” Every game has winner. Every winner has a game plan.”
Hi, I’m Coach Rob Opie, and the subject of this week’s COACHING NEWSLETTER is
Measure it. To improve it.
In this week’s coaching newsletter , we go inside the game plans of some of the greats of sport – to see how some get it right and how some get it humanly wrong at times.
Ultimately it’s the level of one’s game plan that determines human greatness – human greatness defined as achieving Sustained Success and Significance in life. ( The 3 S’s)
Whether you are playing the game at the very top level in business or sport , or are just someone without all the fame – you are playing the game.
Some people do not buy into the concept of ” The Game ”.
But, rest assured you are in the game of life. You are playing the game and you cannot NOT choose.
Even saying that you dont want to play is a choice. The game is going on around you – and you are in it.
If you don’t understand this, it’s highly likely that you will get played by someone.
Milli – seconds, milli – meters and moments of madness divide the great in sport. It’s the very same in life.”
Let’s take a closer look at some now famous cases in sport.
In 2006 , French football great , Zinedine Zidane took it one step too far during the FIFA World Cup Final. A moment of madness ensued when he head butted Italian Marco Materazzi , after an incessant and personal verbal attack during the game . Zidane received a red and Italy , now playing against ten men , went on to be crowned Word Cup Champions.
Zinedine Zidane was played. Played out the game.
Like it or not, sledging is part and parcel of sport, especially when opponents uncover your touch point.
You hear these things once and you try to walk away, that’s what I wanted to do because I was retiring.Then you hear it a second time and then a third. I would rather die than apologize to Materazzi.
Zinedine Zidane later apologised to his teammates and the French nation for his own actions.
How does an experienced football great get it so horribly, yet humanly wrong in the heat of the moment?
Fast forward to 2017 with English cricketing great, Ben Stokes.
After a violent Bristol street brawl in the early hours of the morning , the English cricketing hero found himself suspended and out of the 2017 Ashes tour – pending police investigations .
But, here again it’s too late for apologies.Whatever the outcome , Ben Stokes reacted .
He got played . And found himself out the game.
Probably the most famous fall from grace has been that of Tiger Woods.
Game plans that may appear as rock solid from the outside, are often fragile within .
Being in the public eye, the great champions have to forever be on guard to avoid the various pitfalls. The best way to achieve this, is to continually invest in one’s own professional and personal brand.
And to continually seek to improve oneself.
Personal branding serves as one’s compass in good times and one’s scaffolding in challenging times.
Personal branding means constant reality checking and measurement.
Management and business guru , Peter Ducker is famous for saying :
If You Can’t Measure It , You Can’t Improve It.
When you think about this quote, it should immediately become apparent how true it is. Because, if you can’t measure something, and know the results, you can’t possibly get better at it.
Sporting greats like Roger Federer invest heavily in their own professional and personal brands. They operate very high level game plans. And they constantly measure themselves.
This makes them ‘NINERS’ ( 9/10 ).
They play the game at LEVEL NINE when you consider the ‘ Everest’ measurement barometer below.
It’s a good place to operate from as in sport and in life – like attracts like.
Seven equals good. Eight equals great. Nine equals greater.
We would all like to play the game consistently as ‘NINERS’, but few of us do.
That’s because it’s so easy to be good, but it’s really hard to be great. And it’s even tougher when one is constantly in the public eye, like our sporting greats .
Where are you?
For Ben Stokes to bounce back stronger and wiser, he needs to power up his professional and personal game plan. Here’s how:
Every high level GAME PLAN consists of three potent P’s : Purpose, Priorities and Performance Goals.
Keeping them all closely aligned – and focused – takes one from Good to Great to Greater.
STEP ONE is to clearly define your PURPOSE
For Ben Stokes it should read :
To Entertain. To Educate. To Enrich the lives of millions.
With his God- given sporting talents he has the opportunity to do all three of the above .He has the ability to impact on the lives of millions, especially kids who idolize their sporting heroes.
