What the Super Bowl Can Teach Us About Leadership, Camaraderie and the Importance of Team Building

Every year millions of Americans will be tune in for the Super Bowl. Fans across the country will be attending the game, hosting parties, and anxiously awaiting big-budget commercials to air. But one thing that many people may not be paying attention to are the lessons they can learn from the game of Football…especially as it relates to workplace engagement.

The game of football is rough, and often times vicious. To some, it’s nothing more than a bunch of burly men tackling each other in pursuit of a touchdown. But few realize that it is also a game of strategy, mental toughness, and resilience. It’s a game that requires teamwork, trust in your teammates and a strong leader. It is the leader’s job to cultivate camaraderie, stimulate engagement, fuel motivation and ultimately, skillfully guide the team to a win.

Five Workplace Lessons We Can Learn From Football

Adapt to Change

In football, a coach never knows what the opposing team is going to do—are they going to throw the ball 20 yards downfield or execute a quarterback hand-off to secure the first down? Calling and executing plays requires quick thinking and flexibility from both the coaching staff and the players on the field. Sometimes, you have to call an audible at the last second and change the game plan. The same is true with business.  In the incentive space, it’s imperative that we adapt quickly to shifting needs and changing merchandise trends to be able to engage and motivate employees successfully.

Put Your Players in Positions to Succeed

Each player on a team has their own strengths and unique skill set that make them an asset to the team as a whole.  In order to execute plays smoothly, it’s important to put team members in the best position to succeed by playing to their strengths and continuing their skill development. For managers, investing in training, development, and retention motivates team members by showing them that you care about their performance, value their skills and view them as a valuable asset to the team. Don’t focus on what employees can’t do; focus on what they can do and each you’ll have a team full of all-stars.

Push Top Performers

For many leaders, putting pressure and constructive feedback on the top performers isn’t always their first instinct.  Many managers focus their energy on the team members who need further development. However, by continuing to push top performers, you provide a clear message that the bar is set high for the entire team and there is always room for improvement. With employees, providing both positive feedback and constructive criticism to all team members evens out the playing field and allows for clear communication of goals and expectations.

There’s No “I” in TEAM

Team building is essential so that every player feels connected to each other and as though they are a part of something bigger than themselves. They share in each other’s successes and failures and seek new ways to contribute to the overall success of the team. The same can be said for the business world…particularly as it relates to employee engagement. By encouraging teamwork and peer-to-peer recognition, employees begin to feel a sense of camaraderie that drives the overall success of the organization.

Reward Good Plays

In football, rewards can come in the form of game wins, Super Bowl rings and Heisman trophies. Football players have an innate ability to set small, achievable goals for each game that will ultimately lead them to a Super Bowl appearance and (hopefully) a win. In business, rewarding successful plays are just as important. By incentivizing hard work and rewarding engagement and results through top merchandise-rewards that employees crave, managers create an encouraging environment and elevate their employees, leading to higher loyalty, engagement and overall success.

To learn more on how Rymax can help design an employee engagement program to fit your needs, be sure to contact us today and connect with us on LinkedIn!