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WELCOME

FROM the As I write, the fate of entertainment retailer and iconic British brand HMV hangs in the balance. In all probability it will be sold off or pared back; labelled just another failed business. But is it really a failure? A multinational company that opened its first store on Oxford St in 1921, HMV has been a reliable presence on the UK high street ever since, surviving far longer than many expected in the face of stiff competition online. A failure on whose terms? Football managers face this kind of harsh and often illogical critique on a weekly basis. To many in the media, success for a football club is nothing short of being on top, all of the time, forever. To some fans, it is beating the local opposition or surpassing last season’s finishing position. To the club finance director, it might be securing a big sponsorship deal

“At the Manager, our philosophy is all about leadership, insight and inspiration, and that can come from any type of manager, at any level” and not finishing the season bogged down by debt. But, as psychologist Jeremy Snape argues in his piece on page 46, the only benchmark for success and failure can be your own. That means setting realistic goals, deciding on a plan and then sticking to your guns. “We only regret the risks we didn’t take because we played it safe through fear. Not pushing for a strategy we knew to be right or failing to have that difficult conversation are all pivotal moments in our success,” he says. The League Managers Association, St George's Park, National Football Centre, Newborough Road, Needwood, Burton upon Trent DE13 9PD The views and opinions expressed by contributors are their own and are not necessarily those of BowlesAssociates or the League Managers Association, its members, officers or employees. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is strictly prohibited. www.leaguemanagers.com

Sadly, many managers never get the chance to do things their way, in business or in sport. As we learn in our feature on page 18, surviving the first few months in a new job is all about quick wins and getting people on side. John Hasbro, managing director of toy manufacturer Hasbro, Tony Mowbray and Chris Hughton are among those sharing their experience and tips around surviving those make-orbreak early days. Of course, the more you understand the requirements and expectations of a new role, the softer your landing is likely to be. In our cover feature, Michael Laudrup shares his experience of joining Swansea City, a club that recruits players and managers according to its clearly defined and longstanding ethos. Does he think this kind of strong philosophy is typical of the top clubs, here and in Europe? Find out on page 14. At the Manager, our philosophy is all about leadership, insight and inspiration, and that can come from any type of manager, at any level. If you have views on the content here or think others could learn from your experience or story, we’d love to hear from you.

New managers must navigate some stormy seas - page 18.

Editor Alice Hoey alicehoey1@gmail.com Editor for LMA Sue McKellar sue.mckellar@lmasecure.com Publisher Jim Souter jim.souter@lmasecure.com Art director Sam Bowles sam@bowlesassociates.com Photography Action Images unless stated Head of business development Tim Munton tim.munton@lmasecure.com Partnerships and events manager Alex Smith alex.smith@lmasecure.com

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welcome

FROM the Welcome to the 15th edition of the LMA’s the Manager magazine and welcome back Alice Hoey as its editor. Alice was the first editor of the magazine when we started in 2008 and we are delighted to have her as part of our team again. With Alice, we are building exciting plans for the Manager, including rolling out the publication across a range of new media platforms later this year. Since the last edition, we have seen a particularly high number of managerial dismissals across the top four leagues. What continues to remain of deep concern is the lack of time and opportunity many managers are given in their roles before being dismissed. The recent dismissals have once again highlighted the importance of developing strong relationships at a football club between the manager, chairman and directors. The vital ingredient in those relationships is communication. Proper communication sets realistic goals and manages expectations. Poor communication creates confusion and sets the scene for failure. The volatility in management and coaching continues to undermine the profession at a time when the game needs to continue to encourage players towards the end of their careers to stay in football. The recent mid-season transfer window once again produced a flurry of activity, discussion and debate. Across the game, views on the transfer window remain relatively mixed, but the majority of the LMA’s members certainly feel there needs to be a review of the current system. The managers are at the sharp-end of football’s recruitment market, it is one of the most visible and debated parts of their role, and in its current guise it creates a period of unnecessary intense pressure and scrutiny. It is time Uefa fulfilled its promise of a review, into which the LMA’s members can play an extremely important role. It has been six months since the LMA

chief executive relocated to St George’s Park and we have more than settled into our new home. During this time, the LMA and Castrol hosted the inaugural European Managers and Coaches Forum. This landmark, pioneering event was supported and facilitated by Sir Alex Ferguson and Howard Wilkinson with the aim of creating an environment where football’s elite could come together to share their knowledge, experience and future vision for the game.

“The volatility in management and coaching continues to undermine the profession”

We thank Castrol for their support with this project and look forward to working with them in the coming years and building relationships with managers and coaches from the leagues across Europe. More recently, the LMA was delighted to once again support The Prince’s Trust and to host the LMA Managers’ Cup for the first time at St George’s Park. This truly engaging event brings LMA members together with teams of young people on Prince’s Trust programmes for a day of football and teamwork, with the managers each being assigned a team for the day. The LMA’s members that took part demonstrated the extremely positive impact they can have on community projects and, ultimately, in improving the lives of young people. As we now enter the ‘business end’ of the season, I wish every team the very best. Whether it be for the pursuit of silverware, promotion or even survival, I am sure we are in for another exciting season finale.

Managers such as Roy Hodgson and David Moyes came together for the European Castrol Managers and Coaches Forum.

CONTENTS

On the cover: Michael Laudrup

The Swansea City manager on the club's winning philosophy and his experience at some of the biggest clubs in Europe.

Past Masters

Early days

We pay tribute to the late Dave Sexton.

The first few months in a job are make or break say Hasbro boss John Harper, Tony Mowbray and Chris Hughton.

10 4

CONTENTS

Perspectives

In profile

Challenging conversations: Paul Jewell and the Leadership Trust's Rob Noble are among those sharing their experience.

Ronnie Moore: We ask the Tranmere Rovers boss for the secret of his success in getting clubs promoted.

A sporting chance

Fit for business

Right To Play founder Johann Olav Koss on using sport to change lives.

Sally Gunnell – great performance starts with health and well-being.

36 head strong

The

F word

42 Headstrong: The F word

Away match

Only you can set the bar on success, says Jeremy Snape.

Where to eat, sleep and play in Barcelona.

Hall of fame

Coach's view

We profile legendary Arsenal manager Bertram Mee.

Anthony Hudson on proactive personal development.

Plus

12 Howard Wilkinson Why winning starts with survival 22 Steve Radcliffe on why leaders fail to deliver 34 How to... have more time 50 The corporate athlete: The health factors putting the brakes on performance. By Dorian Dugmore

LMA highlights

52 The winning diet: Our guide to high-performance foods 56 Spotlight on: The Old Course Hotel 58 Essential kit: Must-have gadgets and gizmos

News, views and events from the LMA community.

Newsbites

KICKING OFF THE POWER 33% OF PRIDE in the sixweek period following the end of london 2012 there were...

If the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games made you feel all warm inside, you weren't alone. The event lifted the mood of the country, even after it had drawn to a close, according to research by Precise. Analysis of social media conversations during the six weeks following the Paralympic Games revealed that people loved their lives more than during the same period in 2011, were less stressed, more satisfied at work, and took a keener interest in personal fitness. Given the squeeze on people's finances, the findings suggest well-being and wealth really don't go hand-in-hand. James Withey, Head of Brand Insight at Precise, said:“The emphasis seems to have shifted to enjoying what we have. Not only do Britons appear happier and less stressed, there is a feeling that we now have more to look forward to.”

fewer conversations about stress

14%

26%

fewer conversations relating to anger

fewer conversations indicating concern

8% more references to being happy with life

20% more expressions of gratitude

NOW FOR THE SCIENCE BIT... A meaty issue

Want to cut your risk of death and admission to hospital from heart disease by almost a third? Then cut out the meat and fish. That's the advice of scientists on the back of a major new study of the effects of diet on heart health. The study, published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, followed the health of nearly 45,000 British adults over a period

of 11.6 years. Vegetarians were 32 per cent less likely to die or be hospitalised due to heart disease, due to their diet's less harmful effects on cholesterol levels and blood pressure. Does your diet help you maintain peak performance? Find out more about what to tuck into and avoid on page 52.

Newsbites

Indestructible Something as simple as a game of football can bring happiness, meaning and hope to children around the world. But when even possession of a functioning ball is out of reach, such games can be short-lived or impossible. When Tim Jahningen, an inventor, song-writer and music producer, saw young refugees in Darfur playing with a ball made from bound-up rubbish, he was inspired to find a simple solution to the problem. The result was a football that never wears out, goes flat or requires a pump and can be used on any surface, from gravel and rocks to sand and grass. www.oneworldfutbol.com For more on the power of play, read our interview with Right to Play founder Johann Olav Koss on page 36.

BUSINESS BITES

Looking up Should pay be linked to performance? More than half of private sector workers now think so, according to an annual survey by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development. 54 per cent believe their salary should reflect performance, with 36 per cent feeling that it should be linked to inflation and the cost of living and 32 per cent to their experience in the profession. The results differed, however, in the public sector, where workers are less willing to see their pay reflect their own performance. Only 33 per cent think salaries should be based on this, compared to 55 per cent who thought it should reflect inflation/the cost of living and 33 per cent on their experience.

How to reach your peak

“The goal is taking risks and pushing yourself past your comfort zone,” said Diane Bevelander, Associate Dean of MBAs at Rotterdam School of Management and a specialist in women's leadership. RSM has an unconventional method of preparing students to scale the corporate ladder – it sends them up Mount Kilimanjaro. Bevelander believes the challenge kickstarts a new awareness of leadership and means participants are likely to set more ambitious career goals.

The news from the Treasury might continue to look gloomy, but it seems small businesses in the UK have a more positive outlook on 2013. According to a recent survey, just over half of small business owners in the UK expect their businesses to grow in 2013, despite the challenges faced in 2012. This growth is expected to come largely through attracting new customers and maximising sales, although use of social media will also play an important part. While growth is expected to be achieved domestically, small businesses in the UK will be hoping to throw the net wider. 59 per cent said their New Year business resolution is to look for new business opportunities or diversify their business.

Of the 17 women who joined the expedition, led by Rebecca Stephens, the first British woman to climb Mount Everest and the Seven Summits, 13 made it to the top. “I could not reach the top due to altitude sickness, but I learned some really good things about myself,” said Denise Eikelenboom. “I lost my fear of failure and I used the practical tips from our guides to take it slow and to live one day at a time. I was touched by the fact that some of the younger women said I inspired them as a leader.”

Newsbites

INFOGRAPHICS THE RESULTS ARE IN... The results of the Annual Castrol LMA European Managers & Coaches Survey provide a revealing window into managers' views on a range of issues affecting their profession – from refereeing and regulations to technology. We take a snapshot of the findings most relevant to management and leadership.

Top 5 pressures:

1 2 3 4 5 Results

Owners and the board

Fan expectations

Unsurprising? Perhaps, given that there were 49 managerial changes across the four leagues in the 2011/12 season. 33 of these are thought to have been down to match results or because of a change in ownership or the mindset of those on the board.

Average tenure of dismissed managers: 1992

3.12 years

2012

1.7 years

Interestingly, outside of football the average tenure of a CEO declined to 8.4 years in 2011 from around 10 years in 2000, according to the 2012 edition of CEO Succession Practices, a new report by The Conference Board, the global business research and membership organisation.

A matter of principle Top 5 values: Respect Honesty Enjoyment Trust

Discipline

Player management

Shorttermism

Newsbites

Eat, drink, sleep football

Balanced?

Despite many admitting to being obsessed with the sport, only 59% of coaches and managers said it wasn't possible to live a balanced lifestyle as a football manager.

72% 59% of respondents said they consider their relationship and participation with the game to be obsessive. Well, in the words of Sir Alex Ferguson...

If you're going to do it, don't do it part time

Self-improvement Developing and adding to skills and experience is essential to continued success in any management role. But what's the best way to achieve that? Respondents identified the following training, courses or events as being most beneficial.

Identifying personal strengths & weaknesses

Coaching techniques

CHANGE AHEAD

Communication strategies

home

60%

Understanding how people learn

believe the national team manager should not be a foreigner

away

Changing culture

94%

would consider gaining experience of working abroad, with the United States the preferred destination

The Annual Castrol LMA European Managers & Coaches Survey sought the opinions of managers and coaches from 19 different nationalities across Europe. Read the full results at www.leaguemanagers.com/news/news-7093.html

tribute

OCCASIONAL

tribute

“Honest as the day is long” Dave Sexton

« April 1930 - November 2012 »

orn in Islington, London, the son of a professional boxer, Dave Sexton’s trophy count - the FA Cup and European Cup Winners’ Cup for Chelsea - fails to reflect his unique skills as a manager and the genuine respect he commanded from players and managers alike. Sexton got his first stab at management as assistant coach to Tommy Docherty at Chelsea in 1962, after injury had drawn a line under his playing career. Three years later, he gained more experience as manager of Leyton Orient, coach at Fulham and during a stint as assistant manager and chief coach at Arsenal. However, it is at Chelsea (1967-74) and Queens Park Rangers (1974-77) where Sexton saw most success and where he established his reputation as an innovative, methodical and thoughtful manager with a nose for strategy and a talent for people management. “In a word, he was inspirational,” says former chief executive of the LMA John Barnwell. “He was forward-thinking, a great practitioner and his ability to inspire both players and coaches was tremendous.” Dario Grady was given his first coaching job by Sexton and worked alongside him as reserve coach at Chelsea and later as first team coach. “His coaching methods were very different from what others were doing at the time,” he recalls. “He would study other sports for inspiration and put real focus on technique. He also made coaching sessions more enjoyable and they flowed from end to end rather than being stop-start as practice sessions can often be.” John Hollins has similar memories of

a man whose grasp of the technical side of football was unsurpassed. “If he was in management today, he would have been one of the best, if not the best, there is,” he says. “He was always thinking about how players could improve, sometimes by the most subtle change in their technique. He never stopped watching and understanding the game and he would have a solution to any problem that you put to him,” he says. He was also, Hollins adds, liked and respected by everyone he met. “As many of those who attended his funeral said, he was honest as the day is done.” Brian Scovell, a sports journalist at the Daily Mail for 40 years, first met Sexton in the early 1960s while covering matches and on coaching courses. He recalls how Sexton was happy to get stuck in and be one of the lads. “I loved his passion, his friendliness and his interest in people and things other than football,” he says. “On one occasion, I asked if he fancied playing with the football team I ran in a match against the Daily Mirror. He simply said, ‘OK, where is it?’ Can you imagine a manager of a first division club taking half a day off to play with a group of critical journalists? On another occasion, he volunteered to play for my local cricket side as he loved cricket. The side had tremendous respect for him.” After leaving club football, Sexton enjoyed continued success with the national side, in particular with the England Under-21s team and as technical director at the Football Association’s School of Excellence at Lilleshall. He was appointed OBE in 2005. 11

column | Howard Wilkinson, LMA Chairman

Survive, then win, then succeed In business, as in football, no matter how able you are technically, being unprepared to deal with crisis, played out in full public view, can cost you dearly. So what's the key to survival?

