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Editor’s Note: The following post was written by Benny C., Head of Industry, Greater China, at Meta’s Hong Kong office. In his own words, he explains why the 2021 Tokyo Olympic Games provide a valuable lesson in leadership.
Special thanks to Darren Chao for inspiring me to write this op-ed.
Watching the Tokyo Olympic Games over the past few weeks, I’ve been thinking about how the Olympics are about much more than how many medals a country can win. The games are a spirit, an attitude and a reflection of diversity, inclusion and leadership.
I see striking similarities between planning for a sports game and leading business growth, especially when it comes to strategic decision making. Using the Olympics as my inspiration, here are five key areas leaders and their teams can focus on to achieve a successful collective outcome.
1. Team spirit
Team spirit is the foundation of success for sport teams and for our business. Without solid teamwork, almost nothing will be done well. This is especially true at a global company like Meta, where thoughtful and spirited collaboration drive results and impact.
Participating in team sports like rugby and water polo are similar to collaborating in our business. Although we’re part of the Sales organization, many different teams work together to help our clients achieve their business objectives. I call this a “One FB approach," meaning that no matter which team we’re on, how long we’ve been at the company, or what office we are based in, we present as one team to our clients. As team players, we also recognize that individualism can’t bring success for the long run. The people who do well here are always thinking about how their skills can add value to our team and for our partners.
2. Goal setting
Setting the right goals is also critical for our shared success. With Olympic team sports, participants always aim for their standings, the medal they want to win or beating their own previous record. With our business, each of our teams—either Sales or Cross-functional (XFN)—will also have a goal, be it revenue, product adoption or a number of lighthouse projects. To set the right goals, it’s important to know your team’s strengths, your XFN partners’ needs and to keep all parties aligned to work towards the same goal.
Our team did a “strengths finder” exercise and we documented each person’s strengths. This has been helpful in tackling projects together, such as when we designed a workflow and asked more than 20 people for feedback to come up with the most efficient idea. Knowing our strengths helped me assign a specific team member to the project, which she enjoyed and was later recognized for.
I also meet with our XFN partners at the start of every quarter. Setting goals together helps us get their support and ensures we’re serving as true partners. Once we’re aligned, I set SMART goals and communicate broadly to the team, work out a plan, execute and eventually review our work. Together, we stay on track, adjust as needed and celebrate milestones along the way.
3. Planning
With sports, teams must think strategically to plan their attack and defense. This calls for watching their competitors’ playing tactics and deciding which game plan they should use before each match.
This is the same in our business. We conduct competitive analysis, create go-to market strategies and decide which investments we need to make (and the types of resources we need to ask for) to achieve the best possible outcomes. We are also prepared to shift our timelines and iterate as needed when circumstances change.
Benny and his team in a virtual planning meeting. The team comes together every quarter and half to plan their roadmaps.
4. Prioritization
Prioritization is just as essential as planning, both in sports and business management. Coaches, managers and project leads play a critical role in serving the best interests of a team.
With athletics, coaches and players must prioritize which game tactic they’ll go with first, what their starting line-up looks like and more. In our business, each team has a prioritization list we refer to before we enter each quarter, half and year. These priorities map to our overall business priorities and help us maintain a clear focus. While athletes enter a sports match and play hard according to the game plan, we work hard to follow our plan and priorities with XFN collaboration.
5. Timeouts
Can you remember a time you saw a coach or player call a timeout during a critical moment of a match? Every good coach understands that timeouts are an important—and often strategic—tool that can empower a team. And just like with team sports, managers or project leads can use timeouts to bring a team together for reflection, especially for long-term development goals.
In our business, timeouts are also a valuable opportunity for a team to access its performance and make adjustments. The price of doing the same old thing is far higher than the price of change.
Though timeouts may occasionally mean uncertainties, we don’t have to be afraid of introducing change. On the contrary, each player on our team should embrace an opportunity to adjust because while continuity gives us roots, change gives us branches. Together, we can stretch, grow and reach new heights.
With these leadership takeaways inspired by the Tokyo Olympic Games, I hope your favorite teams perform well, and your business teams continue to thrive.
This post, originally published on August 18, 2021, was updated on October 19, 2022, to reflect our shift to Meta and new details about team members, roles and responsibilities.
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