a relationship beyond the work? This doesn’t mean they are necessarily social friends but there is a social element beyond the work. This is a culture thing – your employees will not give 100% unless they like and respect the person beside them. Focus on creating that buzz. Why? When there is an energy in and around your team, results happen.
#3 Your team’s Super Bowl ring
Did you know the NFL gives teams an allowance of $5,000 per ring for up to 150 Super Bowl rings? It’s a keepsake that defines a special place in sports history and carries great significance because it links the player to his team, a winning team. What about your team or organization? What reputation or characteristic is tied to belonging to your team? What does the outside world think or perceive when they learn employees are associated with your team? That perception is powerful and is influenced greatly by you, the leader. Is your team wearing a proverbial Super Bowl ring? Are they known as a winner because they belong to your team?
So who are you pulling for this Sunday? No doubt, there will be a buzz on Monday about the outcome. Wouldn’t it be great if your customers talked about your team every week too? So…gather your team, huddle and play ball.