business

WORDS I DONALD MACNAUGHTON

Sport psychology is recognised as an

important cog in the wheel of improvingsports performance. The study of how asportsperson’s mind can affect their bodyhas grown from the ‘healthy mind, healthybody’ philosophy which dates back toancient Greek and Chinese civilisations. Thetechniques used today to improve anathlete’s performance in sport have evolvedfrom the ancient methods developedthousands of years ago and can equally beapplied to other areas of life.You may not be aiming for Olympic goldbut could sport psychology improve yourbusiness performance?

Think of your business arena as an Olympicstadium. If you are in business, you are acompetitor in that business arena. You maybe competing as an individual - a sole-trader; as part of a team; or as the coach -the manager, but the techniques used bycompetitors to create winningperformances in the sports environment canalso be used by competitors in the businessenvironment to achieve the same winningresults.

Understanding motivationAn athlete lacking motivation will under-achieve so the same can be said of a staff

member or of an entire business. Whatmotivates an athlete to stay in their sportthrough months or years of training?Learning to understand what motivates you(and your staff) is a way to get on track torealising your full potential.

Goal settingIn the sports world, a series of smaller goalsare used as stepping-stones in trainingtowards an important competition, the biggoal! These goals help to prepare theathlete physically and mentally by boostingconfidence and maintaining motivation.Learning how to set SMART goals will be ofequal benefit in the business world.

MindsetAn individual can be in either a fixed or agrowth mindset. In a fixed mindset, theindividual believes that the skills and abilitythey have are just what they were born withand nothing will change that. In a growthmindset, the individual believes that changeis always possible and that nothing is set instone. An athlete, and equally abusinessperson, in a fixed mindset willstruggle to improve on a mediocreperformance but in a growth mindset, theworld is their oyster!

VisualisationVisualisation techniques allow asportsperson to ‘see’ a winningperformance through their minds-eye.Learning how to visualise a positiveoutcome under a variety of potentiallynegative circumstances is an important partof an athlete’s preparation for competitionand is a proven coping strategy when usedin stressful situations. Knowing how to usethis technique will reap equal rewards in thehigh pressure world of business.

Developing team spiritTeam-building and developing team spiritdoesn’t need to include a group bungeejump in the deepest Cairngorms or even thecompulsory purchase of a fluorescentkagoul but it does need goodcommunication. Improving the performanceof team members with the goal ofimproving performance as a team requiresopen, honest communication as feedback.Learning how to provide positive feedbackas the team leader and how to promote theuse of feedback among team membersencourages the growth of team spirit.

So, if you want to give yourself a head startin business, get your toe on the start-line byutilising some sport psychology techniques.Get ready to react to the ‘b’ of the businessworld , “bang” and don’t get left behind!

Donald MacNaughton is available forconsultation, coaching and workshops forindividuals and organisations.email: donald@zonedinperformance.comwww.zonedinperformance.com

Healthy Mind,Healthy Business