Page 22 - January15-Catalyst

CHAKISSE NEWTON’S
NEWTON’S LAWS OF INFLUENCE
whaT The women’S world cup can Teach you (and your buSineSS) abouT SucceSS
Sometimes, the difference between win- ning and losing comes down to one word: fundamentals. In the case of Japan’s upset World Cup victory over Team USA, those fundamentals were penalty kicks. In your business, the fundamentals may be marketing, communication skills or cus- tomer follow up. In your personal life, it may be developing your personal brand.
First, let’s set the stage. In 25 previous matches, the US dominated with a re- cord of 23-0-3. While these stats weren’t room for complacency with so much on the line, they were at least cause for opti- mism. Then came the World Cup Finals. The match began with a clear US lead, but both teams were tied at the end of regula- tion play.Then the match went to overtime and culminated in a penalty shoot out or PSO. The rules are simple: whoever scores the most wins*. Although the US clearly dominated early parts of the match, Japan won the PSO. And, in the end, that was all that mattered.
goals? In marketing, the fundamentals in- clude identifying and understanding your audience, creating the right solutions and finding the right delivery vehicles to reach that audience. What do you need to do and/or be good at to be successful?
3. Evaluate Your Performance: How good are you at the fundamental steps required to achieve your goal? Do you have a pro- cess in place to continue to improve your skills? Using the previous marketing ex- ample, do you have a regular review where you identify trends affecting your target market and how their business needs may be changing? Where possible, use objec- tive evidence to evaluate your results. For example, look at the number of leads from your marketing campaigns instead of rely- ing on “gut feel” alone.
4. Practice. Practice. Practice. If you don’t have a plan in place to work on the fun- damentals for your industry, do it now. Then practice. Actress Joan Littlewood said, “Rehearsal is the work. Performance is the relaxation.” This is why basketball teams practice free throw shots, relay rac- ers practice the baton pass and, yes, why soccer players practice penalty kicks. So that in the moment you have to perform, you can act instinctively and perform well.
Sometimes the most successful person or company isn’t always the most talented. Sometimes, it’s simply the person who has mastered the fundamentals better. Make sure that person is you.
chakiSSe newTon
803.753.1311
No matter who you are or what you do, you can learn from Japan’s win in the Women’s World Cup and use mastery of fundamentals to your advantage. Here’s how.
1. Identify Your Objectives: What do you want to achieve? Even if you think your goals are clear, it’s good to review them from time to time. But, make sure your goals are specific. Without clear, specific, goals you can’t put the right plan in place or evaluate how well you’re doing.
2. Identify the “fundamentals”: What are the fundamental qualities or attributes required to achieve your
22 CityLight.org
January 2015