The Manager - Issue 16 by leaguemanagers

The magazine of the League Managers Association

Issue 16 £7.50

The changing man sam allardyce:

21 years in management and still finetuning

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WELCOME

FROM the Leadership, insight, inspiration, the three tenets of The Manager and qualities embodied by Sir Alex Ferguson, who retired from an incredible 39-year career in football management shortly before this edition went to print. On page 41, we pay tribute to a man whose legacy is not just in the bulging silverware cabinet at Old Trafford, but in the heads of every manager, experienced and emerging, in sport and business, across the nation. He will also forever be one of the finest examples of the rewards that can be reaped from a long tenure – from allowing a leader the confidence to make

“there is no better time to reflect on what worked and what didn’t in the drive for peak performance” long-term plans and see them through. The results of installing a manager for the long-term can, as Sir Alex demonstrated, be not one-off moments of glory, but sustainable success. Despite a difficult 2011-2012 season, Bradford kept faith in their manager, Phil Parkinson, who quickly and strategically set about making changes that would see his team surpass all expectations. Read about the club’s road to Wembley for the Capital One Cup final on page 28. In many instances, whether a football manager stays or goes is decided in the boardroom – but not always. When opportunity knocks, managers in any field can find themselves with difficult decisions to make. Is it always better to take a bigger, better job or The League Managers Association, St George's Park, National Football Centre, Newborough Road, Needwood, Burton upon Trent DE13 9PD The views and opinions expressed by contributors are their own and are not necessarily those of BowlesAssociates or the League Managers Association, its members, officers or employees. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is strictly prohibited. www.leaguemanagers.com

is there something to be said for taking the long route to the top? And what if retirement is on the cards – how do you decide if you have given all you can in your chosen career? On page 18, Jeremy Snape, Gary Megson and Alan Curbishley are among those sharing their experiences of moving onwards and upwards. Whether the end of the season means a career break or simply the close of another hard-fought campaign, there is no better time to reflect on what worked and what didn’t in the drive for peak performance. Business leaders must react to changing external conditions, such as the economy and competitors, and to internal ones, such as staff. Leaders in football are no different. In our cover story, West Ham boss Sam Allardyce explains why managers can never stop evolving and how he has changed over his 21-year management career. “As a leader, you need the courage and belief to think ahead, decide where you want to go, how you are going to get there and with what philosophy,” he says. Read the full interview on page 14. As always, we welcome your views on these and other issues that impact your profession, day in, day out.

Are you ready to take the next step up the career ladder? Page 18.

Editor Alice Hoey alicehoey1@gmail.com Editor for LMA Sue McKellar sue.mckellar@lmasecure.com Publisher Jim Souter jim.souter@lmasecure.com Art director Sam Bowles sam@bowlesassociates.com Photography Action Images unless stated Head of business development Tim Munton tim.munton@lmasecure.com Partnerships and events manager Alex Smith alex.smith@lmasecure.com

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welcome

FROM the Welcome to the 16th edition of the LMA’s the Manager magazine. Firstly, I have to begin by congratulating Sir Alex Ferguson, CBE, on a fantastic managerial career following his recent retirement. It is quite difficult to picture the start of a new season without Sir Alex in the dugout. In this edition, we pay special tribute to the most successful manager in the history of the British game, achieving 49 major trophies with Manchester United, Aberdeen and St Mirren. It’s not just his longevity in the game – 26 years at one of the world’s biggest and most demanding clubs – that is remarkable. Rather it has been his ability to consistently deliver the highest levels of success throughout his 40 years and over 2,150 matches in football management. As we reflect on another enthralling football campaign, there have been many positives. Indeed, it was a remarkable season and an amazing journey both on and off the pitch across all the leagues. As avid supporters and lovers of the game, we all felt the surges of adrenalin and the high levels of emotion that managers go through. I would also like to congratulate all award winners at the LMA Annual Awards Dinner, which celebrated this season’s managerial achievements across the top four leagues in the professional game. There is no doubt that these awards are seen as the most accurate measure of a manager’s ability, because there are no better judges of your performance than your peers. To receive votes from and be acknowledged by your fellow managers and competitors is a great honour. One of the main talking points at the end of every season is the level of managerial movement. This season, 41 managers were dismissed, 20 resigned and in excess of 60 coaches moved clubs. This resulted in over 120 managerial and coaching changes across the leagues during

chief executive

“It is quite difficult to picture the start of a new season without Sir Alex in the dugout”

the 2012-13 season. That means over half of the 92 clubs now have a different manager to the one that started the season back in August. Clearly, these figures are alarming, as the highest-performing organisations are often those with a long-term vision who build winning cultures over time. As English football loses its longest servant in management – the end of an era – perhaps all clubs can reflect on his success and what can be achieved through longterm stability and continuity. 3

CONTENTS

LEADERSHIP & MANAGEMENT

Onwards and upwards For some people, ambition trumps job stability. Jeremy Snape and Alan Curbishley are among those asking why.

Perspectives: Rules of attraction What makes people want to be part of an organisation? Our panel of experts includes Gary McAllister and Neil Warnock.

