Do You Look The Part?

Do You Look the Part?
 
Why looking at elite netball coaches can provide three invaluable branding and leadership lessons for your small business
Whilst I've been enjoying the 3 Test series between our Aussie Netball Diamonds and the English Roses, once again, I've been frustrated by the uniforms being worn by our coaches.
 

So if you've been considering a uniform for your small business or wondering if you look the part of the leader, here's 3 branding and leadership lessons you may wish to take into your decision making process.

FOCUS: EMBRACE YOUR ROLE
LEADERSHIP AND BUILDING HIGH PERFORMING TEAMS
 
For many years, I've been frustrated with Netball Australia's Uniform Policy for all players, as well as what coaches wear at the highest level – be it Suncorp Netball or with the Australian Diamonds team.

As someone who's played netball for most of my life, and coached junior netball for nearly 10 years, I've seen how an inflexible uniform policy can have irreparable damage on a young girl's or woman's self esteem and self worth.
 
And it can also take the fun out of playing a sport – be it competitively or socially.

This frustration has also extended to coaches at the elite level (Suncorp Netball Teams or the Australian Diamonds) who for sponsorship or other reasons, are not looking the part of an elite coach.
 
Instead, they look like someone who works in a corporate office which doesn't reflect the aspirational pathway for up and coming coaches because as the Paralympians quote all the time: 'You Can't Be What You Can't See'.
The Power (or lack thereof) of a Uniform
3 Invaluable Branding and Leadership Lessons For Your Small Business
LESSON 1: Inflexible Policies
 
For too long, netball players were forced to wear a dress or skirt and top with bike pants underneath which couldn't be see below the skirt or dress hemline – something which is really difficult to maintain while you're jumping, running and catching etc.

This meant in a game, players (girls and ladies) were constantly pulling bike pants up to ensure they weren't showing, otherwise they would be penalised a number of goals due to an uniform infringement.
 
Absolutely ridiculous I know particularly when the purpose of any sport is to be part of a community, have fun, make friends, get some exercise, oh and learn some new skills.

Then as other sports started to open pathways for girls and women to participate in their favourite sports eg AFL, cricket, soccer, rugby league and rugby union; netball saw their market share as the most participative female sport slowly diminish.

For years, grassroots clubs like mine kept sending the message up the hierarchy that one of the reasons girls were leaving netball in huge numbers (particularly from 14 years old and then not becoming back as an adult) was because of inflexible uniform policies which forced people to play in something they were not comfortable wearing.

Yet Netball Australia remained blinkered to the loss of participants (players) and feedback from their customers (clubs) until a 2021 national study by Victoria University found 58% of girls did not want to wear skirts while playing sport outside of school, and 65% did not want to wear skirts during school sport.

So finally, Netball Australia announced a new Inclusive Uniform Policy for the 2023 season, for both players and umpires, which recognises individual preferences, religious beliefs and climate.  It is hoped this change will eventually bring people back to playing netball.

And it was in the Suncorp Team Girls competition where the variety of uniform options were well and truly on display – a demonstration by players as to why this positive change was long overdue.

Players were finally wearing something they were comfortable in which meant they played at their best because their performance wasn't being impacted by something negative.
 
This policy is to flow through to all levels of netball, from the Suncorp Super Netball competition right through to grassroots community sport.
 
Unfortunately this didn't extend to the World Cup and Test Matches because the International Netball Federation is very slow to approve changes which means there's one rule for all of netball except international competitions.
 

So do you have any outdated and/or inflexible policies which are having a negative impact on your team, your customers and your small business?

LESSON 2: One Size Doesn't Fit All

The variety of options players chose clearly demonstrates that one size doesn't fit all. There wasn't one team who had everyone in the same uniform choice so players were definitely voting with their feet.

And as someone who had to wear shorts when I played in a mixed team otherwise we would've been penalised for uniform infringements, I know the negative impact it had on me.

I didn't play at my best because I didn't feel like a happy netballer and I quit the team at the end of the season simply because of this reason, not because I didn't like my teammates.

Now think about your small business.

