In The Most Innovative Companies There Is

The Way Innovating Companies Are Designed Leaves Ambiguities, Overlaps, Decision Conflicts Or Decision Vacuums In Some Parts Of The Organisation. People Rail At This, Curse It-and Invent Innovative Ways To Overcome It.

Sports Is A Perfect Activity In Which To See Streaks And Cycles, Organizational And Otherwise, In Action - And To Watch Confidence Build Or Erode. There Are Repeated Episodes Of Performance With Similar Rules And Clear Winners Or Losers. I Added Team Sports To My Studies Of Business Because There Are Excellent Parallels To Work Groups In The Performance Of Sports Teams And Also Excellent Parallels To Larger, More Complex Businesses Or Organizations In The Strategy, Structure, And Culture Surrounding Any Particular Team.

The Difference Between "winners" And "losers" Is Not Whether They Face Obstacles And Setbacks - We All Do, And It Is Inevitable That Plans Do Not Unfold Exactly As Imagined Or That Unexpected Events Surprise Us Or That A Few Mistakes Happen. The Real Difference Is That "winners" Bounce Back From A Fumble Or A Loss By Refusing To Panic, Analyzing The Situation And Looking For Positive Actions They Can Take To Correct The Problem, And Then Go On To Resume Winning.

Confidence Is Not Just In People's Heads; It Comes From The Culture Of The Organization. It's Easier To Expect Success When Working In An Organization That Has A Culture Of Accountability, Collaboration, And Initiative. Without This, It's Easier - And More Self-protective - To Assume Failure So The Person Is Not Disappointed And Instead Pleasantly Surprised.

The Goal Of Winning Is Not Losing Two Times In A Row.