In profile: Phil Parkinson On taking Bradford to and beyond the Capital One Cup final.

In profile: Stuart Bowery The Grosvenor House Hotel boss shares his leadership experience.

A question of preparation Do you fully understand the role of the football manager?

hEALTH & HAPPINESS

Headstrong: Out of the blue How to stay positive through the tough times.

Tick, tock Managers are at risk of heart disease, says Dorian Dugmore.

Weighing up the options Finding the right work-life balance.

Elite performance: Stephen Park The Team GB coach on high hopes and expectations.

58 HONG KONG

Away Match: New York Our must-do tips for the Big Apple.

CONTENTS

Cover feature: SAM ALLARDYCE

As managers, we are all looking to push the boundaries”

pitch side

Hall of Fame The career of Sir Walter Winterbottom.

Coach's view: Kevin Nicholson The youngest professional youth team manager in the country on why qualifications matter.

Watch this space We meet Marc Watson, BT Sport’s CEO of television.

also in this issue

06 Kicking Off 10 LMA Annual Awards 12 Column: Howard Wilkinson 32 How to... Pack 50 Adversity strategies 62 Essential Kit

68 LMA highlights 75 A summer of football 76 Exchange and return 78 Ringing up the changes 80 A league of their own 82 Park Life 84 Just a moment

Newsbites

KICKING OFF Fans are on the ball

New research suggests the more that we watch football the better our instinct about how players will act becomes. The Capital One study, which used the latest eye-tracking technology, showed that in open play dedicated fans are nearly four times more likely to predict where the ball will be next on the pitch than average spectators. The experiment found that fans tend not to look at the ball, but instead look ahead, either at the player who will receive the next pass or the space the ball will be knocked into. What's more, it showed that football fans are far better at predicting what will happen next than average viewers. They are four times more likely to spot a goal-scoring opportunity and correctly anticipate where a free kick will go 33 per cent of the time.

Running on empty

Cards at the ready

In today's economic climate, a productive and motivated workforce is essential to business survival. Yet, due to the strains of modern working life, many of us are feeling distinctly below par. According to a survey of HR directors by recruitment specialists Robert Half UK, employee burnout is common in nearly a third of UK companies, with two thirds of respondents citing workload as the primary cause. The figure is even higher for large (75%) and public sector (73%) companies. More than half of those surveyed said that overtime and long working hours were the secondary reason, with unachievable expectations (35%), economic pressures (32%) and an inability to balance personal and professional commitments (27%) also factors. The research highlights the value of health and well-being schemes to businesses and the importance of ensuring adequate personal and professional support.

Think you could do a better job than the match officials? You can now put it to the test with a soccer trivia app for the iPhone and iPod Touch. You Are the Ref incorporates 50 years of artwork from Paul Trevillion's cult soccer strip and official guidance from former Barclays Premier League and international referee Keith Hackett. The app features two game modes: Sudden Death and Assessment; handdrawn illustrations; and hundreds of questions. You can even compete online against other players and your friends. Better still, find out how the pros do it with Keith Hackett's book

You are the Ref: A Guide to Good Refereeing, which covers all aspects of referee training and features Trevillion's illustrations.

Newsbites

No home advantage Compared to the rest of Europe and the US, Britain is failing to nurture and retain its top executives, a new study suggests. Only one in 10 chief executives in Britain has more than 20 years’ experience in their business, according to research by World of CEOs. That compares to almost a third in the US and a fifth in Europe. The relatively low figures in Britain may be due to the tendency of businesses to poach skilled individuals rather than growing their own talent from within.

Longest-serving bosses

UK Martin Gilbert, Aberdeen Asset Management - 30 years Aidan Heavey, Tullow Oil – 28 years Sir Martin Sorrell, WPP - 27 years

US Warren Buffett - 43 years Ian Cumming, Leucadia National 35 years

Cause and effect The Marina Dalglish Appeal was established by the Dalglish family in 2005 following Marina Dalglish's successful treatment for breast cancer. The charity's latest appeal aims to raise £2m to buy a brain scanner for the Walton Neurological Centre at Aintree Hospital. The scanner, which would be the first of its kind in the UK, enables surgeons to assess if all of the tumour has been successfully removed during surgery. Past appeals have successfully raised sums of £1.5m and £3.2m to build a centre for oncology and a state-of-the-art radiotherapy centre at the University Hospital Aintree. Most recently, the charity donated £500,000 to Southport and Formby District General Hospital, enabling it to refurbish its existing chemotherapy centre.

Warren Buffett is the longest-serving chief executive globally.

For more information and to donate to the current appeal visit marinadalglishappeal.org

NOW FOR THE SCIENCE BIT... Want to soothe and relax your team? Then paint the dressing room or office green.

Various studies have linked colours to mood, with green, pink and blue often found to have a calming effect on the body. One study even showed that decorating a classroom blue can reduce aggressive and disruptive behaviour in children prone to tantrums.

