Important Lessons that Managers Need to Focus On

Prominent managers need to focus on a variety of different things. As a manager, you need to be constantly aware of your surroundings. Anthony Hudson was the head coach of Colorado Rapids and is one of the youngest coaches to earn the Pro License from UEFA. He also became the youngest manager to lead a team in the Confederations Cup. According to him, here are some important lessons that managers should focus on.

1. The tactical scheme before the list of players

In football, the coach defines the tactics of play with regard to the analysis of his opponent and his playing potential before determining the list of players and their role in the field. The composition of a team, and even less the replacements that it may possibly perform during the match, do not matter the most. What matters most is a coach’s ability to change the game of his team according to the circumstances of the match.

Similarly, in a company, you must first start by developing your strategy before drawing your organizational chart and recruiting new employees. It is the strategy that we will strengthen a role. It is how you will be able to define the profile needed for each role, before hiring talent to perform it.

In short, we do not transform the company by changing its organizational chart or by appointing new people, but by adapting its strategy and management.

2. The control of the game is more important than the formation of the team in the field

In football, it is not the formation of the team on the field (ex: 4–4–2 / 3–5–2) that counts the most. Although it does play a significant role, what matters more is the control of the game. According to the circumstances of the match, the defenders may be led to animate the attack and score goals. The attackers are no longer limited to their function and can play the role of the first line of defense, if needed. In fact, that is how modern football works. Players like Jordi Alba being a core aspect of the attack and Cristiano Ronaldo tracking back to the defense are prime examples. The lateral movements, the offside lines, the movements during the set kicks, the pressure exerted by the midfielders are the determining elements of the game of a team.

In business, it is not the functions and tasks that matter but rather the way the manager will animate his team: distribution of roles, interactions between entities and people, organization of internal information flows. Like football, the spirit of solidarity and the common objectives must prevail over the individual attributions: the fact of “playing” for others and not only in a strict perimeter a defined function is something that generates the difference in performance.