{"id":8275,"date":"2017-11-14T16:14:10","date_gmt":"2017-11-14T15:14:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.munich-business-school.de\/insights\/?p=8275"},"modified":"2017-11-15T09:46:23","modified_gmt":"2017-11-15T08:46:23","slug":"sport-skill-can-help-achieve-best-in-business-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.munich-business-school.de\/insights\/en\/2017\/sport-skill-can-help-achieve-best-in-business-2\/","title":{"rendered":"A Skill Vital to Professional Sport Can Help You Achieve Your Best in Business (Part 2)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Part 1: <\/em>Self-Reflection \u2013 a Game-Changing Ability<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/em>Developing self-reflection in the workplace, can lead to elite individual or organizational performance. <\/em><\/p>\n

During my work-life in a global professional service firm, there were formalized and rigorous 360-degree six-monthly performance reviews as well as ad-hoc reviews after client meetings, but rarely were they rigorous, structured or regular. Furthermore, they were not necessarily requiring the employee (depending on the partner leading the review) to reflect of their own performance. If they did, then it was their own initiative.<\/p>\n

However, this characteristic was present in the best performing employees; only it was a characteristic they have developed themselves. Given that professional services firms were focussed on helping others with their efficiency, firm structure, training, and even leadership, it was really very surprising that this was not embedded in the culture for someone coming from an elite sporting background.<\/p>\n

Knowing first-hand the benefits of self-reflection to a serious professional sportsperson, let\u2019s look to how this can be applied in a business setting.<\/p>\n

How Self-Reflection Takes Place in Elite Sport<\/h2>\n

For individuals or teams playing elite sport, it is common practice to reflect on the results of the performance during the pauses in the game (e.g. halftime), race, or event, in discussions between the athlete and coaches, or indeed at the end of the game, either directly after the game, race, or event, or in the days following it.<\/p>\n

This might involve checking tangible data, for example the splits in a race or the possession efficiency, passing accuracy, shots-on-goal, goals, or goal assists. Or it could involve less tangible aspects like strategies or tactics, e.g. attacking intent, aggression or directness of play. Whether it is tennis, football or Olympic sport, understanding what is going well (or went well) and what isn\u2019t going so well (or didn\u2019t go so well) in respect to a recent activity, self-reflection is common practice.<\/p>\n

Furthermore, at relevant periods during the season or at the end of the season, it is common to reflect more broadly about your own (or the team\u2019s) strengths or weaknesses (e.g. fast first part of a race, a good defense), which tends to identify things that require a longer timeframe for change to occur.<\/p>\n

In a Professional Sense, What Could You Self-Reflect On?<\/h2>\n

There are countless areas that could occupy your focus depending on what your professional goals and profession are. It could be your ability to meet set goals, ability to engage others, to win, manage or successfully complete projects, your ability to motivate and lead employees, to engage partners, ability to problem-solve, to negotiate at a broader level, your ability to communicate clearly through spoken or written forms, how you run meetings or your ability to handle workplace conflict.<\/p>\n

Choose whatever macro or micro-level issue that has an impact on your performance, with focus on those activities that have a higher impact on your performance. In the sporting environment I was involved in, there were a set of team rules which applied to all (and were considered most important), a set of individual objectives (and related to your own position), and finally a list of 1%ers, all of which contributed to elite performance.<\/p>\n

Principals of Self-Reflection<\/h3>\n

There a number of important principles of self-reflection. Firstly, view improvement in any activity as a process in which improvement is a matter of practice (like learning to hit a good volley). It is also important to stay \u2018neutral\u2019 in your reflection, try not to take it personally, or make it personal (to others). Instead, remove the emotion to take a bird\u2019s eye view or your own (or others\u2019) behavior. A further aspect to good self-reflection is to avoid criticism (which is judgmental) or labeling (e.g. \u2018incompetent\u2019) and instead remain balanced in your self-reflection. There are always things that went well (find them!) as well as areas for improvement.<\/p>\n

A Process for Self-Reflection<\/h3>\n

The following offers a process for reflecting on your own performance in a work setting:<\/p>\n