Red stimulates and excites us, increasing the heart rate, brain-wave activity and respiration rate, while some have found that yellow is a memory stimulator as well as raising blood pressure and pulse rate.

Newsbites

INFOGRAPHICS Final scores

As another exciting season draws to a close, we take a look at some of the highs and lows.

Moving on – and out

manager movements

43 20 1.84 dismissals

resignations

31 13

The worst offender?

Average tenure of dismissed managers

age of the youngest manager in the four leagues – Lee Johnson (Oldham Athletic)

dismissals in the Championship

Scorelines to remember Biggest home win

Biggest away win

Highest scoring games

Chelsea

Aston Villa

Newcastle United

Liverpool

Arsenal

3 & 5 Newcastle United

Manchester West United Bromwich Albion

Newsbites

Vital statistics

Stats provided by Prozone. Details correct at the time of print

Who have the highest points per match (among managers with over 40 matches under their belts)? PPM

Age

Club tenure

Jupp Heynckes. Bayern Munich

2.43 after 108 matches

1.9yrs

Tito Vilanova, Barcelona

2.29 after 52 matches

0.9yrs

Jose Mourinho, Real Madrid

2.29 after 177 matches

3.0yrs

Vítor Pereira, Porto

2.27 after 89 matches

1.9yrs

Jorge Jesus, Benfica

2.24 after 212 matches

4.0yrs

Mircea Lucescu, Shakhtar Donetsk

2.23 after 396 matches

9.0yrs

Antonio Conte, Juventus

2.15 after 79 matches

2.0yrs

Carlo Ancelotti, Paris Saint-Germain

2.14 after 77 matches

1.4yrs

Sir Alex Ferguson, Manchester United

2.1 after 1141 matches

26.6yrs

Frank de Boer, AFC Ajax Amsterdam

2.06 after 120 matches

2.5yrs

Luciano Spalletti, Zenit St. Petersburg

2.05 after 151 matches

3.5yrs

Diego Simeone, Atletico Madrid

2.05 after 86 matches

1.4yrs

Dick Advocaat, PSV Eindhoven

2.04 after 49 matches

0.9yrs

Arsene Wenger, Arsenal

1.94 after 877 matches

16.7yrs

Average tenure in Europe's top leagues Barclays Premier League - 3.6 (2.4 without taking into account Sir Alex Ferguson's 26yrs) Bundesliga, Germany - 1.8 Ligue 1, France - 2.4 Premier Liga, Ukraine - 2 Premier Liga, Russia - 1.9 Eredivisie, Netherlands - 1.6 Primeira Liga. Portugal - 1.5 La Liga, Spain - 1.4 Serie A, Italy - 1.3 Juplier Pro League, Belgium - 1.2

1.5

1.9

3.6 1.6 1.2

1.8

2.4 1.4

1.3

21st LMA Annual Awards

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Sir Alex Ferguson, CBE, was among those honoured at the 21st LMA Annual Awards Dinner at London's Old Billingsgate, picking up the LMA Manager of the Year award for a record fourth time. The accolade, sponsored by Barclays and voted for by LMA members, was one of the highlights of an incredible night.

“For all the out of work managers who are here tonight, I was sitting here last year in exactly the same position. It takes a lot of guts and courage to keep believing in yourself” npower Football League Two Manager of the Year – Martin Allen

npower Football League One Manager of the Year – Gary Johnson

21st LMA Annual Awards

SPONSORED BY

Budweiser FA Cup Manager of the Year – Roberto Martinez

“It’s such a fine line between success and failure. That little bit of luck is sometimes what every one of us needs” npower Football Championship Manager of the Year – Malky Mackay

Special Merit Award – Phil Parkinson

Special Merit Award – Roberto Di Matteo

1,000 Club inductions Roy Hodgson & Lawrie McMenemy

“It is fantastic to be honoured by all of my peers. We’re talking about very serious professionals that have given me this award and I appreciate them doing it” LMA Manager of the Year – Sir Alex Ferguson

column | Howard Wilkinson, LMA Chairman

Clubs need a big business mentality Any successful organisation requires long-term, strong, visionary and effective leadership if it is to survive, thrive and prosper. The football business is no different, says Howard Wilkinson.

These days we are constantly being told that football is big business and reminded of the vast sums of money at stake. Unfortunately, it would appear that too many clubs fail to think in a big business manner when it comes to strategy, planning and continuity. The rate of manager dismissals so far this season stands at the highest level for over five years, with a total of 41 dismissals (over 40 per cent) across the four leagues (PL – 7, Ch – 13, L1 – 10, L2 – 11). Five or six clubs at the bottom of the npower Championship as of 23 April had sacked a manager, Blackburn sacked three. Unsurprisingly, legitimate research into football seems to support the big business theory, that leadership, long-term thinking and continuity are prerequisites for success. Research by Sue Bridgewater at Warwick Business School (2010), for example, shows that in the Barclays Premier League any on‐the‐pitch performance benefits after changing the manager are negligible. Indeed, beyond a brief honeymoon period, performance dips back below the steady state performance of the previous incumbent. Only in 16 per cent of cases does changing the manager lead to success. The rest of the time, where very little apart from the manager is changed there is no change overall. I often hear the argument that continuity comes because of success, not vice versa, and there are those who will stupidly insist that Sir Alex Ferguson’s long reign at Manchester United was all thanks to Mark Robin’s FA Cup goal at Nottingham Forest. This is nonsense. On the contrary, I would argue that the likes of Sir Alex, Arsène Wenger and David Moyes have actually over-achieved, comparatively speaking. Furthermore, it is not only in the top flight that the fruits of continuity are clearly evident. Over the last 26 years, Crewe Alexander has had only four first team managers and just one chairman. One of the club’s managers, Dario Gradi, spent 26 years at the helm over a period of 30 years. During that time, Crewe has played in Division 1, Division 2 and the Football League Championship. In the last game of the season, the club fielded 11 players all developed in its academy. It does not pay agent fees 12

