The world of professional soccer, particularly major tournaments like the Euro Cup, offers a rich tapestry of human dynamics, strategic planning, teamwork, and individual performance – all elements that resonate deeply within the corporate world. While the pitch might seem far removed from the office, the principles that drive success (and sometimes failure) on the field have profound implications for human resources management. The 2016 Euro Cup provided a masterclass in these dynamics, offering valuable insights that HR professionals can leverage to build stronger, more effective organizations. Let's delve into five key HR lessons drawn directly from the thrilling matches of that tournament.
1 - Celebrate Everything, Not Just The Goals
In soccer, the roar of the crowd is typically reserved for the glorious moment a goal is scored. However, a series of exquisitely executed skill plays, a perfectly timed pass, or even a great shot attempt that narrowly misses the net will often still elicit enthusiastic applause from the fans. The team might not have scored a goal on that particular play, but the collective appreciation is still abundant. The fans celebrate it because it demonstrates that the players are making the right decisions, exhibiting excellent technique, and engaging in actions that will eventually, with persistence, lead to a goal. This form of intermediate celebration is incredibly powerful as it not only acknowledges effort and good process but also significantly lifts the spirits and confidence of the players.
Translating this to the workplace, consider a junior copywriter who invests considerable effort into writing a very well-crafted and insightful article. Despite their best efforts, the article might not achieve the desired publicity or traction that the organization was hoping for, perhaps due to external market factors or timing. In such a scenario, instead of the copywriter feeling demotivated by the lack of immediate, measurable "success," it is crucial to acknowledge and celebrate the well-written article itself. This doesn't necessarily mean you have to throw an extravagant party or provide lavish rewards. Simply letting the copywriter know, perhaps through a quick verbal commendation, a brief email, or a mention in a team meeting, that they did a great job on the writing quality can go an exceptionally long way in improving that employee’s morale, reinforcing good effort, and encouraging them to continue honing their craft. It builds a culture where effort and process are valued, not just final outcomes.
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Lesson for HR: Recognize and commend effort, good process, and small wins. These build momentum and morale, leading to bigger successes.
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Application: Implement systems for informal recognition. Encourage managers to provide regular, specific positive feedback, even for tasks that don't directly hit a major KPI but show strong effort or skill.
2 - A Team Wins, Not A Player.
In soccer, we intuitively celebrate every goal with exuberance. When a player scores a goal, the fans erupt, the players rush to embrace the scorer, and the coaches on the sidelines often celebrate together. However, despite the individual brilliance of the goal scorer, players frequently get into a huddle and celebrate as a collective team. This reinforces a fundamental truth: no individual, no matter how talented, is truly greater than the collective team.
Cristiano Ronaldo, despite being a legendary and undeniably brilliant individual player, serves as a poignant example from the 2016 Euro Cup. While he has achieved unparalleled individual accolades, he had never won a major international tournament with Portugal prior to 2016. Early in the final game, he got injured, which was perceived as a huge blow to the team and the fans, potentially signaling defeat. Yet, instead of crying over spilled milk or succumbing to despair, the Portuguese team didn't give up; they rallied and continued to play their hearts out, demonstrating incredible resilience. And critically, instead of remaining angry or despondent in the locker room, Ronaldo, despite his injury, returned to the sideline to passionately support and cheer for his teammates. Portugal ultimately won the game, a testament to collective spirit and mutual support.
Consider this in a sales environment: if a sales representative at a car dealership successfully sells a car, who truly celebrates with them? Is it just them and the sales manager? What about the finance manager who painstakingly worked on securing the contract details? What about the receptionist who first greeted the customer, offered them a coffee, and made them feel welcome? The success of a sale is almost always a team effort, and therefore, the team should celebrate the win as a team. This shared celebration will significantly increase employee morale across the board and instill a pervasive winning atmosphere. Having only one person celebrated for a win, ignoring the contributions of others, will do little to increase the morale of other team members who also worked hard on getting the win. This is why you will sometimes see large gongs prominently displayed inside car dealerships. When a car salesman secures a win, they enthusiastically ring the gong, and the entire dealership celebrates the win as a team, acknowledging the collective effort that made it possible.
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Lesson for HR: Emphasize and reinforce team achievements over individual heroics.
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Application: Design recognition programs that reward team successes. Encourage cross-departmental collaboration and celebrate the collective effort required to achieve organizational goals, ensuring everyone feels valued for their contribution.
3 - Quality Over Quantity
In resource allocation, a common dilemma arises: should you prioritize quantity or quality? Imagine, for the same significant sum of money, you have the choice to sign an elite striker like Wayne Rooney or four college-level strikers. On paper, having four strikers sounds much better than just one, implying more options or depth. However, in the reality of top-tier soccer, a player of Wayne Rooney's caliber would invariably score more goals than the combined efforts of the other four college-level players. You need an elite striker with refined skill, experience, and tactical intelligence to consistently score against elite goalkeepers and defenses.
