Duvall & Associates, Inc.
BUSINESS ADVISOR NEWSLETTER
 

 Play ball: Business, sports have a lot in common

- by Alan Duvall 

Published in Dayton Daily News  March 11, 2007 

“If it doesn’t matter who wins or loses – then why do they keep score?”  Vince Lombardi

Increasingly, business leaders are looking to sports for inspiration and management techniques capable of implementation into company cultures.  There are numerous parallels between business and sports: teamwork, discipline, communication and consistency.  

As an example, hospitals have studied race car pit stop teams to analyze techniques for choreographing emergency room personnel and hand-over skills as a patient passes from one doctor to another.  The teamwork and experience involved in handling pressure and developing tools for intense, quick and decisive analysis emulates the skills required for medicine.    

But not all race teams provide positive lessons, as Toyota recently learned when its Michael Waltrip got caught up in the Daytona cheating scandal.  

Recently, 500 business leaders eagerly lined up to pay Duke University $1,600 apiece for the privilege to view the inner sanctum of Coach Krzyzewski’s basketball practices.  The company officials studied Coach K’s teaching philosophies, system of repetitive drills and methods of motivation.  

Coach K preached the critical importance of recruiting quality players with character traits that fit into his winning culture which has earned 11 Final Four appearances and three national titles. 

Lessons obviously lost on the Cincinnati Bengals who have consistently drafted talented players with histories of malfeasance.  At the beginning of this past season, some analysts said they had the potential to play in the Super Bowl.  But the last year has been tarnished by nine player arrests, creating turmoil and a lackluster record.  Long-term success is achieved with quality individuals. 

And you cannot simply spend your way to success.  As proof, look at the New York Knicks under the leadership of General Manager Isiah Thomas.  The team has suffered years of futility despite having the highest payroll in professional basketball.  Spend wisely: lower paid employees with genuine passion for the job are much more valuable than talented underachievers. 

Coaches such as Tony Dungy of the Indianapolis Colts  can also remind business managers you can win in cerebral fashion without screaming at troops.  

“Put me in Coach – I’m ready to play today.” - John Fogerty  

Alan Duvall is a certified public accountant in Dayton.  Contact him at Alan@Duvallcpa.com.