Points on the Board - A Metaphor Has Come to Life!
A metaphor rarely comes to life, but I have witnessed what it means in real life to put "Points on the Board."
My daughter is a junior in high school and has played soccer since she was five years old. When she was eight, she consistently scored goals and was considered the star player. But life happened; we moved to a new city, and she had a few unfortunate situations with coaches and team dynamics, but she continued to play soccer. She played at a club level with moderate success. As parents, we accepted her skill and ambition and leaned into the value of being a part of a team sport. And we enjoyed the time spent with her and watching her play.
This year was different, she wanted to be on the Varsity team. Our Girl's Varsity Soccer team is elite in our small town. They won the past two state championships. When you watch these girls play, it is magic. There is something unique and special about this team that is indescribable. My daughter has played with many of these girls, and we have watched them grow up. The team has a lot of die-hard fans, and I am one of them. My daughter's goal this year was to make the team.
She joined a select fall and winter indoor league, took private lessons, and showed up for every single workout and open practice. Lo and behold, she made the team, but it was crystal clear that she was the lead bench warmer, and they were investing in her more for next year (when nine seniors graduate). It was understood that she was lucky even to be practicing with this varsity team and to be on their official roster. She accepted that way better than her parents, who noticed that in the first three games of the season (in the freezing-ass cold), she played for maybe 12 minutes out of 240 total minutes.
She confided in me that she wanted to do better than just practice with the team. I don't want to betray her by stating her BHAG goal. Still, we talked about ways to make it come to life with attitude, coachability, practice, mindset, meditation, and visualizations. I KNOW she has the skills; that isn't even a question. She needs to work most on confidence and mindset.
In Thursday's game, with about 13 minutes remaining, we were up 5-0, and she was put into the game as a forward, which is opposite her usual defensive position. The video (posted on LinkedIn) shows her overcoming two defensive players and kicking a goal. And it was a good goal, not a bullshit accidental goal.
That goal has changed everything. Putting a "point on the board" has given her new confidence. She wants more. She is hungry. The goal changed how she perceived herself - as a goal-getter instead of a goal-defender or a practice player. She has opened the eyes of her coaches and teammates which will likely lead to more playing time. Of course, she still must work hard, contribute, and earn additional playing time, but it has created momentum and opened a door for her to walk through.
Snark alert - I hope it also changes the perception of that mom who found me earlier in the week and told me that she was glad to see my daughter on the team because “they would really need her ready for next year. She is “almost” at the level.”
I have always had a "points on the board" mentality in business. Ambitious people always want to be perceived as strategic and a leader. However, I have noticed that even people in power who say they value strategy value "points on the board" more.
Hard work with no results is not putting points on the board. You must put the points on the board. If you want to be considered for new opportunities, receive a promotion, change a perception, or put a lousy result behind you, PUT SOME POINTS ON THE BOARD! Get that sale, cut that cost, solve that problem, or take on the ick assignment nobody wants. Just like putting an actual point on a board in any game, putting a point on the board in the office creates confidence and momentum. It also makes a hunger for more points.