I was watching a professional football game on Monday night. While I have always realized that professional athletes get paid millions of dollars, something deeper struck me. My business coaching antennae went up. Not only do they earn millions of dollars, but it's for a few hours of actual "game time" a week. Now that's incredible financial leverage! Movie stars and rock stars do the same thing, focusing their time, talents and efforts almost exclusively on what they do best and getting paid extremely well for it.
For example, rock stars don't set up or break down the stage or sell tickets or keep the books. They do one thing well, they perform. They rock a few hours on stage each city they visit. When finished, they drive away in their limousines and save their talents for the next stage -- they don't major in minor things. Football players are the same way. They prepare for and then play one game a week. And again, they make millions. We business owners could stand to learn from this highly focused and simple approach to priority and performance management.
For sake of simplicity, this business coaching blog will focus only on professional football players. Everything in the preceding week and in their daily life is focused on and builds toward a critically important event -- Game Day. If they are not playing the game, they are conditioning or practicing so when it is game time, they are at their best and ready. And if they are not playing or practicing, they are taking time off to rejuvenate and heal. Again, everything revolves around the most important priority and for which they truly earn millions and millions of dollars -- Game Day!
As a business coach, I love the clarity and simplicity of the game day concept. Most business owners lack such a singular focus and rallying point. Unlike overworked and overwhelmed business owners, professional athletes are not trying to manage time, multiple roles, and dozens and dozens of low-value tasks. Athletes prioritize and simplify their world, with the help of coaches of course, by focusing on dedicated days: GAME DAYS, PRACTICE DAYS, and OFF DAYS.
While I'm certain it's not an easy work life, it sure sounds like a simple and focused one. When they wake up, it's either one of only three types of days -- game day, practice day, or off day. Everything is oriented around preparing for, performing in, or recovering from the focal point -- Game Day. When you function by dedicated days you can't get too distracted, too busy, too overwhelmed, or too lost. Each day, your focus is pretty set and clear. Such simplicity! Such business coaching implications.
What if business owners organized their week and work days around the concept of game days, practice days and off days? I think it would improve an owner's focus and effectiveness. Their world would be simplified, clarified and money would be multiplied. They could earn more money, work less hours, and enjoy richer lives. Why? For once, they would focus on and do more of the right work, less of the wrong work!
Just how would a professional athlete's priority management system work for a business owner? On game days, the owner would focus only on what he/she does best (e.g. selling, marketing, planning, client relations, innovating or creating). The owner would not handle any low-value work or get distracted by anything or anyone else on that day. Like an athlete, they would be in the zone. Game day is money day. Game day is the big show. Game day activities should get an owner's heart racing and passion flowing. On game day or days, the owner would focus only on the best and highest use of their time, talents, and efforts. Those activities that drive significant money and value into the business. As an example, let's say "selling major accounts" is your game day activity.
On practice days, you would get your game plan together and you would prepare for your upcoming game day activities (selling major accounts). Practice days would be for the sole purpose of getting you ready to be at your best for the handful of hours you will dedicate to your game day activities (selling major accounts). Like world-class athletes, your practice days are your preparation days (going over strategy, plays, drilling on fundamentals, etc). Your practice days would consist of the necessary tasks (selling strategy, research, sales presentation rehearsal, etc.) to get you physically and mentally ready to go out and deliver your best selling performance possible on game day -- score a sales touchdown.
What about off days? Off days would allow you to spend time away from work (game days and practice days) and rejuvenate your body, mind and soul. Movie stars take breaks or hiatuses. Football players get days off. As a business owner, you would take a real break from your company ... no calls, no emails, no work, no nothing. Time to re-charge your battery. This concept is already built into our coaching process. That you, as an owner, spend a day or two away from work (in addition to weekends) and pursue other passions, hobbies or time with family and friends. Why? So you can get refreshed and be at your best when you are back to work for practice days and most importantly, game days.
Doesn't that world (game, practice and off days) sound a lot simpler than the chaos, complexity, and countless low-value tasks you experience on a daily basis? Doesn't that world seem a lot more focused, strategic and effective? I think it does. Who would have thought business owners could learn so much from athletes and rock stars.
Why not try and organize your weeks into Game Days, Practice Days, and Off Days? You have nothing to lose, except for being overwhelmed and overworked, and much to gain ... clarity, focus, simplicity and sanity. Good luck on Game Day!
Daniel M. Murphy
The Growth Coach
Business Coaching Franchise System