Everyone loves a sport analogy, when it comes to performance, overcoming odds or working as a team.
But they tend to be bad examples in practice.
For one, we rarely talk about the punitive environment of sports.
If someone isn’t a team player or is underperforming, they might get traded or not play the next match.
In the real world, this doesn’t happen.
If someone underperforms, there are processes and protocols that we must follow. Coaching and performance discussions to disciplinary and formal investigations are utilised.
We can’t just “not play” the individual.
The metaphors often relate to elite sporting contexts.
Individuals and teams that have often dedicated their entire lives to this one performance or moment.
Have you dreamt of, and worked towards, being the best management accountant or resource planner or quantity surveyor in the history of those professions?
With that in mind, elite sportspersons train for 99% of the time and perform for 1%.
In the non-sports world, it’s pretty much the reverse.
Finally, we mustn’t underestimate the impact of personality.
Traits such as narcissism, Machiavellianism and psychopathy have benefits in some contexts some of the time.
In sports, being able separate emotion from the task, or believing yourself to be unique, special and above others, might be benefits of these traits.
But in civvy street, these can be derailers in some situations.
Whilst they make great metaphors and analogies (and some parts of those examples do translate), we must be careful that we’re not creating a false narrative that has more relevance in the inspiration realm than the practical realm.
If you want to create high-performing teams, don’t look to the 4×100 Relay; Look to organisational psychology.
