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the
manager
WINTER 2011
3
Don’t fly solo. Even the highest
achievers need a strong support
network, as success is rarely achieved
single-handedly. That support can
sometimes come from outside the
inner sanctum of management.
4
Anticipation and preparation
are key. Forecasting pressure
moments and creating calm responses
well ahead of time allows for better
decision-making in the heat of the
moment. Taking the time to plan
provides a competitive edge when it
is most needed.
Senior management in all areas of
life, sport and business will, at times,
be pressurised and stressful. Those
managers who acknowledge these
pressures and put in place strategies
and a support network to manage
them are the ones who will not only
retain their skills and sanity, but will
also, ultimately, succeed.
It is vital that you find support –
not necessarily from an expert in your
field, but certainly from a person (or
group of people) who offers neutrality,
independence, brutal honesty and a
different perspective. When dealing
with managers we often say “you
can’t see your own creases... so find
someone you trust who can.”
About
michael caulfield
Michael Caulfield MSc is a senior
consultant with Sporting Edge
(www.thesportingedge.co.uk).
Founded by the former England
cricketer Jeremy Snape, Sporting
Edge specialises in supporting
leaders and their teams in
professional sport and high-
pressure business. Michael was
chief executive of the Professional
Jockeys Association before
qualifying as an accredited sports
psychologist. He has worked in
elite sport for more than 25 years
with organisations including The
LMA and the Barclays Premier
League as well as in international
and domestic cricket. Michael is
an experienced public speaker
and a regular contributor to BBC
Radio 5 Live, BBC News and Sky
Sports. As a Reading season ticket
holder, Michael knows all about
the highs and lows of football.