Every outcome has a learn

Last night was not the result that many of us hoped for at kick off, hence my semi final picture turned out a bit dark in the end.

But here are my learns from the tournament, the England performance and the outcome.

Leadership and Team Building – This was a team that has been consistently built with a vision for English football (whether you agree with it or not) and by a leader that the team obviously respected and whom I believe the majority of football know has done a great job.

Have the right people in the right roles – the team was full of talent, but were the right players used at the right time, for the right games or styles? As in business, we can’t have the square pegs in round holes or we struggle. ?

Strength in depth – you can rely on the consistent performers, who you trust, but you also need a back up of resources that you can trust just as much. Take Rugby, we very much saw this with the All Blacks this weekend!

When to Adapt – Football teams must adapt to changing circumstances, such as injuries, weather conditions, or unexpected strategies from opponents. In business, not every customer, supplier or team member are the same, so like each tournament or game, we have to be able to adapt. Not long ago we raved about Spain for their keep ball and Tiki-taka football, that brought Euro and World Cup success, but for this tournament they played an unexpected, different style (perhaps more English?!).

Be Brave – this was a phrase that I often heard raised by commentators and pundits. It is often this type of approach in business that gets different results to the rest. We saw how teams took calculated risks, such as aggressive plays or tactical changes, to gain an advantage. It’s not going gung-ho but finding your way, as a team or individuals, to take risks you’d perhaps naturally avoid.

Performance under pressure – in business there are times when it’s not easy despite being simple. We saw how various teams reacted to the pressure of expectation etc. As entrepreneurs we put a lot of pressure on ourselves, but can you be yourself under immense pressure that is generated from outside your control?

Support – it is so evident that whoever we are, we are better with support around us. Gareth Southgate experienced thrown cups to abusive words, even when we are winning. From the fans, to the pundits, the manager and team were not always supported. It’s a challenge for any of us to obtain the wider support and positive contribution, so get good people around you to help keep things in perspective.

Analysing the competition – The international coaching staff and teams will spend time analysing their opponents, understanding their strengths, weaknesses, and tactics. When running a Business how do you best understand your competitors and identify their weaknesses to exploit or your own strengths that will stand out?

It’s a results business – Many may not like the style of our play and others will say we had the easy side of the draw, but ultimately it was another final appearance after many years of inconsistency despite the talent. Business is also a results business. We can’t afford to just participate without winning now and again with a bit of luck or hard work. Like the England coaching staff, how do you plan to get the results consistently?

Consistency – the Best team won. The most consistent team throughout the tournament shone through. In business, we don’t just hope to win and we should not surprise ourselves too often with good performance but also be consistent performers.

Be in the now – in a few weeks, months, years, decades, no one will really remember how we played but the record books will show were had two final appearances and one semi final in very recent times. In business, your accounts will remain on record for how you performed not how you did it!

Goals - The ultimate goal is to win the tournament, but teams set smaller, incremental goals, such as winning individual matches or improving specific skills. In business, I certainly encourage you to break down the mission and vision into smaller steps. This gives you more celebration along the way!

You don’t always achieve the goal, but with one you often get closer.

Lastly, today you can’t change yesterday so have no regrets how you perform today.

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What were your comparisons?