“Too many clubs have expectations that are only dreams and planning that seems to extend only as far as the next game” and has no debt. It lives within its means, generally outperforms all realistic and reasonable expectations, and has a strategy, which subject to ongoing evaluation has served the club extremely well. As a result, Crewe delights in the good times and makes sure it survives the not-so-good. Unfortunately, it would seem the kind of common sense so evidently successful at Crewe is not all that common! I’m told that successful big businesses have a vision, a strategy and a plan. I am also told that continuity, commitment and communication are critical to the success of said plan. Football clubs need these things too. Too many clubs have expectations that are only dreams and planning that seems to extend only as far as the next game. Unfortunately, no matter how well intentioned, such dreams too often turn into the worst sort of nightmare.

BELOW Dario Gradi was manager at Crewe for 26 years, during which time it had just one chairman.

YOUR PERSONAL

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Cover feature: Sam Allardyce

Pushing the boundaries Words: Sue McKellar Photography: portraitcollective/Sam Bowles

West Ham’s Sam Allardyce is a very different manager to the man who first took his place in the dugout 21 years ago. We find out how he has shaped his role and how the role has changed him. “As a leader, you need the courage and belief to think ahead, decide where you want to go, how you are going to get there and with what philosophy,” says Sam Allardyce. “Then you have to sell that vision and philosophy to your staff.” While this need for long-term planning is true in any business, the high volume of sackings in football means managers often don’t have the luxury of looking too far ahead. “As a result, your vision might be broken down into shorter periods of six or 12 months, maybe two years maximum,” says the West Ham manager. Given the likely short timescale in which a manager has to make a difference, most would be tempted to make quick changes in an effort to make an early impact on performance.

However, while the steamroller approach might work in some organisations, Allardyce has learnt that in football things need time to evolve if they are to be accepted and reap rewards. “Radical changes can upset the equilibrium,” he says, citing his time at Newcastle United as an example. “I tried to bring success to the club as quickly as I possibly could, but on reflection I think I tried to change things too radically, too quickly.” Allardyce came to the club armed with knowledge, new ideas and a firm belief in how he should do things, but the dramatic changes he had planned were too much for some, particularly the existing players. “They weren’t used to sitting in meetings analysing performance and attending one-on-one appraisals,” says Allardyce. “Perhaps

Cover feature: Sam Allardyce

if I had integrated the changes a little more slowly they might have been better received.” Step changes Looking back over his 21-year career in management, Allardyce says it was when he joined Bolton Wanderers in 1999 that he began to develop most as a manager. “Up until that point I had been experimenting at clubs like Limerick, Blackpool and Notts County, but although I had the desire to develop, there simply wasn’t the budget available to create the structure and philosophy I’d have liked,” he says. Although Bolton wasn’t an affluent club, it benefited from a new stadium and a real desire to change and improve. “There was a willingness and an intent to evolve,” says Allardyce, who sold the idea of building something that was sustainable to the board of directors. “I instigated the evolution of the club by first bringing on board a number of highly qualified staff,” he says. “I then let them work with their staff to raise standards and move things 16

forward at a departmental level.” Allardyce’s job was to pull all of this together, interlinking the departments and establishing open communication between them. “It is so important to sit

“we are all evolving and pushing the boundaries to see how we can get to that next level” down, share information and almost take minutes of what you have been doing, just as any well-managed business would do,” he says. “After all, if each member of staff is expert in what they do and passes their knowledge on to the players, those players

will have greater self-belief and be stronger physically and mentally. As a result, the whole culture will grow, as it did at Bolton during my time there.” Outside influence Important though it is for a manager to continuously evolve over time, it isn’t necessarily something you can consciously work at. There are courses you can take and skills that can be actively honed, but much of it is a natural progression, says Allardyce. “It consists of an inner belief and a drive to keep improving, moving forward and conceptualising ideas and beliefs,” he says, adding that while you may have your own ideas about how to do things, listening to other people’s perspectives is crucial. “Many of the new methods and ideas that I have taken on board over the years have come from observing not only other people in football but other sports and philosophies,” he says. “At Bolton, for example, we observed and researched the methods employed in American football, basketball, Formula 1 and the England Rugby squad.”