This principle directly translates to HR and talent acquisition. Consider if you have $100,000 to allocate to your sales department. That budget could potentially buy you one elite, highly experienced, and top-performing salesperson, or it could afford you four salespeople straight out of college with no proven track record. Again, four salespeople sound a lot better than one from a sheer numbers perspective. But would those four novice salespeople collectively sell more than the one elite salesperson with a proven history of success and exceptional skill? Not a chance, in most scenarios.
Quality is almost always more important than quantity, especially when it comes to critical roles and high-impact positions. Investing in top-tier talent, even if it means fewer hires initially, often yields disproportionately higher returns in terms of productivity, innovation, and overall impact.
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Lesson for HR: Prioritize investing in top-tier talent.
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Application: Focus recruitment efforts on identifying high-quality candidates, even if it means a longer search. Invest in retaining and developing your existing high-performers, as their impact is often greater than multiple average performers.
4 - Chemistry Is Not Just For Scientists
The unforgettable clash between England and Iceland in the 2016 Euros serves as a stark, memorable lesson in the critical importance of team chemistry. Need we say more about that unexpected outcome? England was, on paper, loaded with individual superstars and was widely considered one of the most talented teams in the tournament. In fact, many pundits argued that England's reserve players, those not even in the starting eleven, possessed more individual talent than Iceland's entire starting lineup. Yet, Iceland achieved remarkable success in the tournament, defying all expectations, while England made an embarrassingly early exit.
The profound reason for this disparity was unequivocally chemistry. Iceland's core group of players had largely played together for years, fostering an incredible sense of cohesion, mutual understanding, and developed great team chemistry. They knew each other's movements, anticipated plays, and supported each other instinctively. England’s starting eleven, despite being individually very talented, largely lacked this ingrained chemistry; they were a collection of stars who hadn't fully gelled as a unit. This raises a crucial question for HR: would you be willing to sacrifice your absolute "best" individual player if it significantly improved the overall team’s chemistry and collective performance?
In the hiring process, you might conduct dozens of interviews and finally identify a candidate who, on paper and in formal interviews, appears to be the "best" fit based on skills and experience. Before you extend that final job offer and hire them, it is absolutely vital to bring the candidate in for a "chemistry interview" with the people they'll be working with on a daily basis. No matter how brilliant they are in an interview or how impressive their resume looks, one employee with poor team chemistry can severely damage the morale, collaboration, and overall performance of an entire team. The "chemistry interview" should be structured to allow for informal interaction and can include managers, immediate co-workers, direct reports, and even their cubicle neighbors. This step is crucial for assessing cultural fit and ensuring that a new hire will positively contribute to the existing team dynamic.
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Lesson for HR: Team chemistry and cultural fit are paramount to collective success.
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Application: Incorporate "chemistry interviews" or team-based assessments into your hiring process. Prioritize candidates who not only have the skills but also align with your team's dynamics and values. Address interpersonal conflicts proactively to preserve team cohesion.
5 - Discipline When Required
In any competitive environment, rules and consequences are essential to maintain order and ensure fair play. If a soccer player deliberately slide tackles another player with an intent to injure, disciplinary action is not just a suggestion; it must be taken decisively. The referee, acting as the authority, will determine whether the dangerous slide tackle warrants a yellow card (caution) or a red card (expulsion from the game) based on the severity and intent of the foul. Ireland’s Shane Duffy's reckless slide tackle on a French player from behind in the 2016 Euro Cup serves as a clear example. That kind of behavior is unequivocally unacceptable and Shane Duffy was subsequently shown a red card, forcing his team to play with one less man. The red card was a significant contributing factor in Ireland ultimately losing the game. Such an immediate and clear consequence ensures that Shane Duffy, and others, will think twice before engaging in similar unacceptable behavior again. Disciplinary action is essential to maintain order in the game, uphold its integrity, and correct unacceptable behavior.
This principle translates directly and critically to the workplace. Disciplinary tracking in the workplace is often not given the consistent attention or systematic approach it deserves. However, it is absolutely crucial as it enables the organization to ensure that all employees adhere to company policies, behavioral standards, and ethical guidelines. Unacceptable employee behavior, if left unchecked, can lead to a cascade of negative consequences: lower overall organizational performance, damage to team morale, potential legal ramifications (such as lawsuits stemming from harassment or misconduct), and a corrosive impact on company culture.
Therefore, the question for organizations is: do you track and meticulously document employee discipline in an organized, fair, and consistent way? Having a clear disciplinary policy and a robust system for tracking incidents, actions taken, and outcomes is vital for fairness, legal compliance, and maintaining a healthy work environment. OrangeHRM is recognized as a leader in disciplinary tracking and offers a powerful tool within their comprehensive HR management solution. This capability allows organizations to systematically manage disciplinary actions, ensure consistency, and maintain a clear record, thereby supporting a disciplined and productive workforce. You can explore how this powerful tool can benefit your organization by asking for a FREE 30-day trial today at www.orangehrm.com.