Guinness 6 Nations Rugby: What businesses can learn from this tournament

Andy Nicol

The Six Nations was a fantastic spectacle. It brought joy and excitement to many during these difficult times. It was also a very unusual tournament. The outcome was less predictable than normal. The fans had to make do with watching on TV. Players and pundits (myself included) got covid, causing ructions and requiring many changes to the planned events.

But what can we take from this magnificent tournament? What can we learn and adapt to what we’re doing in business to keep the home fires burning and excel in these bizarre times?

Crowds make a difference

The players deserve huge credit for creating their own passion in the cavernous, empty stadia. Humans are social animals; we thrive off that social interaction. Sports people are the same. They get stimulus from various sources, it could be from a teammate, a message from the coach but, usually, it comes from the crowd cheering and inspiring them to give that little bit more effort.

Losing that social interaction and support is what many businesses has lost during this pandemic. Let’s become the fans for our teammates. We’ve seen how much of a difference it makes to sporting professionals to have loud, passionate support. Let’s be that overt champion for our colleagues.

We should savour the times we get to interact with others in business and ensure that every social interaction has a purpose and a meaning – and is used to its full potential.

The referee’s word is final – life’s not fair but recovering quickly from blows is a game changer

Every team in the Six Nations will feel aggrieved at a number of decisions that went against them. It doesn’t matter if it was a red card that had a profound effect on that game or a referee that allowed a game to restart before one team was fully ready, you have to move on to the next job immediately and not dwell on what has just happened.

The same is true in business. It is not what happens to you that is crucial but how you choose to react that will determine the outcome. You’ve got to keep your eye on the prize. Why are you doing this? And focus on that. Don’t ignore what has happened; analyse it and learn it - and try and ensure it doesn’t happen again.

Changing the game plan mid match takes preparation and on field leadership

How many times did we see a team change tactics during a game in the Six Nations? Wales were crowned champions because they adapted their tactics, whereas England finished 5th because they did not.

Wales were one of the most experienced teams in the history of rugby for their match against France with 987 caps at an average of 65 per player. With such experience, they were able to change tactics when things didn’t quite go to plan. This is a result of a combination of experience and been giving the autonomy by the coaches to make these changes.

In business, the people on the front line need to know they can change things if something is not working. And this comes down to clarity of purpose, shared values and most of all, trust. The leadership trusting their people and empowering them, with clarity and conviction, to make the right decision at the right time.

Communication is critical

There was some outstanding refereeing in the Six Nations. There were also other decisions that were not so good… But what made the good decisions wasn’t just the decision itself but how it was communicated.

Luke Pierce was the referee in the France v Wales game, and he had a number of really close calls to make along with his assistant referees and TV match official. They got everyone spot on and communicated each decision with absolute clarity, leaving nothing open to interpretation.

In business, too often communication is ambiguous, muddled or conflicting. Communication is only as good as the response it elicits, so clear and concise – and constant - always works best.

Diversity of thought and respect

Sport generates passion and excitement which sometimes clouds our judgement and objectivity. On the BBC, we always have a pundit from each team to give that different perspective and to offer a balanced presentation and analysis.

This is an area we need to work harder at in business. Giving a voice to those under-represented groups and for that voice to be heard is crucial to build modern businesses fit for today’s social objectives. It’s to easy to build a team of ‘yes men’. Your business will benefit greatly from having a well rounded internal dialogue, which will translate into a well rounded external brand.

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