The LMA’s leadership model, Survive, Win, Succeed, is the product of 20 years of research, experience, interviews and feedback. In that model we have tried to map out the long, winding and always treacherous road that, in the case of the very few, leads to success. The stats give just a glimpse into that journey. For example, the average tenure of all managers in 2012 was only 1.7 years, or around 75 games. 79 per cent of firsttime managers sacked Achieving before they reach that excellence in milestone never get another manager’s any activity - not just in the sports job. 55 per cent of first-time managers arena - requires overall never get a a minimum of second job. A universally 10,000 hours of accepted principle, purposeful produced by Anders practice Ericsson, argues beyond doubt that to achieve excellence in any activity, be it sport, the arts, music, ballet or business, requires a minimum of 10,000 hours of deliberate purposeful practice. At the LMA, we’ve worked out this equates to about 250 games when you take into account training and preparation time with your players. Yet most football managers never get the opportunity to rack up this level of experience. In business, organisations have many sensible ways of selecting their future leaders, one of them being graduate training programmes. The son of a friend of mine spent four years at university before he was offered a coveted place at a global accountancy business. During the six-year programme candidates can be deselected, advised as to the potential job pathways appropriate to their talents and, in some cases, earmarked as possible future leaders in the industry, and in the process creeping ever closer to their 10,000 hours of relevant learning and skill development. Do the jobs of business supremos and soccer bosses have anything in common? Without doubt. Those who survive the climb of death that is football 12

go on to be responsible for jobs just as big as the top jobs in industry and just as pressure-laden, if for different reasons. There are some huge differences, of course. A CEO can miss a board meeting; in some cases cancel one. A manager cannot miss, cancel or postpone a game. Sir Alex Ferguson has managed over 2100 matches and missed just one. He’s only ever taken ill when there is no game and he’s not the only one. Probably the most obvious difference is the increasingly very public nature of the manager’s job, which is played out live much of the time. Be it Chelsea or Cheltenham, your every action, decision and word is scrutinised round the clock, the almost daily changes in nature and scope of the media plus the explosion of social media see to that. Add to this the fact that every week, sometimes twice a week, you have a shareholders’ meeting, except in this case it’s called a game and anything from two to 72 thousand can turn up, each with their own opinion on how things should be done. Unfortunately for first-time managers these pressures and many more will be there right from the start. They also have the knowledge that this could be not only their first job but their last. In these circumstances, a person’s leadership capabilities become key. You need to know who you are, your strengths and weaknesses, values and beliefs. From day one, you need to know that getting buy in, particularly from the product-makers - the players - is key and that only you can make it happen. Understanding the job - how it works and what makes the people in it tick - is also essential. From day one, you need a clear vision and have a plan for the very short, medium and long term. You also need to know and understand how critical it will be to be able to publicly perform under pressure. In football, the crises come thick and fast and are, for the most part, out there for public consumption. Failure to operate successfully in these situations will generally lead to a quick exit. Sadly, in business as in football, no matter how able you are technically, big tests can come very early. Being unprepared to deal with the crises, especially when played out in full view of the public, can cost a manager dearly.

In the 10 years since the start of the Premier League:

127

first-time managers have been sacked

(68%) were sacked before they reached 75 games (1.7 years) Of the 49 remaining, only

managers passed the 75 game mark, but did not reach 250 games Therefore, 23 did reach the 250 game mark, which represents just

20%

of the 127 starters

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Cover feature: MICHAEL LAUDRUP

CLEAR Words: Sue McKellar Photography: portraitcollective/Jake Morley

A clearly defined and well-communicated philosophy can inspire, motivate and guide an organisation in the right direction. Take Swansea City, where the strategy permeates every level of the club. It has resulted in two consecutive seasons in the Barclays Premier League and seen them win this season's Capital One League Cup - securing their first major cup trophy and a place in Europe. It's no coincidence that the club has recruited a succession of gifted young managers who all share the club's beliefs. The latest, Michael Laudrup, shares his experience of football ethos in Europe and the invigorating challenges of the very British way.

You had a distinguished playing career with some of the world's top clubs. when did your decide to use that experience in management?

I never thought I would do. I was still playing until the age of 34 and when I retired I was tired, mentally and physically. When you play for big clubs like Barcelona, Real Madrid and Juventus there’s pressure to be tactically and mentally sharp in every match you play. For 10 months after I retired I spent time watching football and doing TV work. Then, in 2000, my former team-mate and Ajax manager Morten Olsen was appointed as head coach of the Danish national team and asked me to become his assistant manager. I decided to see if

Cover feature: MICHAEL LAUDRUP

“There are many ways to do things and many ways to succeed. If there was a single winning formula then everyone would take it. Managers are all different and we each believe in our own way of doing things”

I liked the role. I did and two years later I was appointed manager of Brondby, which was the biggest club in Denmark at the time. It was a good place for me to start, because I’d played for the club in the past and understood its ethos and the expectations on me. I was there for four years before moving on to manage at Spanish sides Getafe and Real Mallorca. How does the role of head coach in Europe differ from that of a manager in the Barclays Premier League?

There are head coaches in Spain who are heavily involved in decision-making and have a lot of influence, such as Jose Mourinho at Real Madrid and former Barcelona head coach Pep Guardiola. In general, however, head coaches in Europe are more like trainers. You might be asked what type of player you need, but it tends to be the club’s sporting director or owner who has most influence. One of my former coaching colleagues in Spain summed up the situation when he said, “He buys the players, I train them,” it’s as simple as that. Managers in the Barclays Premier League have a much greater say about whether a player is signed. There is also a different mentality in British football and the manager has not only more influence but also a wider range of responsibilities. This is how it should be, because if things aren’t going well it’s the manager who gets sacked. Who have been your mentors as a manager? who has inspired you?

Because I’ve played for such big teams, I’ve experienced some great coaches. However, Johan Cruyff, Giovanni Trapattoni and Sepp Piontek stand out. For very different reasons they had a major impact on me during crucial points in my career - as 16

a player with Barcelona, Juventus and the Danish national side and then once I became a manager. All three had quite different qualities that I admired and that I wanted to acquire as well as those that I

104

caps for Denmark over 16 years

“[In British football] the manager has not only more influence but also a wider range of responsibilities” knew wouldn’t work for me. When I find myself in a new situation as a manager, I’ll often recall how those managers dealt with it. How would you describe yourself as a leader? what type of relationship do you foster with your players?

I think how you are perceived by the people that you work with is very important. I say

to my players that I am their manager – not a policeman or their father – and try to give them a certain amount of freedom. If they make mistakes, I deal with it accordingly, but I treat them as adults not children. Having said that, it’s important to remember that, however much he might be getting paid, an 18-year-old player is still young and may be less mature than another who is 32 and married with children. While there are some rules that apply to everybody, you have to observe and handle each person as an individual. Has your philosophy as a manager been influenced by your time playing for the European clubs?

Football is interesting because there are many ways to do things and many ways to succeed. If there was a single winning formula then everyone would take it. Managers are all different and we each believe in our own way of doing things. Countries also tend to have their own distinct football philosophies, which I saw as a player in Italy and Spain. In the Barclays Premier League, meanwhile, there is a wide variation of styles and philosophies on show; some teams are very physical and direct while others are more offensive. It makes it more of a challenge for a manager, because you can encounter a different style of play at each game. Swansea has a well-defined philosophy of attractive, passing football. How fundamental has that been to its success?

Swansea has made its philosophy very clear. It has decided to do things a certain way, to be consistent in that, and to take it into account when appointing managers. It purposefully seeks out managers and players who share its philosophy.

Cover feature: MICHAEL LAUDRUP

Some observers may play that down, saying it’s just common sense, but I’ve seen many clubs, including some big sides, who haven’t maintained that consistency of approach. It is expensive to keep changing in that way and not helpful for the fans. I don’t, however, believe it is the manager or the players that determine an organisation’s philosophy; it has to come from the top. Did Swansea make their ethos and vision clear to you right from the start?

Yes, and I had about a week after speaking with them to make my decision. I used that week to learn as much as possible about the club to make an informed judgement. Often as a player or a manager you have only a day or so and I’ve had a bad experience in the past because of that. Perhaps if I’d had a few more days to do some research I’d have made a different choice.

How important is it for a club’s philosophy to permeate right down to the youth side?

Very important. At Barcelona, the philosophy is all about the touch and what they do with the ball rather than a particular system of play. Nobody, including me, can see what system they play because the players are so good and can all interchange positions. But everyone at Barcelona knows how they have to touch the ball and the runs they need to make. I imagine that if you watch the club’s 12 to 14-year-old players they train in a very similar way to the first team. At Ajax, they have been playing the same 4-3-3 system since the 1970s, in the days of Johan Cruyff. Every team in the club has to play this way. I recall my last season as a player there in 1997-98, when Morten Olsen was head coach. We were doing fantastically well; top of the league and 10 or 11 points clear of PSV in second. But for one fixture all three of our wingers were injured, so Morten decided that we would need to play 4-4-2. We won the game, but the next

CV in brief Player

1981–1982 KB 1982–1983 Brøndby 1983–1985 Lazio 1985–1989 Juventus 1989–1994 Barcelona 1994–1996 Real Madrid 1996–1997 Vissel Kobe 1997–1998 Ajax

Manager

2002–2006 2007–2008 2008–2009 2010–2011 2012–

Brøndby Getafe Spartak Moscow Mallorca Swansea City

day there were reports in the press saying “Disaster...how can Ajax play 4-4-2?” It was as though we’d committed a major offence. I don’t believe you should be quite so rigid in your philosophy, but it does need to permeate the whole club, through the system of player progression. If there is a clear club philosophy, the young players coming through know the basics they need to progress.

LEADERSHIP & MANAGEMENT

Early days The first few months in a new job can be crucial. Change things too quickly, alienate people or make early mistakes and the results can be detrimental. Get off on the right foot, however, and it can cement a long and successful career.

What do Mark Carney, Marissa Mayer, Justin Welby and Antony Jenkins have in common? Having started new jobs in 2012, they all had some big shoes to fill, at the Bank of England, Yahoo, the Church of England and Barclays respectively. While few senior executives get judged as quickly or as critically as football managers, many have a legacy of issues to deal with and pressure from inside and outside their organisations to make an early impact. But, faced with unfamiliar people and processes, it can be an uphill task for even the most seasoned professional. When John Harper took up the position of UK Group Managing Director at toy manufacturer Hasbro in 2001, the business was losing money and he needed to act fast to turn it around. “We totally re-organised the business within the first few months of my joining,” he says. “In my experience, it is critical to determine the direction your organisation is heading and then act quickly, so spending time fine-tuning a plan is less beneficial than acting fast.” 18

Despite the obvious financial challenges facing Hasbro, Harper says gauging the mental health of the organisation was as important during his first few months with the company as establishing its financial status. While businesses are judged on their financial performance, it is, he says, the morale and motivation of the employees that drive those results. “At Hasbro, as well as needing to radically change the financial shape of the business, I needed to make it more customer centric. Therefore, the people we retained in the new, leaner business were those who could adapt to this new externally driven culture.” Leftovers Making such changes can be tough, however, when there is a strong legacy in an organisation, either in the approach that previous management has taken, problems they have encountered or in its culture and ethos. “Some clubs and organisations don’t have a defined legacy and simply evolve with each manager, but many of the most successful do,” says Middlesbrough

LEADERSHIP & MANAGEMENT

manager Tony Mowbray. “You have to be very aware of the legacy and how quickly you can make changes, while standing by what you believe in.” Mowbray says it’s important to identify early on whether your new organisation’s culture or ethos matches your own and make sure everyone understands the expectations on them. “You have to be very careful about taking a job where your philosophies are at odds with those of the club,” he says. Norwich City boss Chris Hughton agrees: “Communicating with the owners and the chief executive from the offset is important if you are to avoid any surprises on either side further down the line. When I got the job at Norwich City, I was keen to change the style of play, so it was important that I explain my intentions and reassure the players that I wouldn’t be making any dramatic changes or changing the fundamentals – work ethic and organisation. I had to determine the right balance between keeping what already worked at the club and introducing my own methods, and then change things in a subtle way.” For football managers, the best time to engage and

During your early period with a club, you may not get results, but it’s important to be strong. Continue to demonstrate the style of play you believe in” Chris Hughton, manager, Norwich City

LEADERSHIP & MANAGEMENT

You can’t arrive and expect people to become something they are not overnight. Work with the players and if you are given the time, try to change how the team plays and the club's philosophy” Tony Mowbray, manager, Middlesbrough

communicate in this way is in the pre-season period, says Hughton. “It’s not just about getting results when you first arrive,” he says. “What you have to demonstrate to the players is a philosophy of play and a way of working.” On side Building key relationships early on is fundamental to any successful start, says Harper. “You need to be visible, be heard and be seen to be listening,” he says. On his first day at Hasbro, he called everyone together to introduce himself and explain what he stood for and his plans for the following months. “We subsequently held a company away-day for all employees to discuss our future and I walked the floor in the offices on a regular basis,” he says. “I find travelling with people is another great way to get to know them. After hours on a plane or in a car, you 20

start to really find out what makes them tick.” When she joined law firm Thomas Eggar, Vicky Brackett also devoted much of her time to getting to know her team and forming relationships with those in it. “My priorities were to work out the team dynamics and understand where I could best use my skills and also who I would benefit from working with,” she says. When she was appointed managing partner in May 2012, her focus was on making the team a leading team within the firm. “That required everyone in the team to understand what we were trying to achieve and to buy in to my plan and action points,” she says. “I formed a team around me and spent a huge amount of time working with them to find out their personalities, their strengths, where they needed support and how they could work together. That took time, energy, determination and patience.”