Cover feature: Sam Allardyce

Learning curve: Allardyce at Notts County, Bolton Wanderers and West Ham United.

Allardyce even used Nike as an example of one of the largest and most successful sports goods sellers in the world to see what the club could learn. “One of the most important things we saw at Nike was how they planned what each member of staff would be doing and where they would be in the coming years,” he says. “They were also renowned for recruiting the best young players in the world to use and wear their products, so we looked at what we might learn from their recruitment strategy.” The way that Allardyce has changed his style of management and the methods he has employed over the years have not, of course, been driven solely by his own goals, but by significant changes in the role of the football manager. “When I was a player, the leadership was more rigid and disciplined,” recalls Allardyce. “It was based on the manager’s experiences as a player, what he’d learned from his managers and very little else. There was no real database to fall back on. The way that managers deal with players has also changed,” he adds. “In those days,

there was a one-size-fits-all approach, whereas now we realise that it’s important to treat everyone as individuals.” This has, in part, been driven by the increasingly multinational nature of the game, which has made understanding individual players even more important. “Where someone comes from, how they’ve been raised and in what culture, their religion and the strength of that faith are all key elements of their identity,” says Allardyce. “That’s why at the clubs I have worked at the club chaplains have played an important role in helping me to understand the players.” Now approaching his 22nd season in management, Allardyce’s thirst for knowledge and self-improvement is still as strong as ever. The challenge now, he says, is finding new ideas and inspiration. “As managers in the Barclays Premier League, we are all evolving and pushing the boundaries to see how we can get to that next level,” he says. “We’re always looking to embrace new ways of thinking from inside or outside of football; ideas

CV in brief Player

1973-1980 1980-1981 1981-1983 1983 1983-1984 1984-1985 1985-1986 1986-1989 1989-1991 1991-1992 1992 Manager 1991-1992 1992 1994-1996 1997-1999 1999-2007 2007-2008 2008-2010 2011-

Bolton Wanderers Sunderland Millwall Tampa Bay Rowdies Coventry City Huddersfield Town Bolton Wanderers Preston North End West Bromwich Albion Limerick Preston North End Limerick Preston North End Blackpool Notts County Bolton Wanderers Newcastle United Blackburn Rovers West Ham United

that might add to our teams’ performances in some small way. Given all the new methods I’ve taken on board over the years, the differences may only be small now, but I’m always looking at new ways to fine tune.” 17

LEADERSHIP & MANAGEMENT

Onwards & upwards Some people are always looking for the next rung on the career ladder, while others find an environment where they can develop and stay there. But are the former always better off or can blind ambition do more harm than good?

hen asked about the mindset of elite performers Lord Coe once said, “Champions have the insatiable desire to find out more about themselves.” Does that mean we should always be looking to trade upwards for a better job and that anyone who finds pleasure in a comfortable role is not a champion? Certainly not, says Jeremy Snape, a former England cricketer and the founder of Sporting Edge. “The powerful extrinsic motivators of money, rewards and status are celebrated so loudly in modern society that they can sway our beliefs about what constitutes a great job. We need to listen closely to our intrinsic drivers – the things we love to do purely for the sake of doing them and for the satisfaction they give us.” Movers and shakers But why do some people always seem to be looking for the next big challenge while others prefer to stay put? “Some people are naturally more pro or averse to things like change, but it is also about your life experience,” says Della Wolfe, co-founder of HR services firm the Curve Group and a former operations director at Leicester City FC. “People who have taken risks in the past and found it worked are usually more 18

likely to try it again,” she says. “Sometimes people are simply prioritising the needs of their families. But there are also many examples of people who, having been in roles for many years, suddenly decide to do something extraordinary with their lives, seemingly completely out of character. Think Brian Cox – a glittering pop career to celebrated science geek...” Snape says there are five main drivers in our personalities, the balance of which determine whether we are likely to want to keep moving on or stay put. The first is what he calls mastery - the urge to learn and try new things. “It’s this need to improve that makes many of us want to break out of routine and safe roles,” says Snape. “People who crave mastery see learning in any job, so are not fazed by transition. They actively seek it when they feel the plateau arriving.” There is autonomy – the desire for choice and the opportunity to be creative – and purpose, because, says Snape, human beings have an innate drive to find meaning in everything we do. “For example, when football managers can see the impact of their work on young players and the club, it’s incredibly satisfying,” he says. “That is why some managers never retire from the game.” Then there is belonging. “The emotional pull of a red or blue shirt or a certain organisation or culture can

LEADERSHIP & MANAGEMENT

form part of your identity, and when you share the beliefs and aspirations of the organisation you work for at an emotional level your discretional effort will always be given,” says Snape. Finally is self-perception. “If we think we are better than that,” says Snape, “we will be restless until we find something that fits.” Trades and trends What business you are in may also play a part in your propensity to change jobs. “Rates of career progression vary a great deal from one sector to another,”

says Wolfe, “as do the processes by which people progress. For example, within the leisure and catering industry demonstrating the willingness to work hard and put in long hours is important. Within financial services, meanwhile, the structure encourages promotion from within and career progression is often important to people in this sector. Some businesses even have an ‘up or out’ policy, where you need to achieve the next level or be prepared to leave the company, a policy that clearly has a very significant impact on the culture and the types of people who flourish in this environment.”

