Trainers' Market - Business and The Beautiful Game

“What’s the score?”, “we’re playing the long game!” and “a game of two halves” are now familiar phrases around the boardroom table. The links between football and business have become glaringly obvious, and in Business and the Beautiful Game the authors draw an analogy between these two worlds.

This lively and entertaining book provides a framework for a fresh way of thinking about business, helping readers to remember what’s important, on and off the pitch and in and out of the workplace. Combining wit and wisdom, this book makes useful observations without taking the business world too seriously.

Table of Contents

Pre-match preparation
Features of the book

The first half

Chapter 1 Skills
Have you got what it takes?
The value of skills in the war for talent; What is your value?; The essential skill mix; Six critical skills; Light at the end of the tunnel; More enlightened HR

Chapter 2 Ambition
The hunger of the winner
Personal or cultural?; True Brit; The life cycle of ambition; What are you ambitious for?; Measure your AQ

Chapter 3 Passion
Your greatest asset is belief
The importance of passion; Where does passion spring from?; What does passion look like?; How do we get more passion?; Extra time and the extra mile; Love and loyalty

Chapter 4 Stress
How to cope under pressure
How can you be stressed?; What causes stress?; More than just control; Stress relief; Support

Chapter 5 Discipline
Keeping your cool and keeping order
The elements of self-discipline; Discipline and performance management; Guidelines for discipline; Crime and punishment

Chapter 6 Captaincy
Marshalling your troops
What do captains do?; Have you got what it takes?; Application of captaincy skills; Expectations of a team captain

The second half

Chapter 7 Coaching
Helping others learn
What makes a good coach?; A practical approach to coaching; Elements of a coaching session; Support and challenge

Chapter 8 Management
The most difficult job in the world
Strategy -- just what is it?; Management -- a bit like captaincy; Leadership and management; Politics; People management; What’s the job?; Handling conflict; Conducting disciplinary meetings

Chapter 9 Selection
Picking your best performers
Supply and demand; The squad approach; Getting the right team; Structure; Gap identification; Attracting talent; Diversity and discrimination; Pointers to good selection; Organic management; Fitness versus spirit

Chapter 10 Opposition
Outwitting the competition
Who are they, where are they?; Weighing up your advantage; Exploiting your analysis; What are they playing at?; Keep your eye on the opposition and plan ahead; Some thoughts on ‘gap analysis’; Competitive strategies; Getting the big things right

Chapter 11 Full time
Final thoughts

Additional reading
Index