LEADERSHIP & MANAGEMENT

Six survival questions Martin Palethorpe, Senior Executive Coach at The Pragma Group

Building key relationships early on is fundamental to any successful start” John Harper, UK Group Managing Director, Hasbro

Have faith It helps, she says, to be as approachable as possible. “You can’t get around the fact that people are more reluctant to engage with you once you are in a leadership position,” she says. “I have tried to remain engaged at every level in the firm so that people feel they can come to me with questions, ideas and ask for feedback. I think you gain respect by being a team player and helping people to achieve, by giving credit where credit is due, leading where you can and listening at all times.” She also made sure she engaged with people outside of her immediate team. “I got involved wherever I could in company projects and tried to share my experience of working in a different firm to help move Thomas Eggar forward. In doing so, I made friends, became more aware of where I could contribute and add value and got to know the personalities in the firm and how to play things.” Hughton says the best way to build loyalty is to treat people with respect. “I try to give my players my time and explain my decisions, and I aim to show the supporters how hard I am working for them. It’s important they know how valuable they are to the club.” Mowbray agrees on the importance of building a rapport early on. “You need to have the right chemistry within a business or football team,” he says. “I have always tried to be natural and I don’t try to make an impact just for effect. I aim to win people’s trust and belief in what I do by how I behave and to lead by example. Ultimately, people need to see that you can do the job, and that you’re a decent and fair man.”

What are you getting into? The existing culture and key stakeholders have a huge impact on your chances of being successful. Know them well and know what you’re signing up for. Make sure the role will play to your strengths and is a platform on which you can be successful.

What style of leadership is required? Assess the situation. Is it failing, or successful and growing? Is it small and nimble or large and political? Is the culture open and progressive, or resistant to change? How do the employees, the board, the shareholders and the customers feel about the current situation? What is underneath the surface? The style of leadership you used in your previous workplaces won’t necessarily maximise success in the next. Think carefully and choose how you operate and the nature of your transition.

Have you shifted your mindset? You may need a fundamentally different mindset and behaviours in your new role. For example, the skills, approach and focus used to succeed as a finance director is very different to a CEO role. Don’t forget to promote yourself mentally.

Have you agreed expectations? Agree realistic expectations in your first few months. By doing this early you are making your focus clear, ensuring you’re in alignment and you can manage any unrealistic goals.

Which are the important relationships? Quickly ascertain who you most need on your side. Where is the power and influence throughout the organisation and within its stakeholders? Who needs to buy into and support you?

How can you score some early goals? From the minute you arrive, all eyes will be on you and the clock will be ticking. It’s important to identify a few quick wins; small or large, that will create positive momentum and build your credibility. 21

LEADERSHIP & MANAGEMENT

Deliver on your promise In the final instalment of his Future-Engage-Deliver series, Steve Radcliffe looks at how we can work with others to deliver more.

Over the past 20 years, I’ve seen countless leaders fail to deliver and I’ve learned from many who successfully deliver through the people around them. Derek, the chief executive of a billion-poundplus business, was one of the former. With his team, he had developed goals for the business, a clearly articulated strategy, plans by brand and customer and good financial controls. This data was translated into departmental and individual targets and progress was monitored regularly. All very thorough. Yet, despite all of this, the business did not deliver. It missed its targets, slid into decline and Derek was moved on. Where did he go wrong? He lacked two ingredients that are essential if you want high levels of delivery through others. First, as made clear by

“keep the energy positive and constantly bring resolve and resilience“ the Future-Engage-Deliver leadership approach, delivering is not a standalone aspect of leading - it follows directly on from Future and Engage. Imagine you meet two stone-carvers. You ask the first what he’s doing and he replies, “I’m carving stone”. You then ask the second, more motivated carver and he says, “I’m building a cathedral”. When you need people to deliver consistently for you, you can’t simply ask them to carve more and more stone. You have to help them imagine a bigger, more compelling future and engage them in that future. Derek had done neither. Second, to successfully deliver you have to really mean it. While people may want to deliver with you, they are only human and may become distracted; lose the plot; make mistakes; forget; and get different messages from different departments. They might also become disheartened because they don’t believe they have the tools for the job or they see others working against them. Great leaders recognise these factors and counter them with their own high standards. They act directly 22

when faced with poor performance, keep the energy positive and constantly bring resolve and resilience. While you already have these qualities, you need to learn to effortlessly bring them to the Deliver aspect of leading? It’s important that what you want to be delivered is a part of what you are leading for and what you care about. In other words, the focus of Deliver is an important piece of the Future you want. This is a crucial connection, but one that is easy to lose. It makes sense to translate your aspirations into targets and results that you can focus on now. But many organisations in the private and public sectors make these measures the end in themselves and lose sight of the overall ambition. Keep asking yourself the big picture questions what’s our overall purpose here? what does success look like? and to have the Future we want, what other factors should we pay attention to? Don’t be like Derek. Imagine a compelling future, engage people in it, and deliver like you really mean it.

In profile

Steve Radcliffe is a leadership expert and author of bestseller Leadership Plain and Simple. Visit www. futureengagedeliver.com to find out more.

Destination JLT Employee Benefits We are one of the UK’s leading employee benefit consultancies. Through a combination of independence, scale and specialism, we provide a single, centralised source for all your pensions and benefit requirements. This means whatever direction your pension and employee benefits are heading, JLT Employee Benefits can help. Employee Benefit Solutions • DC Consulting • Group Risk Consulting • Health and Wellbeing Consulting • Flexible Benefits Consulting • Auto-enrolment Consulting • Online Technology Trustee Solutions • Actuarial & Pension Consulting • Pensions Administration Services • Scheme Governance • Communications • Discontinuance Services • Pension Software Solutions Investment Solutions • Investment Management* • Investment Consulting Pension Capital Strategies • De-risking Advice • Advice to Corporates • Liability Management Wealth Management* • Financial Planning • Transfer Advice • SIPP/SSAS Services • Annuity Purchase Services To find out more about JLT Employee Benefits scan the QR code or go to www.jltgroup.com/eb * Investment Management provided by JLT Investment Management Ltd. Registered in England No. 04274915. Wealth Management provided by JLT Wealth Management Ltd. Registered in England No. 03876529.w Authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority. A member of the Jardine Lloyd Thompson Group. Registered Office: 6 Crutched Friars, London EC3N 2PH. JLT Employee Benefits, a trading name of JLT Benefit Solutions. Authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority. A member of the Jardine Lloyd Thompson Group. Registered Office: 6 Crutched Friars, London EC3N 2PH. Registered in England No. 02240496. VAT No. 244 2321 96.

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OCCASIONAL

What’s the best way to initiate a conversation you know will be difficult or cool one that has become too combative?

How you navigate through a challenging conversation can make a big difference to its outcome, transforming it from conflict to something far more constructive.

Tough Talk

Here, five leaders and communication experts give us their perspectives on tough tête-à-têtes.

LEADERSHIP & MANAGEMENT

Understand where they’re coming from Rob Noble, CEO, The Leadership Trust

hallenging conversations are part and parcel of life within any team or organisation. How we deal with them is often as important as the outcome itself. A leader often sees the bigger picture and has an eye on the needs of the organisation or wider team. This can help with clarity on outcomes for decisions or at least understanding what space is available for negotiations. There are no prescribed ways of dealing with a situation; no instant 'off-the-shelf' responses, because people and issues are diverse, with differing levels of sensitivity. This all makes for a fertile environment for managers to get their leadership skills either working for them or against. One recommendation is to confront an issue early on; otherwise, mediation may be required. The key is to look at the facts and tackle the issue and not the person. Discuss the behaviours

The key is to look at the facts and tackle the issue and not the person” and actions seen, stick to the facts and keep emotions out of the way. It is important to not make it personal and to maintain dignity and mutual respect for all parties. Another factor to consider is entering the conversation with a curiosity to understand the viewpoint of the other person or group. This can make a huge difference. Mediators do this skilfully, but I believe it is something we can all attempt. If we better understand their concerns and what is creating the emotions inside that is driving their

behaviours, we have a much greater chance of dealing with the core issue rather than treating symptoms, which often repeat. When we conduct development with people, we talk about 'gripping self'. This means getting ourselves in the right state or frame of mind to tackle any given situation. Essentially, we are looking to be calm, confident and in control of our emotions. It is vital that even if those around us are emotionally charged, we manage ourselves in a way that does not further inflame the situation. That also means knowing ourselves well and that is a strong part of how we develop inspirational leadership within managers. Rob Noble has been exposed to many situations of conflict over the years, in his roles as a Major in the Parachute Regiment, at Goldman Sachs and now as CEO of The Leadership Trust. For 37 years The Leadership Trust has been helping organisations to develop their leadership talent, observing how leaders, both experienced and aspiring, apply the learning from their training back in the workplace. www.leadership.org.uk

LEADERSHIP & MANAGEMENT

OCCASIONAL

Be a meerkat

John Crawley, Director of John Crawley Mediation

any managers quickly get emotional and react badly when challenged or needing to challenge others. But these kinds of conversations are normal and, with some understanding and good conversation management skills, it’s possible to get good outcomes and leave a positive impression. Firstly, it’s important to not take it personally when challenged. According to ACAS, fractious interpersonal relationships between managers and employees are happening everywhere. Some team members find it difficult to balance their own needs with those of the team, particularly if they are under pressure, in a

highly competitive environment, or if they have a big ego and a desire to be the best. Secondly, tune in, stay calm and listen before you react. Most people are at their angriest and most challenging when they feel they are not being heard, so really listening has a powerful defusing and calming effect. It also helps you find out where they are coming from, what they are angry or upset about and what they want out of the situation. I have trained managers in banks, hospitals, airlines, government agencies and leisure businesses and many are stunned by how powerful it can be to really listen to people when they are upset or displaying challenging behaviour.

tune in, stay calm and listen before you react”

Keep calm & focused Andrew Brown, Partner at Capital Law and legal advisor to Cardiff City

Thirdly, in situations of conflict, people tend to employ four main styles of management: the shark, meerkat, rabbit and cuddly dog. The meerkat produces the best outcomes for challenging conversations, because meerkats want fair conversations and win-win outcomes. They are patient, want the best for everyone and, as skilful persuaders, excel in calming people down. Many of the managers I’ve worked with don’t want to engage with conflict or challenging conversations so they adopt the dysfunctional rabbit and cuddly dog styles of management. Rabbits are avoiders who are usually intimidated by conflict and either freeze or hide. They do not achieve their goals and are not trusted. Cuddly dogs smile and smooth things over, so they get walked over. They often say ‘yes’ when they mean ‘no’, get overloaded and stressed. Cuddly dogs are well-liked, but not trusted to do the really tough stuff. A shark, meanwhile, is aggressive, wants to fight and be in control and to triumph over the other person. They are

hen you need to initiate a conversation the other person is likely to find uncomfortable or difficult, preparation is key. Plan the structure of what issues you need to cover, and keep it constructive and outcome-based, working towards solutions to the problem. Staying calm, focused on the end result, and keeping things objective rather than personal can help prevent conversations turning nasty. Read the signals the other person is giving off and be prepared to flex your approach to achieve the right result. Combat is rarely about outand-out aggression. Difficult or uncomfortable conversations have a danger of straying off piste, but the quality of your preparation should ensure you stay focused, the conversation remains on track

LEADERSHIP & MANAGEMENT

When confronted by a team member or peer, try John Crawley's RESPECT model

also, however, very task-orientated. If you find yourself in a difficult conversation with a shark, you need to be a bit sharklike yourself. Steer them away from their aggressive, controlling behaviour and point out that it is easier to solve a problem with a non-aggressive conversation. Then use your meerkat collaboration skills to find an outcome that is more win-win. For example, “That’s what I can offer you if you agree to ....” or “Tell me what you need from me, not what you think of me”. If the collaborative approach doesn’t work, meerkat managers can also assert their authority over persistently shark-like behaviour: “I understand where you’re

coming from, but I’d like you to tone it down. I need you in line or there will be consequences.” Teams with meerkat managers perform well because they know that everyone is important and no-one is bigger than the team. Be a meerkat. John Crawley has been a conflict resolution and mediation practitioner and trainer for 25 years, working with private and public sector organisations, and has authored several books on conflict management and mediation. John has also been a playermanager and founded Sporting Hackney FC, which promotes diversity in football. www.johncrawleymediation.co.uk

Plan the structure of what issues you need to cover” (however flexible and accommodating you wish to appear), and the way forward will become clearer for you and the other person. Pick your time and location wisely, avoiding busy deadlines and bars and allowing sufficient time and privacy. Be mindful of your body language too; don’t cross your arms. Remain calm –

Rapport–build - use your listening skills, establish ground rules (e.g. is this conversation confidential or not?), be open and honest. Explore - find out what the issue is, how the person is feeling and what they want out of the situation. Show understanding – reflect, don’t react; step into their shoes; let them know that you have heard. Problem-solve – seek win-win solutions by letting them know what you can and cannot do and what you need from them. Say ‘no’ when you need to and reality-check any unrealistic expectations. Empower – thank them for raising the issue. Put in your perspective and get them to stand in your shoes. Identify hurdles to progress and how to overcome them. Request and make small but significant changes so that no-one loses face. Encourage the benefits of a win-win approach – everyone benefits and the team knows you are aiming to be fair to all. Close – agree what is going to happen next and how you will know issues are resolved. Make action plans and agree what other people need and do not need to know. Make sure what you have agreed can be achieved. Establish what behavioural changes will help sustain a better working relationship. Transfer the learning to the workplace – stick with what’s agreed practically. Keep checking in to sustain what has been agreed. Build in fall-back plans for what will happen if things start to get challenging again.

you’ll look far more natural, receptive and in control. If the other person starts to shout, don’t match them or it could be game over. Dealing with conflict takes a healthy mix of experience, personality and the ability to read your opponent. Call it psychology or poker. Some litigators are one-trick ponies and try to resolve conflict with aggression, but that only serves to make them more predictable and often illustrates a lack of experience. There are also those who forget the key skill of communication – listening. Ultimately, it's about having a clear understanding of what you are trying to achieve; what makes your opponent tick; and what strategy you deploy against them for success. As a partner at Cardiff and London law firm Capital Law and a legal advisor to Cardiff City, Andrew Brown is vastly experienced in having and leading difficult conversations that create the right result for the party he represents. Andrew is ranked in Band 1 by Chambers and Partners, with a specialism in dispute resolution.

