What We Can Learn from Our Losses.
Hey everyone, I hope you’re having a great day.
I write this post was a heavy heart after just watching England get knocked out of the 2018 World Cup to the hands of Croatia. I mean I can’t argue that we didn’t deserve it, we played below par and didn’t even appear to try in extra time…
But, I’m not here to discuss football politics. Instead, I want to talk about what we can learn from experiencing such a crushing defeat at a time when spirits were so high. However, if you do wish to continue to the footy conversation, I’m always open to a chat on Twitter, hit me up.
The Hopes of a Nation.
We were all hoping that it would ‘be coming home’ and it almost became believable. And, now we know that it’s not coming home, the effects of a nation’s belief can be seen.
As a country, we pushed on, cheered on, and believed on; thinking that this year could be the year. And, feel free to dispute it with me if you wish but I believe that the belief and passion of the fans kept the team going for as long as they did.
Look at previous tournaments, without the same amount believe the teams struggled to perform even half as well as this year’s team.
So, while it’s a disappointment that we haven’t won it this year, it’s also a relief that we know what our belief and passion as a country can do to inspire a team. Maybe, football will be coming home in 2022.
Regroup, Review, and Restart.
This isn’t necessarily a football thing, in fact, it’s a genuine business and life lesson. But, after a defeat or a loss what is the first thing we should do? Regroup and Review. We need to sit down with everyone on the team, look at what happened, and see how we can improve.
It could be a problem with an individual part or a broader team issue but something wasn’t right, and it needs to be addressed before it can cause any further issues.
After the issues are addressed, it’s time to go back at it and see how we’ve improved, in this case, the 3rd/4th playoff this Saturday or even the next tournament for England. But, for business, it could be the next project or fiscal quarter.
Learning from our mistakes and getting feedback from all involved moving parts is key to the success of any team. This is why the Regroup, Review, and Restart process is so pivotal to achieving success.
An Individual Does Not Make a Team.
Although to an extent in this World Cup, England did place a heavy load on its captain’s shoulders. I don’t think we were the worst nation for loading a single individual with all the pressure. Teams like Argentina, Portugal, and even Brazil get the credit for that.
No matter how good an individual is, they will never be able to carry an entire team through to the point of completion every time. It’s a team for a reason; they need to work together as a unit, one cohesive unit. And, in the cases of the teams mentioned above, they didn’t learn that fundamental lesson and instead relied too much on their main men who only lead to despair.
In this respect, I do think England did quite well, for the majority of the tournament, we worked as a team; attacking together, defending together, going forward as one, and coming back as one. We didn’t just give the ball to our strikers and say “Get on with it.” Instead, we worked as one and got the job done.
Once again, teams need to work like this. We win together, and we lose together; simple as that. A team doesn’t comprise of one person and his lackeys, everyone plays a role, and it’s up to the team leader to make sure everyone is playing their part.
A one-person team is not a team.
In Closing.
These are just a few observations I’ve made not only from tonight’s game but the World Cup in general; I find the football world and business world often come together a lot closer than we initially think.
So, while I go off and cry about tonight’s result, make sure to let me know some more ways the two worlds collide over on Twitter for when I get back.
I look forward to hearing from you.
See you next time.
Thank you.
Coner
*This post was originally published on Conermurphy.com*
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