Team that "Works with you"

"We were a formidable team, but the reason we clinched multiple Olympic medals was an exceptional coach."

Pullela Gopichand, played a pivotal role in transforming a struggling team into Olympic champions. Gopichand became the head coach of the Indian badminton team in 2006, during which he achieved remarkable success. Prior to his appointment, the Indian badminton team faced numerous challenges and had not secured Olympic medals. It was an arduous task as he was entrusted with turning the team into Olympic champions. Gopichand encountered many obstacles, such as injuries to star badminton players, evolving training methodologies, and the imperative for enhanced performance.

However, it was Gopichand's unwavering dedication, guidance, and innovative coaching strategies that rebuilt the team and led to stellar performances, resulting in multiple Olympic gold medals. Just as managers play a similar role in every organization, Gopichand exemplified the qualities that every people manager should aspire to embody.

People managers in any organization must plan, lead, and motivate their teams to achieve success, much like how Gopichand fostered an environment of collaboration and mutual respect within the badminton team. The key to success, whether it's in sports or business, lies in team engagement. Team engagement is pivotal, as managers significantly influence the engagement of their employees, accounting for approximately 70% of the variance in this metric. This underscores the impact of daily interactions between people managers and their teams on employee engagement.

So, if you are a people manager, whether in sports or in business, it is crucial for you to:

1. Understand the strengths of team members and motivate them to excel, as Gopichand did with his badminton players.
2. Maintain open and consistent communication channels up, down, and across the organization, just as Gopichand communicated effectively with his team and staff.
3. Develop team members by identifying their potential, providing training, and offering guidance, which is what led to the success of the Indian badminton team under Gopichand's leadership.

A good manager, whether in sports or business, can make a significant difference in an organization by focusing on these three key aspects of the role.