LEADERSHIP & MANAGEMENT

OCCASIONAL

Don’t let things fester Paul Jewell, football manager

every situation was similar, then communicating one-to-one with players would be a doddle. But when you have some 30 personalities in your team you have to personalise your approach. If I have something difficult to raise with a player I won't put things off or wait until they are less heated. I look the player in the eye and am direct with them; at least then they know where they stand. When emotions are high following a game, it is difficult to come into the dressing room and not say what you feel. But it is important that you can arrive at training on the Monday and move

forward. Football is such an emotional game and there have been times when I have said things that I later regretted. You have to be man enough to say sorry sometimes. Some managers bring their assistants into their offices when they are going to tell a player something difficult or that may result in conflict.

You have to be man enough to say sorry sometimes” I've never done so, because it's not how I would like to be dealt with. If the player is there to hear something he might not like, he should be able to exchange words with me confidentially. Players tend to open up more when it is just me and them. They may also want to talk about a member of my staff. Few players are comfortable in your office because it’s not an environment they are used to. At Ipswich I had an office with a desk and a big, round table. The players knew if we were sitting at the table we’d be having an informal, positive chat, but when I was behind my desk it was something more serious. When I was a young player at Liverpool FC, if you got a ‘well done’ from the manager you were elated. But many players are different now and need more open communication and motivation. Sir Alex Ferguson is the master of combining the traditional approach with the requirements of a modern-day manager. Paul Jewell is an experienced football manager with 15 years’ management behind him. Jewell started his coaching career at Bradford City, while still playing for the team, and after several years in management at the club added stints at Sheffield Wednesday, Wigan Athletic, Derby County and, most recently, Ipswich Town to his management CV.

Tony Mowbray, Middlesbrough manager Every individual in your team is different and some players don’t react well to being singled out. There are times, however, when it's

necessary to hold people accountable. You have to identify the best ways to communicate with them as individuals. For

some, highlighting a fault in the dressing room is not the best way. Better to have a quiet word as you walk off the training pitch; maybe also

ask how his family is and what’s new in his life. Through different avenues you cultivate their trust and earn their respect.”

FROM THE POST ROOM TO THE BOARD ROOM, EVERYONE THINKS THEY CAN BE

THE MANAGER How do you manage outrageous talent? How do you turn around a team in crisis? What’s the best way to build long-term success?

The biggest names in football management reveal the secrets to successful leadership and surviving under pressure SEPTEMBER 2013 Available in hardback, ebook and audiobook Published with the support of the LMA, Barclays and Deloitte

www.themanager2013.com TheManager2013 |

@TheManager2013

LEADERSHIP & MANAGEMENT

OCCASIONAL

The come-back king Many managers would think twice before returning to a club where they’d lost their job. Yet Tranmere manager Ronnie Moore is proof that not only can you find success twice, but that having prior knowledge of a club gives you the edge. Words: Sue McKellar Photography: portraitcollective/Robbie Stephenson

You now have over 750 matches under your belt as a manager. How have you evolved over your career?

I just turned 60, but you’re never too old to make changes; you learn something new every day. There was a time, prior to getting the sack at Rotherham in 2011, when like many managers I would rant and rave at the players at half time if things weren’t going our way. I don’t do that now. Having had an 11-month break between leaving the club and coming back to Tranmere, I’m more relaxed. It’s an approach that has paid off. You need the players on your side. You have to be able to deal with them collectively as well as individually. I have an open door policy with my players and they can tell me anything in absolute confidence. Many of them confide in me, which shows that I have earned their trust.

LEADERSHIP & MANAGEMENT

So, in some ways, was being out of work for 11 months cathartic?

It really gave me time to think about how I do things. I have definitely mellowed. Life’s too short and in football you can be under pressure from everyone from the chairman and directors to the fans, so why put added pressure on yourself? Given all that, I still have the same strong desire to win everything, even if it’s just a five-aside game.

24 played 22 won Under Moore's leadership, Tranmere made an impressive start to the 2012-2013 season.

You've had great success in getting sides promoted. Do you feel the burden of expectation?

at the top for the best part of four months on the second lowest budget in the league?

I don’t think so, because I’ve always worked at clubs with modest budgets, which has meant I have had to fight for success. That comes naturally for me. Rather than always looking for particular skill or creativity in players, which comes with a hefty price tag, I’ve become adept at spotting individuals with the right attitude and who will fight for the good of the team. Having players with team spirit and a determined, winning mentality makes up for an awful lot sometimes. That togetherness, that good trip back on the team bus after you have won a game, is a priceless commodity.

Tranmere sits in the shadow of two huge clubs in the shape of Liverpool and Everton. How does that dynamic work?

Do you motivate the team with the long-term goal of promotion or keep them focused on the next game?

At the start of the season the chairman asked me, “can you keep us in the league?” He meant could I prevent Tranmere being relegated, but actually promotion is within our grasp. We have approached it one step at a time. The initial aim was to get to the 50 points mark and just stay in the league, because even reaching the play-offs was an unrealistic proposition at the start of the season. Who’d have thought we could be

CV in brief Player

1971–1979 1977 1979–1980 1980–1983 1983–1985 1985–1986 1986–1989

Tranmere Rovers Chicago Sting (loan) Cardiff City Rotherham United Charlton Athletic Rochdale Tranmere Rovers

Manager 1996–1997 1997–2005 2005–2006 2006–2009 2009–2011 2012–

Southport Rotherham United Oldham Athletic Tranmere Rovers Rotherham United Tranmere Rovers

It’s important to have good lines of communication with both clubs and to keep developing those relationships. Some great former Liverpool and Everton players have come to Tranmere towards the end of their playing careers, John Aldridge, Gary Stevens and Pat Nevin among them, so we have seen some real benefits. We work quite a bit with David Moyes at Everton in terms of being able to loan or sign players and are looking to work more with Liverpool in the future. We got our captain from Everton and David Moyes helps us by loaning out players when he can. You played for Tranmere and you've managed them before. Does it help that you understand the club's ethos and culture?

Without doubt. We’ve had some good sides over the years and some not so good, but our supporters really appreciate the workman-like attitude and effort of the club. I gave everything I had as a player and I could see that the supporters really got behind you if you worked your socks off for them. That’s the type of work ethic we still have today. The chairman, Peter Johnson, has also been with Tranmere a long time, as have many of the directors, so there’s a good understanding of the culture and how it is run, from the top down. There’s a family feel to the club. It’s equally important to work with a solid coaching staff who also understand the club’s objectives. My assistant manager, John McMahon, and goalkeeping coach, Dave Timmins, certainly do. Some say you shouldn’t return to some-

Ronnie Moore celebrating with Tranmere Rovers in 2012 his second stint as manager of the club.

“Having players with team spirit and a determined, winning mentality makes up for an awful lot sometimes. That togetherness, that good trip back on the team bus after you have won a game, is a priceless commodity”

where that you’ve worked before, because it’s hard to replicate past success, but I think it is an advantage to understand an organisation and its objectives. I’d worked at Rotherham before and, while I lost my job there after returning, I don’t see my second stint with the club as a failure in any way. In that 18 months, my assistant, John Breckin, and I reached the play-off final and we were fifth in the league when I got the sack.

Tranmere are progressing really well. How pleased are you to have recently signed a new contract?

It’s fantastic because it gives me, the players and the club some stability. When I returned to Tranmere for the second time, it was struggling in the league and the chairman asked if I could save them from relegation. I responded that I’ve been able to fight off relegation and indeed achieve promotion for all my clubs. I was delighted to have the opportunity to return and our performance this season has been unbelievable. 33

LEADERSHIP & MANAGEMENT

HOW TO...

HAVE MORE TIME

Ah, what we could all do with a few more hours in the day. Or could we just use what we have a little better? Here are our tips.

Where does it all go? Before trying to change anything for the better, you need to understand the status quo. Over the course of a week, tot up exactly how you’re spending your time – everything from idle chat around the coffee machine and sneaky web-surfing to conference calls and commuting. Where is the padding in your day and what could you cut out?

Develop routines Building patterns, albeit flexible ones, into your day encourages you to be organised, focused and disciplined. Be realistic in how you structure your day, so if you know your concentration tends to flag midafternoon, schedule in something relatively untaxing, such as signing letters or briefing your PA. Save the big decisions for when you know you are most on the ball.

...But be spontaneous The best opportunities have a tendency to materialise out of nowhere. While a curveball may throw your schedule into chaos, consider carefully whether acting on it could save time in the long-run. The more organised that you are day-to-day, the more feasible spontaneity becomes.

Hours wasted per year in traffic: 34

In a ss o ci a ti o n w it D av id M . Ro b in so nh North West

Get up earlier Most people assume that more sleep equals better performance. But if you’re already getting more than you need, surplus Zs might simply be eating into your day. Try getting up half an hour earlier and getting stuck into something you would otherwise put off until later, such as exercise or ironing tomorrow’s shirt. You might be surprised at how little the lost shut-eye affects you.

Use technology From prompts and calendars on your smartphone to software that speeds up specific processes and consolidates data, technology can improve efficiency and reduce errors. Weigh up the costs over the long-term against the benefits in terms of more time and less stress.

& LONDON

Write lists When you jot down in priority order everything you need, or think you need, to do on a particular day, it can instantly seem more manageable. Delete the things you can delegate or reasonably postpone and, bingo, an hour of free time!

Rule your inbox If your email account is set up to alert you every time you have mail, turn it off. While it can be hard to resist a quick peak at what’s new, the distraction and risk of getting sidetracked can make tasks take twice as long. Allow periods when email is out of bounds or set to autorespond.

Delegate If you err towards being proprietary over your work and responsibilities, it may be time to loosen your grip. Entrusting tasks to members of your team not only frees up your schedule for more pressing matters, but also demonstrates your faith in their abilities.

66 hours:

London commuter zone

45 hours: Manchester

39 hours: Liverpool

(Source: Inrix)

Solution Get the train. Many operators now offer power sockets and wi-fi.

LEADERSHIP & MANAGEMENT

02 06

01 03 05 04

the horn of africa: 01 ERITREA 02 SUDAN 03 DJIBOUTI 04 ETHIOPIA 05 SOMALIA 06 YEMEN

LEADERSHIP & MANAGEMENT

Right To Play - Mission: To use sport and play to educate and empower children and youth to overcome the effects of poverty, conflict and disease in disadvantaged communities.

Each year, Right To Play reaches close to

835,000 12,000 children in regular weekly activities. Programmes are facilitated by 590 international staff and nearly

volunteer Coaches, and supported by professional and Olympic athletes from more than 40 countries.

A sporting chance Twenty years ago, a young Norwegian athlete by the name of Johann Olav Koss led a humanitarian trip to war-torn Eritrea with the charity Olympic Aid. Struck by the plight of the children who, despite being surrounded by a legacy of violence and poverty, longed to play, he pledged to return.

A champion speed skater, Koss donated his gold medal bonus of $30k to Olympic Aid, spurred the people of Norway on to raise more than $18m and then made good on his promise. He returned to Eritrea, not with food and medicine but sports equipment, to the derision of the Norwegian media. The Eritrean president, however, recognised the true value of his gift, saying, “For the first time, we are being treated like human beings. For the first time, my children can play like any others.” Koss realised that play is not a luxury, but the right of every child, and it can be very powerful. Play can be a tool for education and health, bring people together, inspire, teach vital life lessons and develop skills such as co-operation, leadership and teamwork. What’s more, it brings joy and provides a much-needed escape from everyday hardships. “While in Eritrea, I saw a group of young children admiring posters of war martyrs from the civil war,” recalls Koss. “When a team of young cyclists came speeding by, the children lost interest in the posters and grew very excited, waving and cheering as the athletes

rode past. I realised at that moment the incredible power of sport and how it could captivate the imagination and minds of young people everywhere.” Man on a mission Koss founded Right To Play in 2000 to bring sports and games to disadvantaged children around the world. The organisation would use play to help them build essential life skills and better futures, and to drive lasting social change in their communities. While the organisation may not have stakeholders or customers in the traditional sense, it requires a leader as strong as in any for-profit business. In fact, given that its performance has the potential to change lives rather than simply lining stakeholders’ pockets, Koss’ role is even more pressurised than those working outside the third sector. “There are people who rely on our programmes, so working in a non-profit environment can be more stressful than in a for-profit business,” says Koss. But he tries to turn this pressure into motivation. “Instead of having customers, we have children and communities 37

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“I’ve learned more from my failures than my accomplishments. That has made me less afraid of failure and more prepared to take risks” who participate in and benefit from our programmes,” he says. “It’s our responsibility to ensure that we provide them with the best possible services. In terms of leadership skills, that means I need to have a strong vision and to live that vision in the workplace. I need to be able to see solutions where others see problems, and support others in their work and offer them guidance.” Koss is responsible for a dedicated and passionate team made up of 590 staff worldwide, over 300 Athlete Ambassadors, 5,000 Junior Leaders and 12,000 Coaches. Members of the Right To Play team support one another and share their experiences and wisdom. “The members of our Global Leadership Team also meet in person annually to review the year and discuss our goals,” says Koss. “It’s a great reminder and motivator for everyone to be together in the same room, sharing stories with one another.” Drive and focus Being able to motivate the team in this way is essential, not least because work in international development can be as frustrating as it is rewarding. While Koss will want to solve a problem, he may not always have the capabilities or resources to do so. Such limitations can, however, be motivation in itself, he says. “When you know there are more problems to solve and more people to help, it gives you a reason to keep going,” says Koss. “Some might

In profile

Over the course of his sporting career, Koss broke 10 world records, won three World Allround Championships, and numerous World Cups and National Championships. Yet he has been recognised equally since for his dedication to developing Right To Play as an internationally recognised NGO. Named “One of 100 Future Leaders of Tomorrow” by TIME Magazine, and “One of 1,000 Global Leaders” by the World Economic Forum, Koss received Ernst & Young's Entrepreneur Of The Year Special Citation award for social entrepreneurship in 2012.

find that overwhelming, but seeing that there are more people out there that need our help keeps me going and helps me stay on track.” It’s also important to take everything in your stride, says Koss, who believes everything can be used as motivation in one way or another. “My role as a leader is to make sure that my staff aren’t being overwhelmed by the disappointing moments, while at the same time making sure people still see the greater need, even throughout a particularly successful time. We have to remember why we do what we do, and keep that focus.” Like any former Olympic athlete, Koss is no stranger to failure, something he believes has stood him in good stead for his current role. “I’ve learned more from my failures than my accomplishments,” he says. “That has made me less afraid of failure and more prepared to take risks, which is a very important component of what I do. My career in sport also taught me about the importance of preparation and determination,” he adds. “You have to be willing to set clear, realistic goals and do the work required to achieve them. I have learned that hard work really does pay off.”

