What the game of tennis can teach the world of business.

1. Things Business
Can Learn from
Wimbledon 2021
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2. Workplace Conditions
For tennis players, the court
is their workplace. During the
first week of Wimbledon and,
during their first games, we
saw players slip and fall due
to wet grass conditions. The
conditions were so volatile
that, some players were not
able to continue.
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3. Employees also suffer from unsuitable workplace conditions. While some
conditions are obviously unsuitable, some areas can be less noticeable or
have patches within teams or workgroups that are unsuitable to work.
Management can benefit by monitoring their areas, not only at a macro-level
but also at a micro-level, to understand if an area requires attention.

4. Champions Are Not Immune
We see upsets and
disappointments in game
results but, none were more
upsetting than watching a
champion tennis player be
beaten by their workplace
conditions. Injuries due to
slipping on the grass did not
allow players to compete at
their best and some injuries
took them out of the game.
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5. Should conditions in the workplace not improve, your star employees can
be affected. Leaders should not take for granted that their star employees
will prevail under unsuitable work conditions.

6. Distractions Do Not Work
At the start of every game,
players require absolute focus
before they serve. They rely on
everyone to do their part by not
making any distracting sounds or
movements. In fact, players will
usually wait for distractions to
settle before they begin. This rule
of no-distraction is pivotal to
game.
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7. Employees also require absolute focus in order to continue their work. In
today’s workplace, the technologies we use can become barriers to
productivity. During the height of the pandemic, we relied on these
technologies to keep us all connected. However, the misuse or overuse of
some technologies will cause the types of distractions that hinder
productivity.

8. Challenges Are Allowed
During a tennis match calls are
made by the line judges. These
calls determine if a ball was in or
out of a given playing area.
Players are allowed to challenge
these calls, because after all, a
call also determines a point won
or lost by the player.
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9. If businesses wants to empower their employees, allow them to challenge a
“call”. Often times, decisions are made by leaders in a bubble without the
knowledge by those whom the decision affects. A bad call can mean many
things in business, unlike tennis; so it makes sense to allow your
employees to challenge some of the decisions being made because, the
right call can make a difference!

10. Return to Wimbledon
The return of the Wimbledon championship
games this year was not only a huge deal for
the all England club, but also for the players
and fans worldwide. After a year pause for the
world of sports, people were downright giddy to
be back in the stands and players back in one
the biggest competitions in world tennis.
However, some notable champions decided
not to return this year. Some due to injury and
others for personal reasons. Regardless of the
reason, Wimbledon continues and the fans are
enjoying the games.
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11. 2020 was a defining time for the world. No one was immune to the
challenges faced by the pandemic and, where some were able to manage
and adapt, others persevered long enough to see things return to the way
they were. The thing is, there are some employees who will not be ready or
willing to return to the office in 2021 and that should be ok. Good business
practices should define “what” is needed to ensure operations sustain. If
2020 taught us anything it taught how to work differently.

12. Thank You!
Created by Phoebe Bryant
www.phoebebryant.com