TOW: Three Things You Can't Get Back

Over the last couple of years, I've had the pleasure of investing in a small individual start-up that is near and dear to me and is starting to show promise. Granted, this small start-up happens to be my son's basketball journey (unshameful plug) through high school and AAU basketball (@FundamentalU Family), and what a journey it has been thus far. Any parent taking a similar journey understands that it is truly an investment, and we would all gladly see our kids happy.

I could sit here and talk about the superlatives I've been witness to, whether it's directly through his growth, the collaboration with teammates, building trust with others, the great coaches who have helped mold these kids, or the fantastic group of parents we're all lucky enough to count as friends.? All of that is great, but that's not what this is about.? As much as I've preached to my son about being appreciative of the opportunities afforded to him and being mindful of the people he could learn from, I've also been doing the same.?

In the last couple of years, I've been lucky enough to accompany my son to a camp run by Tommy Amaker, the former Duke Blue Devils basketball player (1983-1987) and head coach of the men's basketball program at Harvard University since 2007.? I've always had respect for the coach and his staff as I do not claim to know them, but having attended his camp the last two years, there's an appreciation for how he and his staff approach the game.? They don't' approach sport through the game itself but through the game of life. The coach ends each day by ensuring every player and parent walks out there with three things you can't have back.? The three things he closed the days were that time, opportunity, and words (TOW) are the things you can't get back. This is isn't something that Coach Amaker created as the words originate back to influential philosopher Confucius. We'll return to these three works and discuss how to think about them in today's business world.

Sports are not like the workplace in many ways, but in many ways, they are.? You have coaches (executive leadership) who are supported by their assistant coaches (directors and managers) overseeing the execution (vision) of a game plan (operations) conducted by their players (workforce resources) in hopes of winning (be best in class and earn revenues).? Watching Coach Amaker and his staff work with nearly two hundred players over two days while keeping the program operating without missing a beat draws many parallels to business operations.? Operating at one's highest operational efficiency is the same whether in the office or on the court, as outcomes-based results drive both.

The game has evolved in the same way that business has evolved.? I grew up in the 90s era of basketball, where the game was a mix of skill and wrestling, and there was nothing better than earning a foul if it didn't come with someone ending up on the ground. My son has grown up in today's era of basketball, where the game is a mix of skill and football (soccer) style fouls where blowing on someone's jersey is considered a technical foul (yeah – I went there).? Don't get me wrong – I have no issues with today's players as the game has evolved, and we, as fans, have evolved too.? KD, Steph, Lebron, Kyrie, Tatum, Luka, Shai, Lavine, Embiid, Ant, Giannis, Joker - all fantastic.? I had to adjust my mindset of the game and accept that teams today will attempt over eighty-three pointers in a single game when, in the past, they'd be lucky to attempt ten.? Remember Jordan's six-three-pointers in the half against the Lakers in the finals, and how exceptional was that performance?? In today's NBA, for Steph Curry,? that's a Tuesday.?

Well, the business world has evolved too, and continues to in the same way the game does.? Coaching had to change in the same way leadership has had to change.? See, back in the day with coaching; you attempted to mix skill with finding players who fit specific roles to run the offense.? A point guard was a point guard, and a center was a center.? One played outside, and one played inside.? Equally skilled at their position, but nonetheless, coached differently.? When looking at the workforce, every organization has its departments running in silos and are efficient at what they do.? Accounting is excellent with numbers. IT is great with technology.? HR is squarely focused on people management.? All are part of one organization driving towards the same goal but operating piece by piece.?

Fast forward to today's game of basketball, the traditional big man doesn't exist.? It was unheard of for a center in the 1980s, 1990s, and even 2000s to shoot a three-pointer.? I grew up watching Hakeem Olajuwon, David Robinson, Shaq, and Patrick Ewing, and shooting a three wasn't in their zip code on the court.? Today's bog man's are anchored by Jovic, Embiid, Karl Anthony Towns, and Anthony Davis, who are encouraged and practically live in that 3-point zip code.? Shoot, I saw Brook Lopez of the Milwaukee Bucks take more three-pointers in a half than Dame Lillard last year.?

The game has evolved, and so have business organizations.? The truth is, every organization, regardless of department, runs on technology.? Every organization has to continuously evolve because digital transformation, as we know, is going through its own form of transformation, one that sees the entire organizational department live and breathe through a single ecosystem. Whether it's a healthcare organization investing in EHR like Epic , an e-commerce organization investing in a CRM like Salesforce , or a legal firm investing in a system like Filevine , every department, every resource, and every skill set is being asked to transform and work within that system.? Digital transformation boils down to human transformation when it comes down it. The reason by businesses transform is because it's people do. A business is still a business producing goods and services just like basketball is still basketball producing offense and defense, albeit differently. Just like a point guard in Russell Westbrook, averaging over ten rebounds or accounting resources asking to do their work within the tools available to them in a CRM, we operate in cross-functional work spaces regardless of our personal or professional background.

This brings me back to Coach Amaker.? Recall that Coach stated you can't get back time, words, and opportunity.? He didn't expand much on what that meant but kept it simple.? When time, words, and opportunity are gone, they're gone. It doesn't mean all is lost. You hope to have more of them, but know they're not guaranteed. Nothing is. Remain hopeful. Look for the next opportunity.

While we're all imperfect, the lesson I took away was that while we can't look back, we can use our time, words, and opportunities more wisely in anticipation of what may come next while considering the unexpected. As it relates to my son, he's the best opportunity and wisest investment I'll ever make, so in handling his journey, I'm mindful of the time I spend from a work/life balance to be present for him and the words I use in motivation to make sure he capitalizes on the opportunities in front of him.

I think the entire point Coach Amaker was trying to teach the kids [and remind adults] was to simply be thoughtful and try not to waste time, choose words carefully, and do not miss the opportunity when presented. We all need that reminder.