LEADERSHIP & MANAGEMENT

The big questions Bill Davies, Principal Consultant (Employability) at JCA, has this advice: Career progression and fulfilment is about finding a core purpose and sense of contribution and meaning in work. This will drive motivation and direction rather than a fixation on bigger or better. Within this, the core questions to ask are:

• • •

What are my aspirations? What is important to me? How would I like to look back and describe what I have contributed, achieved and contributed and how I went about this?

• •

Who is affected by my choices and how do I include them? What are the main risks in managing change and how will I tackle this?

•

What are my core criteria for a career and life that are truly fulfilling?

•

What are the first steps I can take towards making the right choices?

•

How can I get good quality information so that I can make wellinformed choices?

•

Who are the people who can help and support me and what are the other resources that will help me make the decisions?

ABOVE For Walter Smith, Everton was the right club at the wrong time. Below Gary Megson made the tough decision to stay on at West Brom, a club he loved and felt committed to.

The sad truth in football is a manager is more likely to be sacked than to move on out of choice. “Young managers often don’t have much choice about what career route they take; you just have to get in there and cut your teeth,” says Gary Megson. “Managers used to be able to work their way up gradually, gaining experience along the way, but things have changed. Nowadays, you can get good results, improve a club’s position and still get sacked,” he says. “Management is no longer judged on results; it’s also based on people’s perception of you as a manager.

I therefore don’t think managers should worry about taking the quickest route to the top.” The low tenure rate in football management today also changes the manager’s mindset, adds Alan Curbishley. “Any manager joining a Barclays Premier League club at the moment is likely to have a short-term vision, because he knows that if he is not successful quickly or doesn’t live up to expectations he will lose his job,” he says. “This requirement to deliver success instantly will also reflect on his signings and team selection,” he adds. “I earned the right at Charlton to think long term, but I don’t see many managers afforded that luxury.” Stick or switch? Moving on to a new job, whether it is the logical next rung on the career ladder or a complete change in direction, is not without its risks, so a person’s level of caution and fear – of the unknown and of failure – will also come into play. Key drivers for whether someone decides to risk their current stability and trade up include the aspirations and ownership structure of the organisation, the

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There are many examples of people who, having been in a role for many years, suddenly decide to do something extraordinary with their lives” Della Wolfe

investors, team and supporters and how the manager perceives his relationships will be with these people, says Snape. “Generation Y is used to constant change and is more likely to be looking for a job for now than a job for life. This can often help people when they think about taking a risk into the unknown. Often it is not a clear-cut decision but a series of stepping stones that takes us to our career-defining role.” Some personality types, adds Snape, will always take the cautious path, slowly building relationships to increase their level of influence. Others use power and achievement as sharper tools to navigate their route to the top. “Every organisation has the person who plays the political game to stay safe in their job, known as the Black Box for their ability to survive the wreckage. This is a tactic that shows up their fear of the unknown, or the unpaid,” he adds.

Acting on instinct Even after all of this, the decision to stick or switch or where to take your career next can be incredibly tough. When Megson was manager of West Bromwich Albion he faced a difficult decision – take his success and move on or stay put and see what more he could achieve there. “We had won promotion for the first time in about 18 years and a senior manager said to me, ‘right, you need to get your parachute ready now’,” recalls Megson. “He felt I might need to move onto another club to fulfil what West Brom may not be able to.” So why did Megson choose to stay on rather than have aspirations of something bigger? “I loved West Brom and its supporters,” he says, “and we’d spent all that time and effort getting where we were wanted to be... I also remember thinking, ‘if I get my parachute and jump out, where then?’ After all, you

have to have somewhere to go.” The need to have that next step can, however, lead a manager who is out of a job to take an opportunity without due thought, warns Walter Smith. “You shouldn’t rush in,” he says. “When a manager goes for an interview, it should be a two-way process, with the manager interviewing the club or organisation as a prospective employer and to make sure they are being considered in the right circumstances. You need to be in a situation where you can make an objective opinion and not just take any opportunity to get back to work. “Take your time to weigh up the role and then listen to your instinct,” says Smith. “I’ve always said to people that I don’t regret joining Everton, because it is a fantastic club - Everton was the right club for me, but with the wrong circumstances and at the wrong time. But when I look back at my decision-making process, I had just left Rangers and it was the first time I’d ever been unemployed. Being in a situation that is alien to you will inevitably make you feel a bit jittery.” Snape has this advice: “Before looking forward, look back to when you have been at your most fulfilled and successful. What was the motivational climate that underpinned this period of passion and satisfaction? Often the clues from our past can be the keys to our future choices.”

