Sports Story of the Week
Squad Games
I recently went with my family to the Squad Games tour by Dude Perfect. If you don't also have Dude Perfect fans in the house, they are a You Tube/Trick Shot/Hilarious skit group that creates a lot of enjoyment for our family. For this tour, they were competing against another "Squad" in a variety of over the top games. On our stop, we had the please of having the Harlem Globetrotters as guests. We completely enjoyed it.
"The Dudes" competed against The Globetrotters in a series of 7 games, and the winner was the first team to get to 4 wins. Similar to all things entertainment, there were factors built in to allow for drama but in the end, the result is truly left up to chance and competition. Its not a secret that most of us in the audience were there for The Dudes- we committed to these tickets long before we even knew who the competition would be. While the crowd cheered, in usual fashion, I couldn't help but watch the sideline of this Colosseum style competition. The side conversations, the behind the scenes, the team behind the team. I love a good backstage and having been a support crew for so long, you can imagine the fun it is to watch them in action- we even saw a camera guy get an assist on a Go Kart Soccer Goal- The entire team went WILD.
I also learned that you can put the Harlem Globetrotters in a situation where they were the underdogs, where they know they are there to get beat, but you can't take the competitor out of the athlete. Losing is an unusual position for the Globetrotters since they are usually tasked with beating up on the Washington Generals during their tour. Also add in that these were ridiculous games. Go Kart Soccer, Extra Large Golf that started in the stands, but as I watched, I saw them after the game; all in the corner, planning, discussing, plotting, and figuring out a way to get better- in a crazy made up game they will very likely not ever see again.
The final result was that the Dudes won in the 7th game- a human dunk contest where you got closer together with each throw. The Globetrotters got destroyed in that one, but was I also saw was that they worked hard, competed until the very end, and had a TON of fun doing it.
3 Lessons from Squad Games
1. To reach mastery means always striving to improve.
The Globetrotters didn't lose and give up, they strategized and refined their approach for games they'd never play again. Elite performers optimize even one-time situations because they know that the habit of excellence compounds over time. Its the same in business, we need to evaluate our wins, losses, successes, failures. . True professionals don't lower their standards just because the stakes are low, or even non-existent. (I am certain the Globetrotters got paid win or lose.) In business, how your team tackles a minor project says everything. You can’t turn competitiveness and excellence on and off; it has to be your default setting
2. Play hard, even if the crowd isn't yours.
Most of the audience bought tickets for The Dudes. The Globetrotters were essentially in hostile territory, playing the rare role of the "Washington Generals" (their usual nightly victims). Sometimes in business, you are the underdog. You might be competing against a big brand with a massive following. Or you might be pitching to a room that has already made up its mind. You can't control the crowd you are in, but you can control your effort. You force the opponent to earn every single inch.
3. Process over Outcome.
In the end, yes, the Globetrotters lost in Game 7. But, they also overachieved in small moments, they learned how to shoot a bow and arrow, they drove Go Karts while chasing a ridiculously large soccer ball. They truly maxed out their potential in a series of games that heavily favored the hosts. Too often we judge success solely by the scoreboard (revenue, won accounts, tangible results). But if your team strategized, communicated, adapted, learned new skills and fought until the absolute last moment, that is a successful process. The team that figures out how to get better even in a "loss" builds the muscles and skills required to win the next big thing.
