How to Build a Championship Team: Lessons from Pro Sports on Reducing Workplace Risk
What does building a World Series team have to do with managing your workers’ compensation costs? Everything.
Professional sports franchises know a secret that every business owner should learn: winning is less about raw talent and more about character, leadership, and accountability. The same principles that prevent a locker room from imploding are the ones that create a safe, productive, and profitable workplace.
Here are three direct lessons from the world of professional sports that you can apply to your business today.
Principle 1: Recruit for Character, Not Just Skill
The Philadelphia Eagles don’t just look at a player’s 40-yard dash time. When scouting a prospect, they are just as likely to call his high school guidance counselor as his college coach. They want to know how he treats people and if he has integrity.
They understand that one highly-skilled but toxic individual can poison an entire team.
The Business Application:
The employee with a perfect resume but a bad attitude is a liability. This is the person who cuts corners on safety protocols, ignores management, and fosters a negative environment. They are a workplace injury waiting to happen.
When you hire, look beyond the resume. Prioritize candidates who are responsible, coachable, and demonstrate respect for others. An employee with strong character is an asset who protects your team and your bottom line.
Principle 2: Your Manager is Your Head Coach
The CEO of the Cincinnati Reds, Robert Castellini, rebuilt his organization by focusing on two things: a foundation of players with strong character and coaches who could motivate them. The head coach is the catalyst who turns individual talent into on-field performance.
The Business Application:
Your frontline managers and supervisors are your head coaches. They are responsible for setting the tone, enforcing the rules, and getting the most out of your team. Their ability to lead directly impacts your safety culture and, ultimately, your number of claims.
Invest in your managers. Train them to be leaders, not just bosses. At the same time, identify the informal “clubhouse leaders” on your team—the respected employees who model the right behaviors. Nurturing this leadership structure is the most effective way to build a culture of safety.
Principle 3: Drive Accountability at Every Level
When Castellini took over the Reds, he discovered a shocking lack of accountability in the front office. The team’s player development system was ranked 29th out of 30, yet no one had been held responsible for this massive failure.
On the field, a player who makes a mistake is held accountable immediately. The same standard must apply in the office.
The Business Application:
Accountability is not about blame; it is about ownership. When a safety incident occurs, does your team have a clear process for understanding what went wrong and ensuring it never happens again? Or do people point fingers and avoid responsibility?
A culture of accountability is the bedrock of a safe workplace. It means every employee, from the front line to the C-suite, is responsible for maintaining a safe environment. When you build this culture, you stop small problems from becoming catastrophic and costly claims.