Chuck Terry
Executive Vice President & Chief Sales Officer
Carew International, Inc.
As an ex-athlete myself, I obviously have a bias in this arena; but over the years, I have noticed a correlation between athletes (or ex-athletes) and the presence of certain professional qualities that provide a competitive advantage in the business arena. The other day, I was having a conversation with my twelve year old son about this very subject. He plays hockey in Colorado and I was explaining to him that the lessons he is learning from playing sports are lessons that will serve him well the rest of his life. With that in mind, here are some of the insights I shared with my twelve year old son about how organized sports are preparing him for his professional career (just in case the pro hockey dream doesn’t pan out):
1) The Value of Hard Work and Sacrifice: In this day and age, I see more and more job applicants entering the work place with a well developed sense of entitlement. In competitive sports, you quickly learn that the only benefit to “just showing up” is a juice box at the end of the game. If you want to play, you have to work hard to earn your opportunity. If you slack off, there is always someone nipping at your heels to get your spot. In order to devote the time to work hard, you have to be willing to sacrifice. While your buddies are playing video games, hanging out with their friends, or watching Hannah Montana, you are practicing hard to get better at your sport. The value of that work ethic is more critical now than it has ever been in the professional world.
2) Insights from Winning and Losing: In competitive sports you experience the euphoria of winning, and the pain of losing. More importantly, you appreciate the preparation and effort behind the win, and the need to identify and correct the mistakes that caused your loss. You learn to enjoy the win but respect your opponent and not become a poor sport. You will probably face them again. Win or lose, you learn from the experience, resist dwelling on the outcome and focus ahead to the next game. Anyone in sales will attest to the power of resilience.
3) Learning How to Be Coached: I have been a fly fishing guide as a hobby for many years, and have taught hundreds of beginners to fly fish. I can attest firsthand that athletes consistently master the technical skills of casting a fly rod much faster than those with no athletic background. Why? Because they know how to be coached. They have mastered the skill of translating verbal instructions into physical actions. I have seen the same correlation in sales training, where the goal is to get beyond the transfer of information to a change in behavior. The ability to be coached obviously translates to every sector of the business world, from your first gig at the burger stand all the way through to the corner office in corporate America.
4) The Power of Teamwork: In any team sport, you quickly learn the value of being a good teammate. From learning to cheer your teammates on to celebrating the outcomes of a well played event, it all has application in the business world. One of the important lessons you learn is that no matter what position you play, doing your job to the best of your ability is critical to the entire TEAM winning. Whether you are the quarterback or the right guard, both jobs being done effectively are critical to winning. It is a pretty common saying that there is no “I” in team. People who have played competitive sports have learned how to be good teammates on the job long before they reach the work place.
5) True Leadership: Leadership is such an integral part of team sports. I can think of no other environment so rich in opportunities to learn and practice the essential skills of leadership, such as leading by example, encouraging those who are struggling, and inspiring your teammates through your words and actions. In sports and in business, some of the strongest leaders on a team may not have the official designation of captain/manager/vice president, but their contribution is every bit as valuable.
There you have it, pretty much just as I explained it to my son. This is not intended to imply that a background in organized sports is necessary to succeed in business; rather, to recognize and evoke valuable skills that may already reside within each of us.
Executive Vice President & Chief Sales Officer
Carew International, Inc.
As an ex-athlete myself, I obviously have a bias in this arena; but over the years, I have noticed a correlation between athletes (or ex-athletes) and the presence of certain professional qualities that provide a competitive advantage in the business arena. The other day, I was having a conversation with my twelve year old son about this very subject. He plays hockey in Colorado and I was explaining to him that the lessons he is learning from playing sports are lessons that will serve him well the rest of his life. With that in mind, here are some of the insights I shared with my twelve year old son about how organized sports are preparing him for his professional career (just in case the pro hockey dream doesn’t pan out):
1) The Value of Hard Work and Sacrifice: In this day and age, I see more and more job applicants entering the work place with a well developed sense of entitlement. In competitive sports, you quickly learn that the only benefit to “just showing up” is a juice box at the end of the game. If you want to play, you have to work hard to earn your opportunity. If you slack off, there is always someone nipping at your heels to get your spot. In order to devote the time to work hard, you have to be willing to sacrifice. While your buddies are playing video games, hanging out with their friends, or watching Hannah Montana, you are practicing hard to get better at your sport. The value of that work ethic is more critical now than it has ever been in the professional world.
2) Insights from Winning and Losing: In competitive sports you experience the euphoria of winning, and the pain of losing. More importantly, you appreciate the preparation and effort behind the win, and the need to identify and correct the mistakes that caused your loss. You learn to enjoy the win but respect your opponent and not become a poor sport. You will probably face them again. Win or lose, you learn from the experience, resist dwelling on the outcome and focus ahead to the next game. Anyone in sales will attest to the power of resilience.
3) Learning How to Be Coached: I have been a fly fishing guide as a hobby for many years, and have taught hundreds of beginners to fly fish. I can attest firsthand that athletes consistently master the technical skills of casting a fly rod much faster than those with no athletic background. Why? Because they know how to be coached. They have mastered the skill of translating verbal instructions into physical actions. I have seen the same correlation in sales training, where the goal is to get beyond the transfer of information to a change in behavior. The ability to be coached obviously translates to every sector of the business world, from your first gig at the burger stand all the way through to the corner office in corporate America.
4) The Power of Teamwork: In any team sport, you quickly learn the value of being a good teammate. From learning to cheer your teammates on to celebrating the outcomes of a well played event, it all has application in the business world. One of the important lessons you learn is that no matter what position you play, doing your job to the best of your ability is critical to the entire TEAM winning. Whether you are the quarterback or the right guard, both jobs being done effectively are critical to winning. It is a pretty common saying that there is no “I” in team. People who have played competitive sports have learned how to be good teammates on the job long before they reach the work place.
5) True Leadership: Leadership is such an integral part of team sports. I can think of no other environment so rich in opportunities to learn and practice the essential skills of leadership, such as leading by example, encouraging those who are struggling, and inspiring your teammates through your words and actions. In sports and in business, some of the strongest leaders on a team may not have the official designation of captain/manager/vice president, but their contribution is every bit as valuable.
There you have it, pretty much just as I explained it to my son. This is not intended to imply that a background in organized sports is necessary to succeed in business; rather, to recognize and evoke valuable skills that may already reside within each of us.
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