First hand In his role as a Right To Play Ambassador, Olympic gold and silver medalwinning rower Mark Hunter recently visited the charity's Sport and Play programmes in Tanzania.

What compelled you to get involved? I joined Right To Play in December 2008 after meeting some of the charity's

Ambassadors and hearing about the difference it can make to the lives of young people. I started to do my own research and decided the charity was right for me. I wanted to try and make a difference. How did your recent trip to Tanzania bring home the

importance of the organisation's work? Since working with Right To Play, I've wanted to get out in the field and see with my own eyes how the funds that we raise are used. After London 2012, Right To Play arranged a field trip for donors, Ambassadors and some of the charity's London team. The

smiles, games and fun that I witnessed on the trip will stay with me forever. It was incredible to see people with hardly anything with such a desire to participate and learn. How does Right To Play go further than just enabling access to sport? The games they

play are not just games, they are educational. For example, they help them to understand diseases and infections and how to avoid them. The whole community is involved because the children pass on the skills and knowledge they learn to their families.

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hEALTH & HAPPINESS

Fit for business

Her talent, dedication and physical and mental strength earned her a place in athletics history. Today, Sally Gunnell pursues new challenges and goals, using her experience in professional sport to improve health, well-being and, ultimately, performance in the workplace.

portspeople can put in months of hard graft only for their efforts to end in injury or failure. How did you deal with those lows and gear yourself up for the next challenge?

I’m naturally a driven person, but it was important to keep my focus, looking at the long-term goal and not letting day-to-day disappointments affect my determination to reach it. Once I decided to go for gold in Barcelona, for example, I worked with my coaching team to create a structured plan that would give me the best possible chance of getting there. We really believed in our plan, and sticking to it helped us to move forward from any setbacks along the way. In the end, it made the dream achievable. Knowing what you want to achieve this week, this month, this year, and in 10 years’ time - is the first step to achieving anything. Make a good plan and stick to it. Visualise your own success and build a strong team around you. Those outside of sports could learn a lot from athletes’ mental strength, belief in their abilities and setting of goals, both immediate and long term. 42

“Knowing what you want to achieve - this week, this month, this year or in 10 years' time - is the first step to achieving anything. Make a good plan and stick to it. Visualise your own success and build a strong team around you”

Were there any people or tools that you found particularly supportive or useful?

Visualisation was my key. I think controlling internal self-talk is vital for long-term success. Of course, I also had a great team around me for support and advice, and to give me the benefit of their knowledge and experience. Finding the right balance of singular determination and openness to new ideas allowed me to continue to progress, and I think that’s something you can only learn with experience.

You went on to work at the BBC, which must have presented new challenges and pressures. How difficult was it to make such a move?

It was my decision to pursue this new career, so the biggest pressure was what I placed on myself, but of course I’d been used to that throughout my sporting career. It was a huge challenge to start out in a whole new career. I had no knowledge of how it all worked beyond how it felt to be interviewed, although I think this did give me a good basis for talking to other athletes. I looked at the experience as the next

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chapter in my life. I set about applying and implementing all the things I had learned as an athlete to the goal of succeeding as a broadcaster, and in my motivational speaking career. You now work to promote health and well-being, including in the workplace. Why do you believe businesses should invest in employee well-being, especially at a time when resources are tight?

It’s precisely because resources are tight that well-being investment is so impor-

tant. An effective programme doesn’t need to cost the Earth, and the benefits of having a healthier workforce mean savings in the long run. Beyond the measurable cost of sickness absence and healthcare schemes there is the rising problem of presenteeism, where people come to work sick and run down. It’s a vicious circle where the pressures of work mean people choose to push through instead of recuperate, which causes drops in productivity, longer recovery periods, higher chances of ongoing health problems and even more stress.

So what can employers do to improve workplace well-being?

Small changes can go a long way. Rather than telling people “you’re unhealthy; you don’t eat right; you’re not going to the gym enough”, we encourage people to look at their daily lives and to introduce some manageable changes. One of the biggest barriers we see is the attitude towards healthy habits in the workplace. We need to spark a bit of a culture change here, so that it’s not frowned upon to go out for a 30-minute walk at lunchtime, swap the office chocolate biscuits 43

hEALTH & HAPPINESS

for fruit or stand up every 15-30 minutes to stretch. This can combat the common musculoskeletal issues associated with long periods at the computer. Managers need to lead by example and show their teams that you can incorporate some healthier and more active habits into a regular working day, and be more productive. I think many people who aren’t secure in their jobs are keen to be seen to put more hours in, so it’s no wonder we see so much stress at work.

events or away-days are great tools for introducing healthy nutrition and activity messages in a fun, engaging environment. People can experience first-hand the kind of feel-good factor you can get from things like Pilates, physiotherapy sessions and massage. It’s also a great forum for sharing information on nutrition, exercise and other aspects of a healthy lifestyle, like smoking cessation. At the Aviva Leadership Conference in Rome, for example, we created a

“Once I decided to go for Gold in Barcelona I worked with my coaching team to create a structured plan that would give me the best possible chance of getting there” What kinds of organisations have you found are most interested in addressing employee well-being?

Companies that have an engaged workforce are always going to be able to implement a well-being programme more effectively, because the communication channels are already working. However, lots of companies have programmes in place that don’t filter down to the majority of employees, so sometimes it can be easier to start from scratch. It is often a question of having commitment and enthusiasm at higher levels in the organisation to champion the well-being message, pass on knowledge and inspire others to try some simple ways to be healthier. We find corporate

Healthy Living room complete with snack bar, smoothie bar and massage and physiotherapy zone. It was staffed throughout the event, so delegates could pop in whenever they had a break to speak to some of the practitioners or receive injury/physiotherapy advice. We also organised morning and evening walking and running groups, yoga and meditation sessions. I introduced the event with a motivational talk, and we had a fantastic response from the delegates. Helping people lead healthier, happier lives is something I’m very passionate about. I really believe employers have a huge role to play, for their own benefit as well as their employees’.

Running rings around the opposition 1990 4x400m Relay Commonwealth Games Gold Medal 400m Hurdles Commonwealth Games Gold Medal 1992 400m Hurdles Olympic Gold Medal 1993 400m Hurdles European Championships Gold Medal

No other woman has held Commonwealth, European, World and Olympic track titles concurrently.

The well-being investment – a healthy return 200m days are lost through sickness absence in the UK each year, costing an estimated £13bn to the economy. Averaged over the year, almost four per cent of the workforce takes time off work due to illness each week. (Source: CBI)

Many factors associated with sickness absence, such as motivation, engagement and stress, also affect staff retention. Unnecessary exits from organisations cost UK businesses an estimated £5.2bn each year. (Source: Ceridian, 2008)

A study into the causes, costs and consequences of presenteeism at Unilever found it accounted for three times as much lost productivity as absence from work. It equates to 21 days per employee per year at a

total cost of over seven million euros each year. Mental health problems and sleep disorders accounted for about half of this lost productivity, with musculoskeletal disorders responsible for much of the remainder. (Source: Tscharnezki 2008)

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head strong

The In our constant search for success, it's easy to stigmatise failure. Yet, as sports psychologist Jeremy Snape points out, one rarely comes without the other.

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ecause ambitious people have a relentless pursuit of growth and challenge, failure comes with the territory. But how constructively someone uses it and how well they deal with the disappointment can help shape their future achievements. Much depends on how we define our own success and failure, says Jeremy Snape, a former England cricketer and the founder of Sporting Edge, which delivers high-performance coaching to professional sports teams and businesses. You can, as the saying goes, please some of the people all of the time and all of the people some of the time, but you’ll never please all of the people all of the time. Given that everyone has different criteria for what constitutes success, it’s inevitable that someone, somewhere will always be disappointed in your performance. “A team might win by playing less badly than the opposition who were downright awful, but does this make them a success?” asks Snape. “While the fans may think so, it’s likely the manager will be disappointed that they failed to execute his game plan.”

Setting the bar In the face of such different and often contrasting perspectives on our performance, the most important criteria for our success has to be our own, says Snape. “There is such a craving and focus on outcomes in society today that we are all either winners or losers, successes or failures,” he says. “We must establish a sharp and focused criteria for our own success. But it’s important that this measure of success is obtainable and within our control.” He recalls the wisdom of legendary UCLA basketball coach John Wooden, to whom success meant: “peace of mind, which is a direct result of self-satisfaction in knowing you did your best to become the best you are capable of becoming.” This, says Snape, involves taking risks, preparing well, committing to our decisions, learning new skills, listening to others and reflecting on improvements as part of the process. It’s also important to do things your own way, he adds. “As a leader you have to be strong, trust

your instincts and back yourself to find the way to win,” he says. “We only regret the risks we didn’t take because we played it safe through fear. Not pushing for a strategy we knew to be right or failing to have that difficult conversation are all pivotal moments in our success.” Because high performance is restless, if we don’t catch things early, we pay the price down the line. “Great managers define their success not just by the points table but by the way they tackle the everyday issues that underpin success,” says Snape.

HIGHS AND LOWS For some people, of course, performance isn’t decided weekly in the space of 45 minutes. Some people are slow-burners when it comes to success, while others achieve great things early in their careers and only experience the pain of failure later on. But does early success make failure, when it comes, a harder pill to swallow? According to Snape, talent needs trauma to realise its long-term potential. “You may score some wins early on, but real success is judged over the longer-term,” he says. “For that sustained success, you need to develop resilience, which comes from experiencing setbacks. Most champions fail numerous times as they gravitate towards mastery.” While disappointment is a natural reaction

“if we don’t catch things early, we pay the price down the line. Great managers define their success not just by the points table but by the way they tackle everyday issues”

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“The key is to enjoy our successes and stay rational and focused in defeat. This takes mental toughness and resilience, which research has found to improve with age”

when things don’t go to plan, good managers don’t dwell on the mistakes, but instead embrace the lessons. “The best coaches build reflection time into their performance cycle of ‘prepare, do, review’, to ensure that, regardless of whether they win or lose, they are always learning and developing,” says Snape. But, he adds, it’s important that any analysis is evidence-based and rational. “Failure brings high emotion and we need to insulate ourselves from emotional point-scoring if we are to take anything constructive from the experience.” Indeed, demonstrating a changeless core of ambition and determination is a key characteristic of successful people, says Snape. “Irish Jockey AP McCoy talks about the high ‘physical and emotional pain threshold’ that champions need and this is an essential requirement for managers too,” he says. “While even the most talented people can find the going tough, the best are relentless in their pursuit of success.”

MOVING ON Unfortunately, mastering our emotions and moving on quickly from disappointment doesn’t come easily to us all, especially when we are young and inexperienced. In fact, explains Snape, our brains are built to remember harmful or dangerous events 48

Find out more about Sporting Edge at www.thesportingedge.co.uk or follow Jeremy Snape on Twitter @thesportingedge

in order that we might avoid them recurring. “When we win, we feel relief, but when we lose we can drop into an abyss of despair,” he says. “The key is to fight this imbalance by enjoying our successes and staying rational and focused in defeat. This takes mental toughness and resilience, which research has found to improve with age.” Great leaders, he adds, are often more skilled at controlling the commentary and films that play in their minds. “We all have a store of experiences, good and bad, but can learn to play back the positive ones. Play back the horror movies and we seal our own fate. Think of a golfer teeing off next to water – if he recalls the previous times he sank the ball, he is sure to repeat the mistake. Staying connected to positive past experiences is key to staying optimistic and confident about the challenges ahead.” We all fail, sometimes despite immaculate preparation and after following the best process possible. But when it was within our control – rather than, say, lack of skill or knowledge – it can be harder to swallow. “The focus, then, should be on knowing our own ‘best game’ and delivering it when we need it most,” says Snape. “And it’s important to keep some perspective. Sometimes the gallows humour of the dressing room or boardroom is all it takes to dust yourself down and refocus on the way forward.”

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The corporate athlete To keep the pace and meet high expectations, leaders need to be in the best possible shape. Yet too often personal wellbeing is neglected, posing serious risks to health and putting the brakes on performance. By Dorian Dugmore.

Whereas most sportspeople must perform at elite level for a fairly limited time, successful corporate athletes are running a long-distance race. To stay at the top they need to consistently perform at their best over what can be a career spanning some 40 or 50 years. The football manager, meanwhile, experiences both sides of the coin, often having played professionally before transitioning to a leadership role. This means monitoring and developing not just their own performance, but that of a team of high-profile players, many with a hefty price tag. Add to this the need to bring on board new talent, manage coaches and other personnel, plan transfers, manage budgets and cope with intense pressure and it's no wonder that their own well-being is often sidelined.

acid in the stomach, causing potential stomach upsets and even ulcers. It can also cause changes in blood cholesterol, increasing the risk of coronary heart disease and a host of other issues, including dangerous heart rhythms that could be life-threatening. Lack of moderate exercise on a regular basis is another risk area, helping to clog up the system, particularly the blood vessels, and creating the potential for blockages in the heart and brain. However contrary to popular belief, high-intensity and exhaustive exercises are not the best antidote, as they can carry their own health risks, particularly if you are not in the best physical shape. Settle for more moderate intensity exercise, which will boost endorphins with their cardio-protective benefits.

