I love basketball and I’m always amazed at how many lessons can be transferred from the court to everyday situations in business/life.  Although I’ve coached for twenty years, for the purposes of this article, I’m going to be taking lessons from decades of playing pickup basketball.  This is not a LeBron James vs Michael Jordan breakdown.  Rather, here are the Top 10 countdown parallels between basketball and business.

10) Play by the rules.  Is it worth winning a game or a business transaction if you’re not playing by the rules?  A short term win is not worth the cost of compromising our moral fiber.  You’ll regret cheating in the long run.  Sportsmanship, integrity & a strong code of ethics will never steer you wrong.

9) Put your teammates in a position to succeed.  If I pass the ball to Joe at half court in transition, but Joe has no handle and he turns the ball over, then that turnover is on me.  Better for me to keep the ball longer until I can feed Joe when he’s in his primary scoring spots. KYP – Know Your Personnel and put them in the best position to succeed.

8) You don’t quit playing because you get old, you get old because you quit playing. Have you ever noticed how quickly people can go downhill once they retire if they just sit at home?  Retirement can certainly be a good thing.  Find something you’re passionate about and make an impact in that area.  Whether you are a new high school graduate or a 70 yr old retiree, stay in the game and stay vibrant!  I’m 57 years old and even though I may have lost a step, I’m probably a better overall player than when I was in mid 20’s.

7) Hold your teammates accountable.  If you play with a lot of the same guys/girls on a regular basis, you’ve developed a trust factor with them.  If they are not providing any help defense or blocking out their man it’s okay to let them know we need them to do those things.  Same thing goes with any team endeavor.  If someone is not pulling their weight let them know PRIVATELY.  Of course you better be leading by example.

6) Build up your teammates/Celebrate their success. #7 & #6 are NOT mutually exclusive.  While we need to hold ourselves and teammates accountable it is more critical that we build our teammates up.  Get excited when they dive for a loose ball or get a critical defensive stop against a top tier player.  If someone gets a meeting with a key prospect let them know how impressive that action is regardless of the outcome.  This should be done PUBLICLY!

5) Sometimes you’re the primary scorer and other times you’re not.  Depending upon the make-up of your team and your corresponding skill level, sometimes you may be the “tip of the spear”, while other times you may be doing the grunt work. Defense, setting screens, taking charges are just as critical to winning as is scoring.

4) The more you practice the more confident you become in games.  If Bob takes 1,000 shots a week while Jim takes 10 shots warming up prior to a game who will be a more confident shooter during the game?  If Bob knows he shoots 60% in practice and he misses a shot,do you think he’ll pass up his next open shot?  Doubt it.  Jim, however will probably pass up his next chance. The more reps we get in the luckier we get.  Luck is when preparation meets opportunity.

3)  Teams aren’t always fair.  Have you ever been on a team and wondered who picked these squads?  Sometimes having less skilled/athletic players forces that unit to work harder defensively, move the ball more efficiently on offense.  That focus can allow the underdogs to win more frequently than they should.

2) When facing adversity, does your attitude and activity level droop?  It’s natural that when shots aren’t falling or the “calls” aren’t going our way that we have a tendency to slouch, complain and blame.  Champions maintain or raise their attitude and activity level when things go south. Your Adversity Quotient (AQ), is much more important on the court and in life than IQ.

1)  KEEP SCORE!  If you don’t keep score, what’s the point in playing?  In sales or customer service it’s easy to keep score just like a basketball game.  However, in other aspects of business it’s tougher to keep score.  Be creative and find ways to measure whether you and your team have been successful.  Celebrate the successes and learn from the losses.

Mark Clarke