Parting words - There have been a number of high-profile resignations in the last 12 months:

Sir Alex Ferguson: “My retirement doesn’t mean the end of my time at the club. I’ll now be able to enjoy watching them, rather than suffering with them... I think it’s important to go out as a winner. That’s really important at this club. It’s all I ever wanted to do here - be a winner.”

Rebecca Adlington: “I’ve noticed over the years that I can’t do the same level of work as I used to be able to and I need a lot more rest and recovery. It was just time to go. It was natural and I’ve achieved everything I wanted to achieve. I hate the word 'retired'. I'm not retired. Even when I'm 90 years old I'll still be getting in the pool and going for a swim.”

Sir Chris Hoy: “It's a decision I didn't take lightly and I thought about it very hard. In sport at the highest level, you are dealing in the smallest margins and you can tell when you are good but not good enough.”

Pope Benedict: “In today’s world, subject to so many rapid changes and shaken by questions of deep relevance for the life of faith... both strength of mind and body are necessary, strength which in the last few months has deteriorated in me.”

Robert Zoellick (President, World Bank): “My personal sense is it's time to move on and I think once you feel that way you shouldn't stay.”

LEADERSHIP & MANAGEMENT

Why do some companies always feature on lists of the best places to work while others continuously haemorrhage staff? What incentives, cultures and leadership styles work best at attracting and retaining people and support?

RULES OF ATTRACTION Five experts give us their perspectives on how to create an environment that people want to be part of and perform at their best for.

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Roger Philby CEO and founder of The Chemistry Group

his year, Fortune crowned Google the winner of ‘Best Companies to Work For’ for the fourth year running. It is hardly surprising then to hear that upon announcing 6,000 new jobs it received 75,000 applications in one week. So what is it that makes companies like Google such desirable places to work? They have a strong culture, which their employees live, breath and work by. As a result, the behaviour of the employees creates a desirable employee brand for external candidates to buy into. Candidates who share the same motivations and interests as the current employees will naturally want a slice of the environment, the work ethic and, ultimately, the action. The common theme you will see running through Fortune’s 100 best companies is that the employee brand is more than a set of statements or words; it is a culture built by what happens in the business, how people behave and what people say, from top down. Having a desirable brand relies on having a distinct culture, which in turn relies on having a set of values that people can be measured against and rewarded for, in the right way. The ‘right way’, of course, depends on the culture of the business and the shared motivations of the employees. You see, benefits both reward and reinforce the culture. And this matters, because if you get this right then your people will stay. For example, North-East American grocery chain Wegman’s Food Markets (ranking number five in the Fortune list) has an exceptionally low turnover of 3.6 per cent. Why? Well, for starters, it lets its employees reward one another with gift cards for good service. Service that sits at the heart of the company’s purpose. It empowers its employees to reward each other for providing a brilliant customer experience. This not only reinforces the business intent, but also links to the employees’ personal motivation to provide an excellent customer experience. Many workers like it there so much they bring in relatives and, as a result, one in five employees is related. At Chemistry, our values are the cornerstone of our culture. Our three values are Brave, Passionate and Human and our intent is to give everyone the opportunity to be brilliant at work. Every employee understands the significance of our values and more

“Employee brand is more than a set of statements or words; it is a culture built by what happens in the business, how people behave and what people say, from top down” importantly lives these values day in, day out. We use them to inform the way we behave with each other and our clients. The leadership team has created an easy way for everyone in the business to reward one another for being brilliant at work and we define brilliant as living these values. The balance of reward and recognition is most effective when it feeds into the company’s purpose and the employees’ motivation for contributing to that purpose. If you are being rewarded for something you don’t believe in, it’s unlikely to make you feel good and want to stay. Likewise, if you’re rewarded with something that doesn’t motivate you, the impact and meaning is lost. Companies that are in touch with their people tend to get this right.

In profile

The Chemistry Group is a management consultancy that solves complex personnel and managerial problems in some of the UK's largest companies.

LEADERSHIP & MANAGEMENT

Cato Syversen CEO of Creditsafe Group

In profile

Creditsafe has offices in the UK, Germany, France, Sweden, Ireland, Belgium the Netherlands and the US, employing over 500 people and has more than 56,000 customers.

ire for attitude, train for skill. It’s a very simple idea, but it’s how we make sure everyone who comes through the door is perfectly suited to the Creditsafe environment. Personality and a drive for success, rather than long lists of qualifications and experiences, are absolutely essential for creating a place where our people are excited by coming in on Monday to start the week. To do this, Creditsafe often offers opportunities to candidates who may not get chances elsewhere. As a result, we have a very loyal workforce that benefits from an opportunity to build a career that may otherwise have been a pipe dream. We have found plenty of enthusiastic and talented people over the years in South Wales. When Creditsafe first set up in the UK we only had 15 staff members in London, but now with over 200 working in our Caerphilly office, managing them has never been easier. Having the right people in the right place means we’ve been able to build a committed and successful team to continue our rapid expansion. Once they’re here, we place a huge emphasis on progression and promotion from within. All performance in our sales centre is monitored and displayed on large screens in each office, so every employee and their team knows exactly how they are doing within the company. Clear targets, along with transparent company information and regular