Ticking time bomb 44% of the first 54 football managers tested by the Fit to Manage programme had significant cardiovascular and lifestyle-related health issues

Red flags Corporate athletes and football managers must know their key health numbers, just as they might know their team performance stats or key financial data. These include blood pressure, cholesterol and all its sub-fractions, and blood sugars. There are also some less common numbers that include inflammatory markers such as C Reactive Protein and Homocysteine. Monitoring your heart rhythm with an ECG is also valuable to check for any rhythm disturbances or lack of oxygen going to the heart

The manager MOT There are a number of factors that corporate athletes and all managers must consider if they are to look after their well-being and stay in peak performance, first amongst them being stress. If left unchecked, stress can have many negative effects on health, including high blood pressure, which in turn may increase the risk of heart problems and strokes. Stress can lead to elevated blood sugars, raising the risk of diabetes, and increased production of hydrochloric

eight steps to staying power

Learn to relax for 10 minutes each day, using deep-breathing techniques that help to regulate heart rhythms and promote good heart health. 50

Start your day with three gratitudes, boosting good endorphins and their cardio- and cancerprotecting effects.

Make time in your diary for regular moderate exercise, two or three hours each week.

Know your own well-being profile by measuring key health numbers on an annual basis.

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during exercise. An echo-cardiogram to check for any structural or functional abnormalities of the heart wall is also a good idea. Corporate athletes who ignore the warning signs that all is not well do so at their peril. I recently worked with several high-performing CEOs of major international companies who, like many of their peers, had an air of invincibility. However, they discovered the high cost of not looking after their health, enduring quadruple and quintuple coronary artery bypass grafts. Luckily, after successful surgery, they are back at the helm of their respective businesses. Listening to your body and staying alert to the warning signs is vital. Happy balance Poor nutrition and hydration also has a cost to health and performance. It is advisable to eat three meals a day, with five hours in between as a fasting period and no snacks. Juicing, mixing fruits and vegetables, and taking the right multivitamin supplements are

Listen to your body and be aware of your internal warning signs, then act rather than ignore them.

Turn over for our guide to highperformance foods...

Eat nutritious food that is low in saturates and transfatty acids, with a balance of protein and complex carbs for slow and sustained energy release.

also recommended. Finally, the importance of happiness shouldn't be overlooked (Shawn Acor's work on happiness medicine offers valuable advice – Harvard Business Review, Jan/ Feb 2012). Practicing three random acts of kindness by being benevolent to others has been found to promote good endorphin release in your body, as has laughter. While it may sound like soft medicine, there is good research to show that tension release and heart health benefits from this approach, even in the most challenging circumstances. Jose Mourniho paid tribute to this in a recent documentary on his career, citing the ability to laugh at oneself and with others as key to successful management. Double Olympic champion Michael Johnson also echoed the importance of the happiness factor in his book Gold Rush. As Jonathan Austin, CEO of Best Companies, says,“The end game has to be lasting the distance as a business leader or football manager with health happiness and success; this surely is the mark of a true corporate athlete.”

Drink 8-10 glasses of still, cool water every day. Monitor hydration by checking the colour of your urine, (it should be light & transparent in appearance, not dark).

Allow laughter and happiness into your day and practice three random acts of kindness, showing benevolence to those who work with you. It helps builds teams and protect health. 51

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The

winning diet

Great performance isn't just about having big muscles in the right places and knowing how to use them. And natural ability will only take you so far. Everything from your mood to how soundly you slept can affect performance from one day to the next, and what you eat plays a major part.

BEST FOR REST

A bad wrap!

Lack of sleep can make you feel less motivated, reduce your reaction time and ability to problem-solve, and affect how you respond to colleagues and team-mates. Studies have also found that sleep derivation can increase appetite, affecting your ability to lose weight or maintain a healthy diet, and even increase risk of heart disease and stroke. While eating too much just before bedtime isn’t a good idea, adding certain foods to your diet can help improve the quantity and quality of sleep. Try: A supper of porridge with milk. Eating foods that release their energy slowly like oatmeal means you’re less likely to wake up and raid the fridge due to crashing sugar levels. Warm milk before bed has also been found to promote faster sleep.

CONCENTRATE

To fire off messages, brain cells need oxygen, which they get from blood sugar. Therefore, the first step to staying alert and focused is ensuring a steady intake of energy throughout the day, rather than a pattern of crash and burn. Once generated by brain cells, the messages must travel to other brain cells through nerve fibres, which need to be well

Full of beans Caffeine binds to receptors in the brain and prevents them from being turned off, thereby keeping you alert. However, too much of it can cause the pituitary gland to go into emergency mode, producing adrenalin and making you feel anxious and unable to think as clearly. Try: Switching from a double to a single.

Chocolate may not feature on many diet plans, but dark chocolate, which has higher levels of cocoa than its milky cousin, delivers a relatively higher antioxidant hit. A diet rich in antioxidants can help keep your immune system strong and ward off infection, essential for peak performance.

insulated by a substance called myelin. Eating foods that help build and maintain myelin levels, such as those rich in Omega-3 oils, can therefore help boost our mental performance. Try: Eating nuts and seeds such as walnuts, pumpkin and flax seeds. These contain complex carbs and proteins, which take longer to break down, giving a sustained energy release.

MEMORY

To form a new memory, the brain needs to make new connections, which it does best when it is stimulated. Acetylcholine, found in vegetables such as cabbage, cauliflower and broccoli, helps keep the brain excited. Eggs, soybeans and liver are also rich in the main chemical, choline. Try: Egg in your sandwiches rather than cheese. Eggs contain one of the purest forms of protein and, contrary to previous thought, researchers now believe an egg a day does not increase risk of heart disease and can reduce memory loss.

MOOD FOOD

Neurotransmitters such as dopamine and seratonin, which carry information between cells in the brain, are key to how we feel, but need to be regulated carefully to prevent swings in mood and stimulation.

While any sugary or fatty food will cause these neurotransmitters to surge, the highs will soon be followed by lows, which can impede our performance. Eating protein-rich foods, which release their energy more gradually, helps to maintain more constant levels. Try: A grilled breakfast of eggs and bacon every now and then. Too often and you risk building up levels of saturated fats, which increases your risk of heart disease.

WATER

Given that the body is 70-75 per cent water, it’s unsurprising that a reduction of fluid has a major impact on performance. Water is responsible for numerous crucial processes, among them regulating temperature, transporting nutrients and oxygen to the cells, removing waste, lubricating the spine and providing the right environment for nerve reactions, thus increasing reaction time. Insufficient hydration leads to loss of concentration, diminished physical performance and endurance. Try: Aim for 1-1.5 litres of fluid each day. A large glass at breakfast, with every meal and at bedtime is a good start. If you’re not naturally thirsty, fill a litre bottle with water, juice or cordial and work through it during the day. Cool still water is best, as carbonated water affects the absorption of minerals into the cells.

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away match

Barcelona

As well as being home to one of the world's most successful football clubs, Barcelona has asserted its position on the global tourism, culture and business scenes in recent years. Ranked the world's third most popular congress destination by the International Congress and Convention Association, Barcelona's distinctive Catalan and artistic heritage, beach-side location and constantly evolving modern edge means it offers a wealth of opportunities for business and pleasure.

Barcelona

HOTELS Staying power: Having welcomed the great and good since 1919, the recently refurbished El Palace Hotel is something of a Barcelona institution. Ideally located close to Las Ramblas, the old town and the city's most exclusive shops, banks and theatres, it offers rooms with classic charm yet equipped with the latest technology and comforts. Thanks to the Mayan-inspired spa and Michelin-star Caelis Restaurant you can also relax and dine in style. Standing out: Built to coincide with the 1992 Olympic Games, the Hotel Arts is a towering landmark of blue glass and exposed steel. As well as offering luxurious rooms, suites and apartments with some of the best sea views in the city, this venue is an important cultural hub and meeting space. Six bars and restaurants provide a wide range of cuisines and dining options.

unesco: a checklist No other city can boast nine UNESCO World Heritage buildings, but how many can you tick off during your stay?: • La Pedrera • Park Güell • Palau Güell • Palau de la Música Catalana • Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau • Sagrada Família • Casa Batlló • Casa Vicens • Cripta de la Colònia Güell

The unmistakable architecture of Antoni Gaudi is on display throughout the city, here at Casa Batlló.

SHOPPING Visitors from abroad spend more on their credit cards in Barcelona than in any other Spanish city, and it's easy to see why. The city's 5km shopping thoroughfare, known as the 'shopping line' turns the retail experience into a pleasant amble, passing from the harbour through uptown Diagonal, La Rambla, the old town and the Gothic Quarter among other areas of the city.

Edible souvenirs. What and where to buy: Xampany (Carrer de Valencia 200) stocks over 100 types and brands of cava, while La Vinia (Avinguda Diagonal 605) wine store has fine vintages from around the country and abroad. For cheese tastings with wine, head to Formatgeria La Seu (Carrer de la Dagueria 16), while Jamonisimo (Provenza, 85) is a mecca for traditional Iberian hams, cut by hand and available to buy or sample onsite.

hEALTH & HAPPINESS

EATING What, El Bulli closed? Where is one supposed to get one's flavoured oxygen? Thankfully, chef Ferran Adria has opened Tickets, a more straightforward tapas bar, but with Bulli-esque hits such as liquid ravioli, fish skin in a paper cone and plenty of exquisite foams. Pre-tapas cocktails and high-end nibbles can be enjoyed in the 41-Degrees bar at the back.

Fact Barcelona is the only city outside of France to have been awarded the culinary distinction of Gourmande City, in 2002. Its restaurants share an incredible 20 Michelin stars.

tee time? Golfers in need of some fairway action will find one of the world's finest courses within easy reach of the city. PGA Catalunya is set in stunning countryside an hour from central Barcelona, surrounded by idyllic beaches, medieval villages and ski slopes,

not to mention a number of Michelin-starred restaurants. It offers two 18-hole golf courses, one of which was recently voted the finest in Spain, a sophisticated Clubhouse and exclusive Residents Club. Residents? Yes, anyone looking for year-round

golf, pampering and a range of services from 24-hour security and concierge to gardening, might consider the resort's real estate options. A range of contemporary and unique homes are available, designed by some of the region's most respected architects.

hEALTH & HAPPINESS

Spotlight on...

The Old Course Hotel, St Andrews As the official hotel for golf's Open Championship – staged at the Old Course every five years – as well as the annual Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, the five-red-star Old Course Hotel, Golf Resort and Spa is well versed in managing the needs and expectations of executive guests and those in sport's top flight.

seaside links with wide fairways, double greens and punishing bunkers. Avoid embarrassment on the fairway by booking into the hotel’s Golf Academy, where you’ll get coaching from PGAqualified professionals and use of worldclass training facilities.

Where is it? In the spiritual home of golf, overlooking the Old Course at St Andrews, West Sands beach and the stunning Scottish coastline. Think seagulls, rolling waves and the green velvet of perfectly manicured grass. The hotel is an hour’s drive from Edinburgh Airport, with regular flights to Heathrow and regional UK airports, and 15mins from Dundee Airport, with daily flights from London City, Birmingham and Belfast airports. It is 15mins from Leuchars Station, where there are daily rail connections to London Kings Cross via Edinburgh, and under two hours’ drive from Glasgow. Nearby Leuchars also has an airforce base, which accommodates private jets.

restaurant, a traditional pub and an awardwinning selection of Scottish Whiskies. Conference and banqueting facilities include an elegant ballroom and self-contained conference centre, with helicopter services. For sports teams, there’s everything you would demand and expect, including training camp facilities, kit storage and washing. The hotel also works in partnership with the university, making use of its larger gym facilities and fantastic multi-purpose pitches. Guests can relax and unwind at the Kohler Waters Spa, which boasts a rooftop hot tub, pool with waterfall and a thermal suite complete with light therapy and a Japanese steam room.

What’s it got? Aside from lavish accommodation, including 35 sumptuously designed suites, it offers five drinking and dining options, among them a fine-dining

Handy for A post-training or postmeeting round of golf on probably the most famous golf links in the world. A mecca to many golf pilgrims, the Old Course is a classic

But I hate golf! Fear not, the resort can also arrange land yachting, horse riding, claypigeon shooting and salmon fishing, among other outdoor pursuits. St Andrews is a beautiful medieval city, with numerous historic sites, museums, and parks and gardens, not to mention a vibrant centre with ample shopping, eating and drinking opportunities. Explore the narrow alleys and cobbled streets, visit the castle and the cathedral relics and climb the 108-foot church tower of the adjacent St Regulus for magnificent views. St Andrews also has an important football heritage, the earliest games of football ever played in Scotland dating from the 15th century. Today, the town is becoming known as the destination for leading football clubs looking for exceptional training facilities away from the media glare. Don’t take our word for it Recent accolades include Resort of The Year 2012 at the Golf Tourism Scotland Awards; Top 25 European Resorts by Condé Nast Traveler 2012; Readers’ Choice Awards; and the National Award for Best Hotel Spa by the Good Spa Guide. It has also recently hosted Scotland’s National Rugby Union Team. Why go now? St Andrews has been a destination for training, development and personal improvement since the 15th century. The university celebrates its 600th anniversary this year and many events are planned to mark the occasion.