Your job is to ensure each and every one of your team has the tools they need to work at their best for your small business.

Not only is this providing them with documented systems and training so they know how to do their job; but also understanding their different learning and work styles, and their optimum working environment so they're a happy and productive employee.

However, too often I see a 'once size fits all' approach to managing a team ie making everyone follow the same rules.

Whilst this can seem the logical and best way to go, we need systems, rules and approaches to work at least 80% of the time for everyone with a slight tweak to maximise an individual's performance.

For example, I need noise to work at my best (usually music) and in my past life as an employee, I was forced to work in an environment of silence rather than letting me wear headphones. This had a negative effect on my productivity, let alone the impact on my mental health and wellbeing.

So are you providing opportunities for your team to work at their best or are you hindering their performance with a 'one size fits all' approach?

LESSON 3: You Can't Be What You Can't See

Have a look at the Aussie Diamonds team photo I've showcased with this blog.

Now please tell me who's the coach?

Unless you know it's Stacey Marinkovich (in the white jacket closest to the players), you'd probably believe it's the gentleman on the end in the tracksuit.

Why?

Because he looks the part of a coach.

Sporting coaches at grassroots level wear the team shirt or tracksuit so parents and players immediately know who's leading the team.

And yet in many sports including netball, someone's made a decision (and an incorrect one in my opinion) to stop this tradition and turn the coach's uniform into something you'd wear in a corporate office.

And to make matters worse, as you can see in this photo, our coaches aren't even wearing a uniform in our green and gold colours! Instead, they're in black and white and I can tell you, that's the New Zealand Silver Ferns colours so what the ???.  And now we're wearing blue jackets with a white top – again what the ???.

The only Suncorp Netball Coach who bucked this trend or requirement was Dan Ryan who coaches the West Coast Fever team, and guess what? He's now a premiership coach and whilst a lot of that will be because of his netball brain and tactics, it's also because he looks the part of a netball coach and not an administrator.

So as the leader and coach of your small business, are you looking the part in the colours/uniform you wear and the type of dress code you embrace?

Now I'm not saying you have to change from wearing casual clothes to a more corporate look – quite the opposite in fact.

I want you and your team to wear clothes which you're comfortable in and make you feel good so you can work at your best; AND reflect the right business branding and image you want portrayed to your team and your customers.

What's Next?
When building a high performing team where everyone is happy, productive and working well together; sometimes the littlest things can have the biggest impact – either positive or negative.

So what do you need to change or rethink in your small business to ensure you're providing a work environment where people can flourish and want to be there, rather than look for a job elsewhere?
 
And here's my final thought:
 
Many other sports have also changed inflexible uniform traditions (policies) including Wimbledon and AFL Clubs where women previously had to wear white dresses, shorts or skirts. Now they can wear dark colours which doesn't make them feel so self-conscious.

Which is how it should be because it's critical to remove any barriers to sport participation rather than holding on to policies which lead to stress and women deciding to walk away from sports they love.

So if you do have a uniform as part of your small business, is it an inclusive one which recognises individual preferences, religious beliefs, climate and one everyone proudly wears?

Or does it need some tweaking?

And if you're not sure- please ask your team rather than assume.
 
Cheers
Tamara

P.S Wondering how you can work with me or book me to speak at your next event?
 
Then let's have a chat by booking your FREE Let's Fix It Zoom Session with me here.
 
And if you're saying you don't have 30 minutes to spare, you really need to book in a session with me because I can easily create for you at least 1 simple strategy to save 30 minutes a day.
Author: Tamara Simon

Tamara Simon uses the world of sport to coach people to grow their small business.

For over twenty-five years as a Speaker, Author and Coach, she's been providing much needed support to small business owners, CEOs and their teams so they can build, manage and grow a simple profitable business.

So if your organisation's members are small businesses or you're a small business owner who is...
 
- ready to GROW but not sure where to start

- overwhelmed with managing your GROWTH

- looking for possibilities to GROW further


Then check out her website to find out how to work with Tamara, and book Tamara to speak at your next event.
www.tamarasimon.com.au

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