Lessons from the cricket pitch: 5 things the game teaches us about business
|Published
By Anand Subbaraj
Cricket is a game that involves strategy, direction from a leader, teamwork, and fast reaction to various elements of the game – whether it is the bowler spinning the ball at high speed or the team in the field waiting to see how the batsman hits a bowled ball and responding accordingly.
Business shares many similarities with cricket, from strategy and leadership to management and the need for reacting fast and smartly to operational or market influences or challenges in order to make the business a success.
Businesses have to think and plan like this too. Over the years, I’ve learnt that field service management and the game of cricket have quite a bit in common.
Raise awareness
Just as cricket needs mass awareness to grow in new markets, industries looking to hire skilled talent also require increased visibility to highlight its career opportunities – and this is particularly true for field service management. Elevating these professions – especially those that are specialised – and showing the possibilities will attract a younger workforce, especially important in field service as the current workforce ages.
Nurture talent
Of course, identifying and recruiting talent is very different from ensuring that it pays full dividends for your organisation. That’s as true for businesses as it is for cricket teams.
Recruiting and nurturing talent in cricket share many similarities with doing the same in business. Both benefit from effective training programmes, strong team support systems, and low-stakes trial opportunities that help develop skills and confidence.
Train and upskill
In the world of cricket, teams constantly analyse their own players’ performances, looking for strengths and weaknesses. They do so because they know that players (and therefore the team) will perform better if those weaknesses can be addressed and strengths built upon. But competitors will also look for cracks that they can exploit.
Continuous training and upskilling are vital. Just as cricket players practise during off-hours and attend team clinics, organisations must invest in ongoing learning and development to ensure their teams remain competitive and skilled.
Leveraging systems and structures to maximise efficiencies.
Big cricket tournaments such as the IPL, SA20, and Major League Cricket (MLC) have many systems and structures in place to help cricket teams maximise efficiencies and improve performance.
Using net bowlers is a perfect example of this. By leveraging net bowlers, you’re able to maximise your bowler’s energy and still provide much-needed practice to the rest of the team. Businesses that have teams in the field can leverage technology like Zuper to improve overall performance. In doing so, they can more effectively maximise technician time, improve on-site efficiency, and enable a pleasant technician experience. Happy cricket players perform well, and happy service technicians provide excellent service to customers!
Small details help produce big results
Spending time around MLC has hammered home to me how much of professional sport is decided by small margins and advantages.
The same is true for businesses of all sizes, including those with field service needs.
The right field service management software can help provide the advantage that sets a business apart from its competitors.
BUSINESS REPORT