THE CHOICE IS YOURS AT THE OLD COURSE HOTEL

Escape to an award winning, five red star resort, located on the world’s most famous golf course and set against the breathtaking background of West Sands beach stretching out to the North Sea and beyond. Throw in the highly luxurious Kohler Waters Spa, a fabulous collection of bars and restaurants with the warmest Scottish welcome and the utmost attention to detail and you have arrived...at the Old Course Hotel, Golf Resort & Spa, St Andrews – official commercial partner of the LMA. As an LMA member we invite you to experience the resort for yourself in 2013, with an exclusive member rate of £195 bed and breakfast including complimentary whisky turndown. Simply contact Helen Parker, Resort Director of Sales, Marketing and Real Estate on 01334 474 371 or email Helen.parker@oldcoursehotel.co.uk to make your booking. For more resort information on the hotel, spa, golf and training facilities please visit the website at www.oldcoursehotel.co.uk or email with any queries.

hEALTH & HAPPINESS

ESSENTIAL KIT 01

Pocket power Why is it that batteries seem to haemorrhage power when you need it most – during a critical business call, in the middle of writing an email or just as you've embarked on a long and boring journey? PocketCell from Innergie is a portable, rechargeable battery bank that adds hours of life or charge to most mobile devices. Despite being only the size of a car key and weighing 2.8oz, the gadget can recharge an iPhone twice, add 4.5 hours to an iPad's life or 15 hours to a Blackberry or Smartphone. www.myinnergie.com

It’s watching you ...even while you sleep. If, that is, you've invested in the Lumawake system, which combined with an app, tracks and reports back on your sleep patterns. Of more practical use, though, is its Smart Wake function, which uses your sleep patterns to determine when you are sleeping lightly and close to waking. It then rouses you gently using gradually brightening LEDs to simulate sunrise, or with a more forceful back-up alarm for heavy sleepers. www.lumawake.us

Modern interpretation When you're abroad, not being able to speak the local language can be frustrating, embarrassing and even costly to your reputation and business. There isn't always a translator present and sometimes a quick flick through a phrase book or translation app simply doesn’t suffice. The 24/7 i-interpret4u telephone service connects you to live, qualified and highly experienced interpreters, often in less than a minute. 85 languages are covered by the service, which can be used from a landline or mobile on speakerphone or by passing a single phone between the two parties. A three-way call can also be set up with another speaker worldwide. www.i-interpret4u.co.uk

hEALTH & HAPPINESS

Top tipples

Use your noodle, save your doodles Notepads and laptops have numerous benefits, but sometimes nothing beats old-fashioned pen and paper for scribbling down ideas and information on the move. Many people also still find handwriting easier and quicker, especially when the notes include sketches and diagrams, which can take ages to create digitally. The problem comes when you want to do something useful with those notes. The ingenious IRISNotes 2 digital pen transforms any handwritten notes and sketches into editable documents, which are immediately available for use in any type of word processor. They can then be sent directly to your iPhone or iPad and shared via email, a dropbox or your cloud. You can even draw or make notes on photos taken using these devices and then upload and share them. IRISNotes works on a PC or Mac, recognises up to 30 languages and is compatible with smartphones via Android, Windows and IOS. www.irislink.com

For your eyes only The problem with keeping data digitally is it can leave it open to prying eyes. If you've got any data worth protecting, digital security specialist iStorage may have the answer with what they claim is the world’s most secure USB stick. dataShur combines military-grade AES 256-bit hardware encryption, an alphanumeric keypad to input a 7-15 digit PIN code and tamper-resistant circuitry, and locks automatically on loss of power or ejection. It is also housed in a slim aluminium casing to protect from water and dust. www.istorage-uk.com

The pick of spring wines, from Coe Vintners Moorooduc Estate Chardonnay, Mornington Peninsula, Australia £16.65 From a 5-star winery comes this fine example of a classic Australian Chardonnay. Pale green-gold in colour with an intricate nose of nectarine, citrus fruits and hazelnut. On the palate, the Burgandian wine-making techniques shine through giving a luscious, slippery mouth-feel, balancing long crisp lemon and mandarin acidity on the finish. Handpicked grapes from a small, familyrun vineyard, where the terroir is exposed to minimal use of chemicals, make this wine a must-have for spring.

Schloss Halbturn Imperial, Burgenland, Austria £27.06 If you enjoy a classic Bordeaux you’ll love this expression from the award-winning Schloss Halbturn vineyard. One of the oldest and most historic vineyards in Austria, they combine Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Blaufränkisch in Bordeaux barriques to produce an elegant, spicy red. A great accompaniment to steak, game and other red meats, the palate delights with notes of dark chocolate and fine-grain tannins. It’s a beautiful, indulgent wine for all occasions.

For offers open to LMA members contact Ceri Walden on 07814 704085 or email ceri@ coevintners.com

hall of fame | in association with the fa

bertram mee « December 1918 – October 2001 »

auded for his attention to detail and emphasis on instilling discipline, Hall of Fame member Bertie Mee is most celebrated for bringing the good times back to Highbury. Yet his route into football management was a somewhat unconventional one. After a short playing career was cut short by injury, Nottinghamshire-born Mee joined the Royal Army Medical Corps, where he rose to the rank of Sergeant and trained as a physiotherapist. Mee practiced this profession at various football clubs, ultimately becoming Arsenal’s physiotherapist in 1960. Six years later, the Gunners raised a few eyebrows when they offered him the manager’s job. History doesn’t readily show who deserves the credit for appointing Bertie Mee as manager, but on a scale of inspired decisions it was right up there. “The team and I were absolutely astonished when Bertie Mee was announced as our new manager,” says Frank McLintock, who was captain during Mee’s successful period at the club. “Arsenal hadn’t won a trophy in 17 years and was in dire straights, so when Billy Wright left we thought we’d get a big name like Alf Ramsey or Don Revie. Instead we got the club physio. But what a revelation he proved to be.” Mee was just as surprised at his new

in 1953, Mee became only the second manager in history to steer his club to the League and Cup double 60

appointment, and reportedly requested a get-out clause enabling him to return to the physiotherapy profession after a year should it not work out. His fears were unfounded. Arsenal reached successive League Cup Finals in 1968 and 1969. They lost them both, but the message was clear - they were back. The following year they beat Anderlecht in a two-legged final of the Fairs Cup to experience European glory for the first time. It was Arsenal’s first trophy since 1953, but they drew enormous strength from the achievement and the following season Mee became only the second manager in history to steer his club to the League and Cup double. “He was a terrific organiser and had the ability to pick the right people and trust them to get on with it,” says McLintock. “He was also a very strict disciplinarian and treated all the players the same, regardless of their experience or talents,” he adds. “But, most of all, he knew his own strengths and weaknesses, hiring great coaches in Dave Sexton and then Done Howe to handle training and assist him on the tactical side of the game.” He was perhaps also fortunate that an outstanding crop of youngsters were emerging at the time he took charge and the team who won the FA Youth Cup in 1966 were to form the nucleus of his squad. After a brief break from football at the age of 57, Mee’s one-club managerial career ended in 1976, although he later assisted Graham Taylor at Watford in 1978 in charge of scouting and helped return the ailing club to credibility. He later became a club director before retiring in 1991. Having secured his rightful place among the club’s great managers, Mee was made an OBE in 1984 for services to football.

hall of fame | in association with the fa

From spongeman to top man Les Parry

Nigel Adkins

Bob Paisley

Before getting his stab at management with Tranmere Rovers, Parry had been a trainee shipwright, an airframe fitter and then a qualified physiotherapist.

Before appointment as caretaker manager and then manager at Scunthorpe United in 2006, Adkins was the club's physio.

When his playing career ended in 1954, Paisley joined Liverpool's back-room staff as a self-taught physio, and later got his chance at coaching for the reserves. The rest is history.

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Jose Mourinho took time out of his busy schedule to share his experience and expertise with Anthony Hudson.

“it’s important to me to take every opportunity to develop my knowledge and skills” Anthony Hudson

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Coach class

Are you in the running for the big coaching jobs? If not, why not, and can you do anything about it? Here, fresh from a self-organised learning trip to Spain, Bahrain coach Anthony Hudson explains why he takes a proactive approach to professional development.

t’s important for me that I study as much as possible, and especially to study different styles and philosophies. I’ve always loved Spanish football and there are many coaches there that I admire and who I want to meet. Knowing how much I’ve gained in the past from watching other coaches work, I knew a trip to Spain would be priceless for my development.

As well as having the opportunity to practice my Spanish, which I had been teaching myself, I would be able to see how top teams in the country prepare for games, and learn from the coaches, their philosophies, coaching manners and styles and how they deal with elite players. As I’m not a known name in football and don’t have a background as a player, I know I can’t just walk into a new job, and I wouldn’t want it any other way. But it means it’s important to me to take every opportunity to develop my knowledge and skills. I aim to manage at the very highest level one day, but in recent years I’ve seen even the best and most experienced British managers fail to get considered for the top jobs. It’s not because they’re not good enough. With the shift towards foreign owners and the influence of the media there seems to be a trend for foreign mangers or a perception that they are better. I don’t, however, lose sleep over it or see it as a hinderance to my career. I ask myself what I need to do to be considered for a top job. For me, that means gaining European and international experience, learning other languages, having a strong philosophy that will appeal to the leading clubs, learning from the best coaches in the world and, ultimately, playing a brand of football that I think will win at the highest level. This for me, isn’t a hinderance, it’s a blessing and an exciting path to be on. During my recent trip to Spain, I visited Real Madrid and watched how they prepared for a game against Real Sociedad. I also spent some time with Jose Mourinho, who had helped me to organise the trip. At the time, he was under a lot pressure and I half expected the trip to be cancelled, but he still gave me his time, sharing his experience and advice. It was an inspirational experience I’ll never forget. I saw a manager who was bigger than all of it, bigger than any poor run of form, bigger than any media and fan pressure, and bigger than any problem. He was calm, composed, unfazed, in control and able to keep things in perspective. What’s more, he showed true class in helping a young coach like me when he clearly had more important things on his plate. One of the things I took most from the experience was the importance of values, but I also learned a huge amount about coaching practice - everything from arranging training sessions, organising numbers and my time to dealing with players and the media. Everything I saw was first class. It was also reassuring to see that, although I have along way to go, I’m definitely on the right track.

Championship golf, just minutes from central london.

With no members, The Grove welcomes all who love the game. THE GROVE | Chandler’s Cross Hertfordshire WD3 4TG Telephone: 01923 294266 | Email: tee.time@thegrove.co.uk

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LMA news, views and events

SPONSORED BY

LMA Hosts European Managers Inaugural Castrol Forum

The LMA and Castrol, the Official Performance Partner of the LMA, hosted the inaugural Castrol LMA European Managers and Coaches Forum at St George's Park. The event brought together a unique group of high-profile British and overseas managers and head coaches for two days devoted to the sharing of insight and information and discussion of the most important issues affecting football. The landmark event was supported and facilitated by Sir Alex Ferguson and Howard Wilkinson, Chairman of the LMA. It was the first opportunity for many of the biggest names in

European football management to visit St George’s Park, the new state-of-the-art home of training, education and development for football in England. Many areas were covered in the two-day event, including the manager's career, technology simulation and dissent, the future game, winter breaks and financial fairplay. A number of industry professionals were at the event, including Mike Riley, General Manager of the Professional Game Match Official Ltd (PGMOL), Blake Wooster Prozone, and Dan Jones from Deloitte’s Sport Business Group. Above Michael Laudrup and Fabio Capello join the debate at the Castrol Forum.

NEW LMA PARTNERSHIP

Mercedes Benz

The LMA is pleased to announce Mercedes-Benz as the new vehicle partner for the LMA in 2013. An internationally recognised brand, Mercedes-Benz identified the LMA as the key organisation in the football family to develop their involvement in the sport. The LMA looks forward to building a productive partnership for its members and commercially.

INSIDE THE LMA

SPONSORED BY

Above Martin Allen has worked with Coaching for Hope in Burkina Faso and South Africa.

The Future Game Prozone

The LMA and Prozone have recently been conducting a study on the development of passing trends within football. Also monitoring more general evolutionary patterns, the research aims to shed some light on what the game’s future might look like. With passing success rates having risen rapidly in recent seasons, the study has examined whether this trend is set to continue or begin to decline in the years to come. By analysing the passing and possession statistics of clubs throughout Europe, the LMA and Prozone have demonstrated how football has become increasingly technical over time. Highlighting the way in which playing styles have polarised during this era of high-volume passing, the study has shown that the game continues to shift and change in a variety of interesting ways.

TACKLING AFRICA Coaching for Hope

Coaching for Hope is a charity that taps into the global passion for football to create better futures for young people. We train coaches so that they can help some of the worlds’ most disadvantaged children have access to sport and to life-saving information about HIV/AIDS and substance misuse. In Africa, football is available to anyone who can make a ball out of rags and find another pair of feet to pass it to. Even the most remote village will boast makeshift goalposts and the whole population will come out to watch local games between enthusiastic youngsters. It is this convening power that makes football the perfect vehicle for promoting educational messages, such as how to prevent the spread of AIDS, how to mobilise the community to clear up rubbish or how to ensure that disabled people have their rights respected. For Coaching for Hope, a partnership with the LMA is extremely prestigious and gives us access to some of the best coaches in the country. We have been fortunate enough to have

attracted the services of Martin Allen and Kevin Blackwell as volunteer coaches. Our work depends on the goodwill and commitment of local coaches and their motivation comes from a love of the game. Therefore, to receive masterclasses and refresher courses from managers such as these is hugely motivating. It also ensures that their work with street children, orphans and rural youth continues and improves. Martin Allen has coached for us in Burkina Faso, West Africa, and South Africa during the 2010 World Cup. His energy and humour were hugely appreciated and a pair of DJ Campbell’s boots were handed to the young boy who showed the most promise. In summer 2012, Kevin Blackwell travelled to Burkina Faso and ran courses for a group of young leaders having their first ever coaching course; a group of goldminers, who work in some of the hottest and toughest conditions it is possible to imagine. 10 of our most senior coaches also received a well-deserved advanced class in creative coaching. Kevin is now helping us to rewrite our Introduction to Coaching course to make it easier to understand and use. In Africa, football is not a religion, but it is everything a religion should be. Every village has its temple, with goalposts at each end. Football breathes happiness into sunbaked days and on a continent where nothing is taken for granted, football is precious and a necessity. Martin and Kevin have seen first-hand that there are many sides to Africa beyond the headlines of war and famine. By using the sport we all love, we can make a huge difference to the lives of children there and we are delighted that the LMA is right behind us in this goal. Jane Carter, Director, Coaching for Hope

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SPONSORED BY

MANAGER INSIGHTS F&C Regional Dinners

Through its partnership with the LMA, F&C Investments has recently hosted Chris Hughton and Andre Vilas-Boas as guests of honour at F&C client dinners in Norwich and London respectively. The managers shared their insights into leadership and management focusing on talent identification and the use of analytics in developing performance.

