In basketball, teams have scoring bursts where they post a bunch of points on the opponent in a short period of time. It happens in almost every game. In car racing the driver determines the times in the race to make a move to the front, and in marathons runners know if they charge too hard early they won’t have the right amount of energy for the final kick. It’s all about pacing.
Athletes who study their sport know what it takes to win and they are intimately aware of the critical role pacing plays in winning. So why does business think it can push full bore all day, every day, every month?
If a marathoner uses a sprinter’s training and techniques he will surely lose his long distance race. The strategy doesn’t fit the intent.
1. Use the right strategy
The economy is down, revenue is down, you’ve laid off workers and you are demanding more from the staff you have left trying to squeeze every ounce of profit you can from every month. Does this sound familiar? You will not get your best effort from people if you are asking them to sprint through a marathon. Fatigue will cause mistakes, poor customer interaction and low morale which turns the marathon into a marathon slogging through mud. Find the right strategy to win the race you are in.
2. Decide the race you are in.
For athletes they know the race they have entered and they understand the competition. Are you running a marathon or a 100 yard dash? Are you in a 500 mile race or 250 mile race? Are you playing to out-score your opponent every quarter or just have a higher score at the end of the game?
In business you must determine if you are trying to achieve a particular monthly financial statement or looking at a yearly goal? Are you only seeing a one year vision or are you trying to work with a three year vision? Are you asking your employees to sprint and maximize their effort every minute of every day, or are you running a marathon where they are encouraged to adjust their pace for the long run?
3. Train the pace you expect
Basketball players get to rest during the game as a way to pace their on-court activities and those scoring runs happen when one team is better rested than the opponent. It’s the ebb and flow of the game. Runners give themselves “breaks” during a race and slow down. Elite runners are constantly monitoring their pace because they know how critical it is for them to stay on task to execute the proper strategy at the end of the race. Race car drivers ride laps in the middle of a race maintaining position to save their intense positioning maneuver efforts for the last laps. They can’t win without proper pacing. Where do you encourage your employees to pace themselves?
Asking every employee to give their maximum effort all the time is asking them to burn out and make mistakes and ultimately cost you more than you gain. Teach them how to pace. Let them know a break is needed and encouraged. Design into the job a mental break from the tasks they grind away at. Set the tone for the race you are in and make sure you are using the right techniques and training to win the race you are involved in and trying to win.
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