4 Business Lessons Learned in a Bowling League

Bowling is a lot of fun, and playing on a team with your friends can make it even more fun. All fun aside though, you can actually learn a lot about business from playing in a bowling league. Read on for some of the key lessons you can learn on the lanes.

Teamwork Is Everything

In team bowling, it is not just each player's individual score that determines the final result, but also the combined scores of all teammates. If one player isn't performing well, the other team members must make up for the deficiency in order to win. It is much the same in business. When working on a team project, each member is responsible not just for their own work, but for the completion of the project as a whole. You'll need to be prepared to pick up the slack as needed to keep your project on course.

Scheduling Is Important

From practices to tournaments, it is important that every member of a bowling team be on the same page in terms of scheduling, and business is no different. Between company-wide meetings, team meetings and individual projects, your employees have a lot on their plates, so it is important to provide detailed schedules to help everyone manage their work efficiently to ensure everything is completed on time as expected.

Team Changes Are Sometimes Necessary

It's never easy to say goodbye to a bowling teammate, but sometimes this is necessary to ensure the ongoing success for your team. For example, a teammate could get injured, or a scheduling conflict could arise. In the business world, an employee could resign or get fired, or the scope of your project may change, resulting in the need for different team members. When making changes to your work team, be sure to keep the rest of the team informed as to what is going on to avoid false rumors getting started and your team feeling blindsided.

Momentum Is Real

In sports, including bowling, many players talk about momentum. When your team is performing well, the energy that provides makes it easier for the rest of your team to succeed. Similarly, poor performance can be demoralizing and hurt others' ability to perform well. In business environments, it can be easy to get caught up in minor setbacks, causing them to snowball into much larger issues. When this happens, take a few moments to step back and look at the big picture. Even a brief pause can be enough to break negative momentum so that you can turn it around.

Of course, the world of business isn't always like a bowling league, but there are always lessons everywhere. Managing a bowling team, or any other sports team for that matter, shares many similarities with managing a work team, but there are many differences as well. Take inspiration from all areas of your life, but be sure to keep in mind that what works for other teams you are a part of may not necessarily work for your work team. Experiment with different techniques and tactics to find what works best for you.