Build Habits For Game-Time Greatness — On The Field And In The Office

Jordan. Brady. Rice. While these names are synonymous with game-time greatness, they’re also remembered for their near-maniacal approach to preparation. Legend has it that Jerry Rice’s weight routine was so intense that other players couldn’t make it through without vomiting.

While the average knowledge worker isn’t built for such extremes, there is an important lesson to be learned. Professional athletes don’t expect to show up on game day and win based on just natural talent. Instead, they invest in conditioning, on building the habits and rituals that enable their success.

Preparation is where knowledge work often falls down. We go into meetings cold and leave with nothing to show for it. We dash off new mandates and don’t blink an eye when they get ignored. We skimp on important but non-urgent tasks such as providing constructive, real-time feedback or fostering connection across teams. We skip conditioning and show up to work every day like practice isn’t needed. And our results suffer because of it.

So how do we win? Like most things, it starts with a mindset shift. College courses, graduate programs, and professional development seminars focus on the “what” of our work – trends or standards for X industry, best practices for Y role. But what about the “how?” Where do we learn how to work? And when do we have the chance to brush up on the fundamentals? 

For the most part, we don’t. We’re pretty much left to figure out how to collaborate on our own. And, since incentives are focused on what we deliver vs. how we deliver it, there’s little individual reason to improve. Or so it seems.

In reality, crappy collaboration costs individuals, teams, and organizations real time and money. A lot of it. Every meeting that ends with indecision and another meeting? Time and money wasted. Every hour you spend tracking down a file that should be at your fingertips? Time and money wasted. Every pre-read that goes unread? Every special initiative that fizzles? Every decision that gets made and then unmade? Waste, all of it.

Being great at work takes work. It requires that teams come together and consciously decide how to collaborate. What topics require meetings vs. asynchronous input? When we meet, how do we structure our time, and how do we prepare to make the most of it? Where do we store our files, and how do we manage version control? When do we use email vs. messaging? Do we know when to just pick up the phone?

And then, it takes practice. It takes reinforcement. It requires that we give a shout-out when a team member facilitates a truly effective meeting, and that we provide constructive feedback when someone slips out of the agreed-upon norms and into old habits. It requires us, as leaders, to reinforce norms and not go around them when they’re inconvenient. And finally, it requires teams to come together regularly and check in on what’s working and what’s not. Where do we need more practice? Where do we need support?

Extraordinary teams aren’t just built on extraordinary individuals, whether you’re playing in the NFL or the Fortune 500. They’re built on habits and rituals that support success. Don’t skip out on building yours, or you might find yourself on the coaching carousel.