All-white tennis outfits, strawberries and cream, the inevitable stops for rain. While Wimbledon may seem a world away from the office, there’s a lot that we can learn from elite tennis players about preparation, strategy and on-the-day performance.
Belief is important
When asked the key to his success, Andy Murray said that “You have to go into each match believing you can beat all of the players.” Skill, practice and commitment are all important but if you don’t believe in yourself, then you’re at a disadvantage.
In the world of work, belief is also important. You need to be confident in yourself and your ability, and believe that you can make a difference. Your goals should be achievable but challenging and they will sometimes come with an element of risk. But to make real changes, your business and your employees needs to embrace that.
Try to foster an environment where people can challenge thinking and brainstorm new approaches. And if you or your employees don’t feel confident, then look at the ways to develop your skills.
Take the time to train
In many office jobs, the emphasis is on day-to-day work but little time is allocated for training. In contrast, tennis players spend about 90% of their time training and only 10% of their time competing.
While it would be unrealistic to expect to mirror those proportions in the office, being able to spend more time learning is really valuable. From formal courses to time on research and reading, it’s essential that employees have time to think about new tactics, test scenarios and simply get better at what they do.
But this requires a mindset change. Google has “20% time” where their employees spend “20% of their time working on what they think will most benefit Google”. If you can’t commit to this, be flexible and allow people to learn through mentors, informal research or brainstorming. Training is an investment in future performance.
New balls please
Every nine games (and after the first seven) the balls are swapped over to ensure they aren’t scuffed or damaged. While this means that 54,250 balls are used during the championship, it also ensures players are using the best.
It’s also important that your business is investing in the right equipment and upgrading anything that is old or outdated. If you can’t afford the upfront costs, there are a number of options available from leasing to getting things through the sharing economy.
Having a regular schedule to review things also helps. At Wimbledon, the umpire tracks the number of games and knows when the balls should be changed. Businesses can do the same by allocating someone to regularly review everything from the technology you use to your policies and marketing campaigns. Over time, things change but with a schedule to review activity and equipment, you’re more likely to stay compliant and competitive.
Take time for recovery
After finishing a tournament, players take time to recover and rest. Although they train hard, they also balance this with time away from the court.
Similarly, it’s important that employees get time to relax after a big project. Celebrate the achievement, let people have a bit of a breather and then refocus on the next project.
No one performs at their best when they’re under constant pressure, which is something that the top players and their coaches understand. But in business, 1 in 5 people report that they’ve taken time off work due to stress and 1 in 10 people have resigned a job due to stress. Employers can help reduce workplace stress by ensuring staff have the right support and that there’s a culture of openness where employees can discuss the challenges they face and make recommendations for change.