“ There is no failure in business. There’s good days, bad days; some days you are able to be successful ,some days you are not. Some days it’s your turn, some days it’s not. That’s what business is about.” The quote is from Giannis Antetokounmpo he actually said it about sport not business. He was answering his critics in a media conference following the surprise defeat of his team by a much lower ranked team. Bear in mind this is fiercely competitive, highly successful, dedicated professional not someone who lacks passion, ability or determination. It was not the usual , we hold our hands up , it wasn’t good enough and we apologise to our supporters. It was a brave response because supporters have high expectations and many will see this response as avoiding responsibility, unwilling to accept they made mistakes, simply didn’t try hard enough , even they don’t care enough. It was an honest response because sometimes events conspire against you, some times the calculated risks don’t come off, sometimes despite the talent and effort things don’t work out. Management consultants, gurus and commentators are fond of making comparisons between sport and business and identifying how lessons learned in successful sports teams can be applied to organisations. There are many similarities, the competitive nature of the environment they operate in, the significance of a successful strategy, the importance of developing a team spirit, the ability to attract and retain talent, the emphases on motivation, communication and resilience. So Giannis’ spirited response to his critics in the media will resonate with many managers and their organisation.
But it would take a brave senior manager to tell the media there are no failures in business or Local Government.
Blair Mcpherson former director author and blogger wwwblairmcpherson.co.uk
