Playing on a Super Bowl Championship team taught me many skills that transfer into corporate performance. Today, I’ll share four principles that you can practice to empower your team to perform at an elite level.

1) Create an environment where Questions are encouraged and celebrated. On game day, the mantra of the Indianapolis Colts offense was that we could not afford to ask questions. Instead, opportunities for questions were created at the end of every meeting. Coach Dungy believed there were NO foolish questions. The only way to discover the right answer is to ask the right question. Practice asking great questions!

2) Accountability played a crucial role in the performance of our team. Every day, we relied on the “Eye In The Sky.” Each minute on the practice field was filmed and evaluated. The camera lens was one of our greatest accountability partners because it showed weaknesses, enabling us to turn weaknesses into strengths, improve individual performance, and elevate team success. Create your own “Eye In The Sky” level of accountability and evaluation!

3) For athletes, Recovery is critical to performance. Twice a day, we had access to recovery tools designed to allow us to take care of our minds, bodies, and spirits. Whether receiving treatment on a sore muscle or injury, soaking in a tub filled with ice and water, or relaxing with teammates in the players’ lounge, recovery was a chance to breathe, rest, and prepare to go back to work. Find ways throughout your hectic and challenging days to find recovery moments that allow you to breathe and find peace. Practice recovery to improve your ability to endure the work day!

4) At the end of the day, you have to Perform. Take this seriously because leaders are always watching. Practice your performance technique in whatever industry you’re in, through mental walk-thrus and visualization techniques. Before every performance we would walk through every single play that we installed during practice. This allowed us to visualize, in slow motion, all of the possible ways a single play could change. Find time and the right walk-thru model that you can practice to improve your game day performance.

Be A Champion!

About the Speaker: It is rare to find a true Renaissance man anymore, but that’s just that you get with Ben Utecht.  Ben has always chased his dreams, finding his way from a small river town in Minnesota to a Super Bowl championship field.  Whether it was becoming a world champion in football, singing with major symphonies, serenading Muhammad Ali on his 70th birthday, or stepping into a national advocacy role, Ben has found success in many realms.  He honed his already keen public speaking skills at the University of Minnesota, where he graduated with a degree in communications and even started a master’s degree in sports management before being swept up into the NFL. For more information on Ben Utecht, click here.  

To book Ben Utecht for a program on teambuilding, overcoming adversity or accountability, contact Midwest Speakers Bureau at 515-974-8305 or angela@speakernow.com

 

 

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