Bouncing Back from Disappointment
Following the defeat of England’s football team against Italy in the final of the Euro 2020 tournament, there was a collective feeling of deflation across the nation. After the run of success the team enjoyed, and the belief that this year would be England’s time, coming second was a big disappointment.
This got us thinking about hard times in businesses, and how to manage and overcome setbacks. Here we take a look at coming back from a defeat against a backdrop of England’s Euro 2020 tournament.
Reflect and analyse
In his post-match press conference, Gareth Southgate commented that he needed to watch the match back to see if there were any areas where things went wrong or had a detrimental effect on the game and its outcome.
It isn’t always easy to admit that you have made mistakes, but doing so can help to identify learning lessons for the future. And when your business is moving at a pace, there often isn’t time to reflect on potential areas for improvement. Where mistakes or problems do arise, be sure to talk to the members of the team involved and try to work positively together to find a new way of doing things that will avoid the same thing happening again.
Stay focused
Amid the media frenzy that surrounded Euro 2020, staying focused must have been hard to do at times, especially as the team progressed through the tournament. However, the players seemed to do a very good job of remaining calm and keeping their minds set on the job at hand.
When it comes to business, stumbling blocks along the way towards an end goal can seriously derail you. Whilst staying positive is important, you should also be realistic that the journey is unlikely to be smooth sailing all of the way. There will always be the threat of another business that might out play you, or your own customers turning against you for no reason and no explanation.
Stay strong, make best use of all of your resources at hand and keep focused on the end goal.
Pull together
If there’s one positive to take from England’s 2020 Euro journey, it’s the exemplary attitude of the players, both on and off the pitch, under the careful stewardship of Gareth Southgate. Throughout the tournament, Gareth was recognised for his capabilities as a strong leader; being able to both sympathise and empathise with the players whilst also giving them strong direction.
In times of disappointment or difficulty, having team members you can rely on can make a significant impact on how you bounce back, and ultimately move forward as a business. As a business leader, it is likely that your team will look to you for direction. This doesn’t mean smoothing over the cracks and acting like nothing has happened; it means recognising the hurdle whilst also communicating a plan of how to take the next steps. Draw on the skills and talents of individual team members to get the best out of them whilst also keeping everyone in the loop via regular updates.
Ultimately, although this wasn’t to be the year that football came home, from each situation there are positives to be drawn and lessons to be learnt. The same can so often also be said in business. Agenda’s business consultants work with businesses to help identify strengths and areas for improvement, working with business owners to help them formulate and put into action a meaningful plan. Get in touch for a free consultation.
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