Unfortunately, Ben Stokes sent the wrong educational message out to the youth via his late night brawling.
Purpose is the thing that will keep you afloat, no matter how the tide turns. And if you have it, you can get through just about anything : Alex Granger .
STEP TWO is to clearly articulate and align one’s highest PRIORITIES in life
This is never that easy, so here’s a quick guide as to how the priorities of the great champions stack up in hierarchical order. (so should yours )
Priority # One: Invest in Yourself. Your Professional and Personal Brand
Priority # Two: Invest in your Purpose in Life
Priority # Three: Invest in your Family and Friends
Priority # Four: Invest in your Health and Wealth
Priority # Five: Invest in your desired Lifestyle
It’s important to FOCUS on one’s top priorities in life , as focus drives sustained success and significance.
Bill Gates said :
The most important thing I have learnt in life is to focus my energy on what is important in life
Clear priorities help one to make clear decisions in life. Saying no, or walking away becomes far easier. If Ben Stokes had his priorities clear he would surely have done things differently.
STEP THREE is to clearly align and action one’s top three PERFORMANCE GOALS – for current year
Keeping these congruent, aligned and simple plays a big part of attaining and sustaining SUCCESS .
Unfortunately many sports coaches do not have the necessary skills to help players with their personal game plans .They tend to shy away when personal adversity strikes.
I have no clue when he will be available again for selection. It’s totally out of our hands. We have to just get on with preparing the best we can. I have written off Ben Stokes for the Ashes tour . Trevor Bayliss. England cricket coach .
A coach’s role is to step up to the plate and help individual players improve themselves – in both their professional and personal lives.
Ben Stokes appears to be all on his own – and not getting the right support and the right guidance from his current coach.
It’s best for him to then seek out a close mentor, who can help him channel his obvious aggression in more appropriate and positive ways on the field of play .
It’s an opportunity for him. To measure himself .To improve himself.
England needs his all-round cricketing talent, and his channelled aggression, if they are to challenge for the No. 1 ranking in world cricket.
Every adverse situation presents an opportunity for self improvement
Key Insight
To power up one’s game – one must power up one’s game plan.
GO GREAT. AND PLEASE REMEMBER THE FREE ADDED VALUE AVAILABLE TO YOU ON THIS 11 WEEK PROGRAMME:
I’M COACHING LIVE BY EMAIL:
If you need any help, please email me any of your coaching questions – and I will get back to you by email.
All emails are treated as 100 % confidential.
GET IN TOUCH : robopie@thegameplan.co.za
Till next week, when we take an inside look at : GAME CHANGER NUMBER TEN : No Health. No Wealth – where we explore the vital importance of health in the game of life.
A special thank you to Jose and Doug at Team Cell C – for their continued support of our game- changing : GROWING SOUTH AFRICANS GREAT initiative at THE GAME PLAN
SOME EXCITING NEWS
My latest book will be out by 1st December. And your eBook copy is for Mahala. Please stay subscribed. Stay Inspired.
THE GAME CHANGERS – foreword by John Robbie
Achieve your own greatest potential in life
The Game Changers presents that everyone can find the key to real achievement in life. Finding real purpose need not be random. It’s an awesome proposal and one that must be investigated by anyone who fears being ordinary – John Robbie.
Rob Opie is a Brand Strategist, Entrepreneur, Speaker, Author and Performance Coach.
He helps teams and individuals to achieve their greatest potential in life.
TO BOOK ROB TO TALK AT YOUR NEXT CORPORATE TEAM EVENT , email him direct at :
Read more about his inspirational 2017 POWER TALK at : THE GAME CHANGERS : GOOD TO GREAT TO GREATER.
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You can either book a TWO HOUR one-on- one coaching session( dependent on your location ), or a two ONE HOUR phone coaching sessions.(or skype audio): Cost R1000.00.
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THE GAME CHANGERS . POWER UP YOUR GAME .POWER UP YOUR SALES
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