Not many of us in Nine Feet Tall are football fans (we’re more of a Rugby company being based in Bath and all). Those that are though, have been filling us in of the regular ups and downs at the top of the Premier League and in particular the strange goings on at Chelsea FC. That sparked an interesting debate in our office that we felt we had to share with you…. That is, what can businesses learn from Chelsea Football Club.
It is well known and well documented across the back pages of all the newspapers that Chelsea FC have been through a series of changes of late, not least with the significant departure of Andre Villas Boas (AVB) and the stability Roberto De Matteo has brought since his arrival. Clearly 9 managers in as many seasons has had an adverse effect on the team, lifting some players spirits, casting out others and generally growing the size of the squad and having a mixed effect on the crowd. All of which has led us at Nine Feet Tall to draw the below lessons that can be applied to any business – football related or not.
1. Define a clear business case and stick with it: It strikes us that the biggest problem facing Chelsea right now is the ever changing direction from the top. This is no different to any organisation and when a clear business case has been defined by those in charge, it is only right and proper that they allow a decent amount of time for this change to bed in and start to blossom. Of course not all change works out, but you will only know this if you dedicate your whole-self to making it a true success. Half-hearted efforts only ever end in one thing – failure.
2 .Communication is key: It would appear that half of the problems over the various seasons and the resultant numerous managers is due to a breakdown in communication. Whether it stems back to the very public fall out of Mourinho and Abramovic or the complete lack of respect in both directions between AVB and the dressing room, all problems appear to stem from poor communication. It is vital in all organisations (global and local) that everyone understands the plan they are expected to be part of. Fail to maintain communication effectively and it will only end in a breakdown in seamless progression of the plan and ultimately… you guessed it – failure!
3. Stakeholder Engagement: As with any organisation, fail to convince your key stakeholders of your strategy and you may as well go and just pack your bags, or not unpack them in AVB’s case. The fundamental mistake AVB made by all accounts is the complete lack of buy in he got from the players at the club. Most football pundits appear to blame the lack of experience AVB brought to the table and the fact that he was only 33 years old but look at the biggest successes of the modern age (Facebook and Google to name two) where age made no difference. The single most important element is simply bringing your organisations stakeholders along on the journey so that they feel involved and an important and part of the overall plan.
4. Know your place in the market: The Premier League is a bit of a hot bed right now for the world’s richest people (and we’re not just talking about the players). But, like with any industry, there can only be one number one. Even the deepest pockets cannot buy years of heritage, years of marketing and years of building a loyal following. If a cola product were to launch tomorrow and aim at being the world’s biggest cola people would laugh and football is no different. Just because you can buy the world’s best individuals, you still need a world class strategy and most important of all – time. Organisations are no different and must set out from the start what their place is, and settling for number 2 in the market for 10 years will deliver far more in the long run than 2 years of success and a lifetime of looking back at the good ol’ days.
5. Build on your successes: Nobody wants to go backwards year on year (although many businesses have to admit that it’s entirely possible in a difficult climate), but Football Clubs (across all levels) appear to consider that bringing new faces in year on year is the best way to move forward. An interesting debate in our offices was the successes that Ancelotti brought in just two seasons only to be replaced for a younger, newer model in AVB. He in turn bought about further change with new younger additions to the squad and in the end the club took a huge step backwards. Had Ancelotti still been in charge today, could Chelsea have been fighting for yet another title – who knows, the moment was lost and money (lots of it) poured down the drain to start rebuilding again. Businesses (especially the successful football clubs) build on their success each year reinvesting in their talent, their marketing and as a unit taking a step forward. Sometimes the step forward is small, but it’s still a step.
6. Listen to your customers (fans): Football fans are probably the most passionate customers in the world. We can’t think of any other customer that would sacrifice as much as football fans do for such poor results. You wouldn’t return to a restaurant time and time again if it consistently served you rubbish food but because its football its considered normal. A mistake every organisation should look to avoid at all costs (including football clubs) is to ignore those that contribute to the growth of the company – the customers. Did the fans want to see Mourinho or Ancelotti leave Chelsea – that’s for them to answer, but with the advent of social media, organisations have been given the ultimate tool for hearing their customers directly. It can help develop products and improve services and ultimately drive growth for the company.
7. Nurture your talent: At Nine Feet Tall we ensure our talent is given every opportunity to grow, we like to think that we combine the right opportunities to learn on the job whilst also developing them personally through coaching and mentoring with our more experienced consultants. The experiences at Chelsea appear to tell a different story and one that can often reflect the politics of organisations in general. Many youth players come through the ranks at Chelsea only to never get their moment on the ‘big stage’, what was once recognised as a hot talent for the future, ends up withering and dies. Organisations should be keen to expose the talent of all its employees, prospering ideas from all areas of the organisation and letting the company flourish as a result
All in all, we think Chelsea can teach everyone a lesson or two from their past few years of change… what does your history tell you about your company’s approach to change?
