Business is all about the warmth of the Club House

As the father of four very active children I found myself again this weekend stood on the touchlines of many a football and rugby pitch.  It was particularly challenging this time around because the British spring time is nearly here and of course this means sub-zero temperatures and rain that has the ability to circumnavigate my arctic warfare attire and channel its way through to my unprepared human skin.  What is starkly ironic amongst the parents are conversations about how their precious didn’t want to get out of bed, ‘it’s too cold’ ‘I want to lay in’ ‘I can’t find my kit’ and of course’ it wouldn’t hurt to miss one week’  One such Father and long suffering friend who has energetically turned out week on week to watch his eldest perform asked, ‘remind me why we do this again’?  It was a tricky question because first, in between syllables a large bucket of cold water was thrown over him and second, at our most challenging times it is easier to forget the reason.

Another long suffering Dad and good friend of mine is Andrew Hull.  Zest are proud sponsors of the team he tirelessly coaches, Bray FC. http://localgiving.com/charity/brayfc

Bray is a very small outfit, in a small village, with a small pool of players to choose from.  They are a club operating in a South East league which can boast big towns and big players.  A metaphor once used by local media was that of ‘a rowing boat in a channel of battleships’.  However, since they were founded as a club they won most things in their group last season; now compete a full year above their age and this summer will be competing in Holland against international competition.  It is quite simple; Andrew is a coach in the full sense of our business ethos.  He recognises the talent in the team, he is flexible to their needs, he stands alongside them, he lets them play in every position, he lets them develop, he listens to them, there is only ever learning from mistakes and the focus is always on the goal.

In his hilarious account of managing a boy’s football team, Jim White vividly explains ‘You’ll win nothing with kids, fathers, sons and football (ABACUS Publishing).  Actually what really happens throughout is he discusses something more valuable than any trophy; a means of connecting and communicating with people and nurturing the relationship between fathers sons and football.  In other words, Leadership, Team and Business.

There is a raft of research concerning positivity, people power, focus on the goal and not the barriers.  As a business development company we have the beauty of independence from our clients.  We stand with the CEO’s (The parents) on the touchline, we listen to the comments and we see the frustrations in the cold weather of the current economy.  There are the parents who feel the cold and wet, the parents who complain and indeed the parents who don’t even turn up!  There are of course the successful ones who respond to the question ‘remind me why we are here’?  ‘just wait until those kids are warm in the club house and talking about how well they played’.

Next weekend?  Same again, different opposition but we will all be better equipped after last week.

Post written by Paul Cook