GRASSROOTS SUPPORT

Budweiser Club Futures

Budweiser Club Futures ambassador Alan Pardew.

As part of a new LMA / Budweiser partnership, eight LMA ambassadors supported the Budweiser Club Futures programme, which will see £1m invested into grassroots football in the UK over the next two seasons as part of Budweiser’s FA Cup sponsorship. Between 3rd December and 11th December 2012, the regional Club Futures events took place across the country and were supported by Paul Tisdale, Dave Bassett, Martin Allen, Martin Foyle, Aidy Boothroyd, Paul Bracewell, Owen Coyle and Alan Curbishley. The overall programme was led by Newcastle manager Alan Pardew, who was the Club Futures ambassador. Pardew said: “Having started my career in non-league football I know just how important the grassroots level of the game is. These sorts of clubs are a great asset for the local community, as they are for the players. This is a massive opportunity for teams to help themselves move forwards and become more sustainable. It’s great to be part of such a valuable programme that’s investing in clubs at this level. I’m really hoping that as many clubs as possible apply over the next two seasons.”

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SPONSORED BY

PRINCE'S TRUST

LMA Managers' Cup Manager Ian McParland led a team of disadvantaged youngsters from Nottingham to a gripping victory at The Prince’s Trust LMA Managers' Cup on Thursday 14th February 2013 at St George’s Park. McParland signed up to manage one of eight Prince’s Trust teams taking part in the event in partnership with Probiz, Community, Kick It Out, Prozone, Polar, Perform, The FA and St George’s Park. The competing teams were managed by Dave Bassett, John Coleman, Keith Curle, Iain Dowie, Dave Penney, Gary Rowett and Nigel Worthington, who took their jobs very seriously, talking tactics, making substitutions and encouraging the young people to push themselves. The event was also supported by St George’s Park chairman David Sheepshanks CBE, who presented the awards to all the participants. LMA board member Dave Bassett commented: “I am very

proud that as an association we actively take part in such worthwhile community projects. The Prince’s Trust is a fantastic charity and provides the opportunity for disadvantaged young people to get their lives on track. It was clear that all the participants thoroughly enjoyed the day at St George’s Park.” Tom Nokes, 19, a participant

on the day, said; “Today has been great. Our manager, Dave Penney, really stuck with us and supported us and we made it all the way to the semi-finals. We’re just starting out on our journey with The Prince’s Trust, but playing together today has taught us that we can pull together as a unit, which will help us throughout the team programme we’re all on.”

THE 21 st

LMA ANNUAL AWARDS DINNER O l d

B i l l i n g s g a t e

2 0

M a y

2 0 1 3

Eight managers supported the LMA Managers' Cup by providing coaching and encouragement to the teams.

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Economy of

sale

The problems of free market theory and why goalies might be the best value for money. By Castrol.

Is it possible for a totally free market to mis-price an item on sale? A traditional economist would tell you it wasn’t. If the price is too high there won’t be enough demand and it will fall. If it is too low there will be too many buyers and it will rise. Simple. But look at what the bankers did with house prices and then with their salaries and it becomes obvious that those economists aren’t quite right. It is possible to get a price wrong and stick with it. A new school of economic thinkers have come along and explained how this happens. People aren’t cool, rational actors as the old models suggest. They have sentiments and prejudices; they follow the crowd and are the prisoners of their past decisions.

Money matters Why all this stuff about the academic row between classical economists and their behavioural colleagues? Because it really matters in football, where by far the biggest driver of success is the wage bill. So strong is the correlation between a high wage bill and success that it can be hard for a statistician to discern any pattern. The money drowns out everything else. It therefore follows that the most important thing a club can do to improve its position is to acquire more money. And since this isn’t always possible, the best tactic is to manage its money better. Buying cheaper flowers for the corporate boxes on home games will only get you so far, so achieving maximum value in the transfer market is critical. Now, if the classical economists were right this would be impossible. All the value would be present in the price of a football player. The clubs with the most money would pay the most and get the most. But if the behavioural economists are right there is value to exploit. People would be buying players at the wrong price for emotional reasons. A data-driven approach should enable clubs to buy better players for less. Model behaviour It is for this reason that sports clubs in the US have begun to employ statisticians to help with player valuation and to exploit systematic errors in pricing. The film Moneyball portrays Brad Pitt as baseball general manager Billy Beane (left), who uses the

ALICE TO CONFIRM

Goalkeepers like Real Madrid's Iker Casillas may cost less than a forward of equal standard.

knowledge he has gained from data to outwit his rivals. Beane discovered, for instance, that the idea that there were special qualities required to pitch at the end of a game was a myth. He deployed pitchers that he wanted to sell in such a way as to give them stats for his team that made them look like great closing pitchers. Once he had the right stats, he sold the player for an inflated sum. The big question is does this go on in football? Is there any evidence that there are systematic anomalies in pricing that can be exploited if you know what you are doing? Statistical modelling can be used to work this out. It is important to be clear that there is plenty that can’t be said about the fees. Transparency about the split with wages is less than it might be. The relationship between revenue and transfer fees awaits a future study. But we do have enough information to detect that the most optimistic view of fees – that they are a price that will adjust over time to optimal level – isn’t right. Our basic model anticipates that the quality of a player and where he was transferring to and from will affect the price. And so it proves. You would imagine that a better player would cost more on the whole and that the league in which they gained experience would matter too. It is also the case that when two players in the same position are of the same quality,

the older one will cost less. This is, as you would expect, because players peak and decline, so their quality isn’t static. So far, so good. But after that, things get more murky. Let’s look at position. The Castrol index measures the contribution that players make on the pitch. It’s an intuitive list – Lionel Messi is on top, Cristiano Ronaldo is second, and so forth. One would imagine, therefore, that if two players are equally good and the same age their cost would be roughly the same. It turns out, however, that a forward costs 89 per cent more than a goalkeeper of equal quality and average cost. What makes this anomaly worse is that goalkeepers keep on going for far longer. In other words, at any given moment, a goalkeeper of equal quality should be more expensive than an equivalent player further up the field. The gap between forwards and goalkeepers has a pattern. The further up the field you go, the more money it costs to obtain a unit of quality. Perhaps strikers are just sexier than midfield players, midfielders more than defenders and defenders than goalkeepers. A systematic pricing error is occurring that freemarket theory says shouldn’t persist. Or, if you are more interested in getting good value players than in free market theory, I will put the point another way. Goalkeepers are where the value is to be had!

A forward costs 89 per cent more than a goalkeeper of equal quality and average cost

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PARK LIFE So much has happened at St George's Park over the last few months. Here are the highlights... 1

1. The FA England Awards - Steven Gerrard with the Senior Men's Player of the Year award and Stephanie Houghton with the Senior Women's Player of the Year award 2. Rugby Union - England rugby playing football at St George's Park 3. England training

4. FIFA President Sepp Blatter visits St George's Park

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Let the celebrations begin 150 years ago, on 26 October 1863, representatives of a dozen clubs met at the Freemason’s Tavern in central London to establish a code of rules for the regulation of football. The FA was born. In January, a gallery of stars from the world of football gathered at the same site (now the Grand Connaught Rooms) to help launch The FA’s anniversary celebrations. Throughout the year, The FA will bring its history to life and tell the story of its founding fathers through a series of events, culminating in a gala dinner in October at the site of its launch. A not-for-profit organisation and the governing body of football in England, The FA is now responsible for growing participation and regulating the sport, investing £100m every year into grassroots football. The grassroots game has seven million people of all ages and from all backgrounds playing football in parks, on playgrounds and in organised league football. There are 1,100 such leagues, collectively totalling 29,000 clubs and 115,000 teams. Together, they see around two million play organised football at least once a week. Helping run the grassroots game throughout the year are 400,000 volunteers, more than 300,000 coaches and 27,000 qualified referees from different backgrounds. The FA also runs 24 England teams, across men’s, women’s, youth and disability football, who all share a new home at St George’s Park. It was these 24 teams who were honoured at the first ever FA England awards in February. The event was attended by, among others, Roy Hodgson and his England Team, and the Under21s, who were training side by side at St George’s Park for the first time. Steven Gerrard picked up the England 74

FA150 diary dates Sunday 28 April A Wembley milestone 2013 marks 90 years since the first match at Wembley. Back then, on 28 April 1923, a newly-completed ‘Empire Stadium’ hosted Bolton and West Ham in The FA Cup Final. Saturday 11 May The 132nd FA Cup Final with Budweiser, Wembley Stadium Saturday 18 May Army FA 125th Anniversary game v FA Legends Reading’s Madejski Stadium hosts a charity match between the ‘FA Legends’, managed by Roy Hodgson, and the Army team, managed by Stuart Pearce. All proceeds from the event will go to service charities that promote sporting opportunities for our soldiers, most notably The Royal British Legion and the Team Army Sports Foundation. www.armyfa.com/thebigmatch125 Tuesday 21 May - Friday 24 May XXXVII UEFA Congress, London Thursday 23 May UEFA Women's Champions League Final, Stamford Bridge Saturday 25 May UEFA Champions League Final, Wembley Stadium Wednesday 29 May England v Republic of Ireland, Wembley Stadium

A host of managers attended the first ever FA England awards in February.

Men’s Senior Player of the Year award while Jordan Henderson won the England Under-21s Player of the Year. Other winners included Nat Chalobah, on loan at Watford from Chelsea, who scooped the Men’s Youth Player of the Year, Hope Powell’s England Women’s side won the Team of the Year, while England Cerebral Palsy player Ibrahima Diallo won the Disability Player of the Year. There was also a special Lifetime Achievement award, selected by FA Chairman David Bernstein, for England’s legendary blind team captain Dave Clarke, who retired after the 2012 Olympics. Matt Lawton of the Daily Mail won the Brian Woolnough Writers’ Award for the best journalist covering England in 2012, as voted for by the Football Writers’ Association and The FA.

Sunday 2nd June Brazil v England, Rio The Three Lions will visit five-time World Champions Brazil for the first time since 1984. Wednesday 5 June – Tuesday 18 June UEFA European Under-21 Championship, Israel Monday 8th July 20 years of women's football The FA commemorates 20 years of running the women’s game in this country. The FA will also invest a further £3.5m into the women’s game in England over the next four years with the commitment to increase participation and performance on and off the pitch throughout the girls’ and women’s game. Wednesday 10 July - Sunday 28 July UEFA European Women’s Championship, Sweden Saturday 10th August Sir Bobby Robson National Football Day The focus of The National Football Day, in honour of the former England Manager, will be the 150 clubs and leagues across all areas of the game delivering dedicated football festivals to promote inclusion, participation and recruitment/retention of players. Wednesday 14 August England v Scotland, Wembley Stadium

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degrees FOR REFEREES

The job of the referee is different from most others in the football industry. Like players, coaches and managers, they spend a lifetime trying to get to the top, but do so while holding down other careers, usually far removed from the football field.

or most match officials, life is a permanent juggling act between career and football. Of the 77 referees and 231 assistant referees that Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) is responsible for, only 16 are full-time professional. Among the current Select Group there are policemen, postal workers, accountants, engineers, teachers and prison officers, but many have to put their careers on hold while they seek to make it to the top in football. Once retired from refereeing, the opportunities to remain working in the football industry are few, while those that return to their previous fields of work often find they have changed considerably in their absence.

in January at the university. All are now continuing their studies and working towards a Postgraduate Diploma before moving on to a Postgraduate Master’s Degree. Mike Riley believes this kind of life-long learning is an essential function that has been missing from PGMOL. The studies help officials develop their careers and ensure that when they re-enter the workforce they do so on the strongest footing. “I’m really pleased that so many of our officials are taking this opportunity to develop their career, because they are all extremely capable individuals who have much to offer the business world,” says Riley. “As a referee, you acquire many skills that are extremely transferable. Instant

“referees are fortunate that their skill-sets can be put to use in other industries” Andre Marriner

Life-long learning It was against this backdrop that PGMOL general manager Mike Riley and his team of coaches began to investigate life-long learning opportunities for match officials. Over the last two years, PGMOL and the University of Gloucestershire have developed a postgraduate qualification in match officiating and professional practice in refereeing. Fourteen Select Group officials worked for their Postgraduates Certificates in Personal and Professional Development during the 2011/12 season, with eight (Chris Foy, Kevin Friend, Mike Jones, Andre Marriner, Jon Moss, Neil Swarbrick, Anthony Taylor and Howard Webb) attending a special graduation ceremony

decision-making is one of the hardest jobs in management, but our referees do that week-in, week-out. They are also excellent team-players who have a wide array of analytical and evaluation skills. This programme will allow our referees to consider their future career options when they finish officiating.” Changing track When Andre Marriner left school with a few O-levels, he worked for the family business before joining Land Rover for five years and then becoming a postman. He left Royal Mail 13 years ago to devote his life to refereeing. Marriner feels there would be little chance of him returning to posting letters and parcels.

“If I was to leave refereeing now I couldn’t walk straight back into the post room because that world has changed,” he says. “However, referees are fortunate that their skill-sets can be put to use in other industries. It’s just a question of honing in on that and bringing them to a level that we can use practically.” He adds that he has enjoyed studying for the Postgraduate Certificate. “It hasn’t been easy, having been out of education for so long, but I’ve enjoyed motivating myself to learn,” he says. “I’m now looking at a life after refereeing and thinking about teaching because of the work I’m doing going into schools talk about the Get On With The Game kids website.” But it’s not only those from PGMOL who have been captured by the initiative. Dr Andrew Pitchford, Director of Sport at the University of Gloucestershire, believes it shows how continuing education can be beneficial to employees. “This initiative demonstrates how higher education could make a big difference to sports training and education in the future,” says Pitchford. “The course has been carefully designed so that it integrates with the referees’ existing training programme, and the feedback from the students has been extremely positive. We look forward to developing the relationship further and taking the students through to the next level of study.” 75

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JUST A MOMENT Phil Parkinson leads Bradford City onto the field for the Capital One Cup final against Swansea City, an incredible achievement for the League Two club. 76