What Being A New Football Mum Taught Me About The World Of Work

Watching anxiously from the sideline on a cold Sunday morning two weeks ago, I found myself feeling a little overwhelmed. I couldn’t quite remember all the rules of the game, and I wondered, at this age, how would they cope with defeat?

?A new football mum.?

?With training sessions now every Thursday evening, I’d been asked to help build the goals. Never mind the fact that I wasn’t even sure what football boots to put him in, or what kit he should be wearing.

?A new football mum.?

Fast forward to this week, we had lots of conversations leading up to the all-important Sunday morning game. “Mum, what if I let in a goal?” and, “Mum, what if I let my team down?” I replied as best as I could, “Just enjoy the game. Do your best and work together to be the best team you can be.”

Sunday morning. The sun’s shining, we arrive early to set up, start training, and mentally prepare for the next 40 minutes.?

It’s time to step into my new role as football mum. I’m offering encouragement from the sideline, shouting praise, and clapping both teams. As the first half draws to a close, he’s driving the best play he can, tackling, defending, running up the sideline, helping the goalie… but they’re still 6-0 down.?

?As the second half kicks off, this new football mum can’t watch. He’s stepped up to offer to play the second half in goal; a new, unfamiliar territory to this six-year-old. But, the sun is shining and so is he. He dives, kicks, jumps, runs and drives his players to control their actions and support them to defend their goal.?

?“Brilliant save, son. I am proud of you!” this new football mum shouts from the sideline. And then, the inevitable happens: one goal in, two goals in, three goals in. Time for this new football mum to run down the pitch to be as close to her son as she can. He’s looking absolutely deflated, hands on his head in disbelief and kicking his football boots on to the goal post.

?“Come on son, eyes on the ball. I believe in you. Your team needs you.”

?He turns and smiles, a new resolve on his little face. He saves one goal, saves two goals, saves three goals.?The whistle blows, and the parents all cheer. Smiles all round, they line up, shake hands and congratulate one another for a great match.?The parents all break into conversation, the barriers come down, and the coach starts to speak. “This week’s player of the match is…”

Time for this new football mum to shed a tear, as she discovers that the other parents unanimously selected her son this week. They all break into applause, pack up, and then…

?Both teams of under 7s start playing, together. Free play, and hugs all round when a goal is scored. Chatting, sharing best practices and supporting one another. What could have been a huge defeat, turned into a chance to learn and bond. The score was forgotten, and nothing mattered anymore but having a kick-around.?

?This new football mum stands back, relaxed and relieved.

?As long as you drive the right activity and have passion to deliver, the rest will come in time.?Encouragement, praise and support is all those children were looking for, and all we ever look for within our professional lives.

?In today’s world of work, teams are different from the teams of the past. They’re far more diverse, dispersed, digital, and dynamic. But while teams face new hurdles, their success still hinges on a core set of fundamentals for group collaboration. High-performing teams comprise members with a balance of skills, both technical and social.

?As a leader, you need to be able to take those tedious tasks and reframe them as the goals that will ultimately win the match. Give ownership, and plenty of praise along the way. Motivation and engagement is key, and will ultimately improve the quality, quantity and efficiency of the work your team is producing. Just like my son, you may have a team member that seems to be in over their head – but by providing challenges that excite them along with plenty of reassurance and team spirit, you might just be surprised at what they can achieve.

?Teamwork has never been easy, but in recent years it’s become much more complex. The trends that make it more difficult seem likely to continue, as?teams become increasingly global, virtual, and project-driven. Taking a systematic approach to analysing how well your team is set up to succeed —and identifying where improvements are needed — can make all the difference.

?Right now, I look to my team and take a step back. If we can all be successful and work together and show a little bit of ‘under 7s’ spirit, we will all be successful in our daily goals.?

?Here at Gleeson Recruitment Group, we believe in supporting and encouraging our team members to be the very best they can be. Whether you’re totally new to recruitment or you’re an experienced recruiter looking for a new opportunity in an exciting and dynamic environment, we’ve opportunities available within our office support division. To learn more, contact me on [email protected].