founder of naked leader
So near, and yet so far
Time to Read – Time Added On – 3 Minutes
Regular readers of NL Week will know my devotion, passion and love for Woking Football Club, and how three years ago, when I was Chairman, we were relegated from The Football Conference (now The Blue Square Premiership) into The Blue Square South.
Now, I am not big headed enough to claim total responsibility, but I know the part I played, the mistakes that were made and most importantly what we as a club had to do about it.
As you read this, three years later, thanks to managers Garry Hill and Steve Thompson and their players, our Chairman Mike Smith and his Board, and so many others, we are on the verge of winning the Blue Square South. Table
We haven’t won it yet, and we may not – we need one more win from three matches, starting with this Saturday’s (14th April) game away at Maidenhead. There is still a lot to do and I invite you to follow us from wherever you live – Twitter @wokingfc.
Three matches, three NL Weeks, and three learning points from the world of football, which we can apply in all of our lives.
One – Garry and Steve have instilled a discipline into their team that is second to none – every player knows what is expected of them, what they have to do to be selected and off the pitch what they can do, and what they can’t.
So, make sure everyone in your team knows the same – how they personally help achieve the goals of your project/team/company, what they have to do to be rewarded and most importantly what they can and cannot do.
With my love and best wishes
David X
Our team is a bit of a mish/mash of people and ideals that don’t really mesh.
We need some direction and we are not getting it.
Football is different, as business principles go out of the window when the width of a goalpost can determine ones fate (or so my boyfriend tells me!).
Still, teamwork is something I crave and we simply haven’t got that where I work.
My husband supports Maidenhead. He maintains it’s a poor league and he supports one of the worst in the division. They are, conversely, on their way down and Woking could knock another nail in their coffin on Saturday. He says Woking are a very good team and should be with the resources they have available. It is clear they are in the wrong division.
Good luck to a club that clearly belongs somewhere else. And, having seen them lots this season myself, pray for Maidenhead. Life won’t be worth living in our house if Maidenhead go down!
Fully agree that a common sense of purpose and discipline is required,and to repeat what David has stated earlier ” every player knows what is expected of them, what they have to do to be selected and off the pitch what they can do, and what they can’t” .
What a succesful and progressive football team will also have is a few who do not fit the above type, genius,unpredicable and do the unexpected.
The team needs some of these individuals where they can flourish under the umbrella of the overall protection and structure of the team in its entirity.
They are tolerated, encouraged and structured in their own way, flawed all the same but needed also.
Some managers rule by fear and I have heard that Mr Hill is one such a manager. He has a reputation for this and has also had a pretty poor track record for being at clubs that have subsequently gone bust. Let’s hope this doesn’t happen at Woking for the truly passionate people involved such as David.
Garry Hill has a reputation, yes. Famously he had a spat with Steve Evans live on TV many years ago if I recall. Steve Evans is very outspoken and they were battling for the league title in the Conference. Hill also headbutted someone at a game, someone at Rushden at the time named Widdlington or something like that. But his football record is second to none. He has always achieved and he will be forgiven by fans at Woking for being a less than friendly guy if he takes them up. Football fans are like that. hate the manager one week but if he becomes boss of your club then all is forgiven.
Teams can have a good vibe or not, sometimes down to the manager, or not.
There are plenty of ways to make sure your team is effective.
Managers don’t always make the best team. In football, it is about having the best players.
A manager can be fortunate to be handed a good set of players and then they go out and play and there is little managing to do.
Looks like they won promotion yesterday! Congratulations to David and his team.