training sessions mean that even a brand new recruit in telesales can see the achievable path to success laid out in front of them. The fact that nearly 70 per cent of the group’s senior management team started out as sales executives is living proof that our system works. People grow with Creditsafe and we are always looking for our next star performers. As well as the chance of individual development, the division of the revenue-generating departments into groups fosters an incredible team spirit and a sense of friendly competition that is a major part of the Creditsafe culture. Perhaps the best example of the togetherness of everyone here is last year’s companywide event in Mallorca. Nearly 500 people from across all the international offices landed in Spain to celebrate Creditsafe’s 15th anniversary. At a cost of over £300,000 it may seem like an extravagant use of money, but there is an unbelievably high value in having employees who will have lifelong positive memories of working at Creditsafe. In recognition of this success, we are very proud to have recently been placed 23rd in the Sunday Times ‘Top 100 Companies to Work for’ list. The survey of our staff showed that a positive culture of reward, encouragement and development is not only popular, but when you map these improvements against our commercial improvements, the correlation between the two is very satisfying indeed.

“As well as the chance of individual development, the division of the revenue-generating departments into groups fosters an incredible team spirit and a sense of friendly competition”

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Paul Mitchell Director & General Manager of SkyBlue

you want to be an attractive organisation to be part of you have to look at the range of motivating factors that come into play when individuals are job-hunting, then make sure that you play to them in your offering. We know from working with professionals in this area that cash is king for many, but certainly not for all. Social interaction and the ‘work family’ element can also be key factors in attracting people, as can your culture around equal opportunities and modern working practices, including flexible working and, increasingly, use of technology. When people search for a new place of work they will often look for an organisation that mirrors their own values, so it’s important to clearly demonstrate

this consistently across all candidate touchpoints. It also goes without saying that the broader the leadership styles and incentives the better. You open yourself up to a much wider pool of people, each as valuable as the next but with very different cultural needs and motivations. The wider and more truthful the proposition, the wider the attraction. Understanding exactly what your organisation needs is also crucial in ensuring you are in a position to construct an environment in which those people will want to work and you must avoid rolling out the same ideas or initiatives, as they tire rapidly. It’s also worth noting the effect of the recession, which is firmly in place and showing very little sign of abating. Managers and candidates alike are increasingly looking for quality exchanges and experiences.

In profile

SkyBlue is an awardwinning recruitment firm, providing skilled trades-people to a variety of sectors, including construction, rail, highways and utilities.

“When people search for a new place of work, they will often look for an organisation that mirrors their own values”

LEADERSHIP & MANAGEMENT

Neil Warnock

ther than the financial rewards, it is the opportunity to be successful that attracts a player to a club and being successful that makes them stay. That success depends on every cog in the wheel moving in the same direction – from the player, the kit man and the physio to the office cleaners. Everybody needs to be singing from the same hymn sheet. I’ve achieved seven promotions as a manager, and most of those have been at clubs that were in total harmony at the time. When I was a player, some of my managers bored me, so when I started out in management I was determined that my players and staff would feel differently. I have set my stall out to inspire my players and staff so that they enjoy coming to work every day and don’t see it as boring or mundane. The same is true with my training sessions – I have taken some real positives from my playing experience, the things that I saw really worked, and discarded others. I look to engender an environment where players and

“I have set my stall out to inspire my players and staff so that they enjoy coming to work every day and don’t see it as boring or mundane” staff can enjoy all of the camaraderie that goes with coming into training together. I have also made sure that all of the players and staff I have worked with know my door is always open. I believe it encourages open communication and that they will speak with me before they get into trouble or need help.

In profile

Neil Warnock has 23 years' experience in football management including, most recently, stints at Crystal Palace, QPR and Leeds United.

Gary McAllister

a player, I was drawn to Leeds United and then Liverpool because they were both big city clubs where I would have the chance to perform in front of expectant fans. When the level of expectation is so high, you play under a certain degree of pressure and good players respond to that. I joined Liverpool because it had a history of winning at the very highest level. I was 35 and I wasn’t going to pass up the opportunity to join them. It wasn’t the money – as I told my agent at the time, I would have gone there for nothing.

“You should never try to attract a player purely for cash. Use the history and cudos of a club, its facilities and support” 26

I was proved right because we won five trophies in one season under Gerard Houllier. The winning mentality on and off the pitch there is so strong. It’s great when you have local guys like Jamie Carragher and Steven Gerrard because you can feel that it is their club and the community’s club. That makes it a very attractive proposition for a player. When I was manager of Leeds United in the third division, I couldn’t lure players to the club with money. Instead I’d explain that if they showed the determination and desire to play for the jersey, the welcome and support they would receive from the fans would be something money can’t buy. You should never try to attract a player purely for cash. Use the history and cudos of a club, its facilities and support. At the start of my playing career, I worked under the likes of Jock Wallace and Tommy McLean in Scotland and it was a hard working environment. Throughout my career, the great players I’ve played with and against have always been hard working. Great players make things look easy, but their skill is the result of the time and effort they put in on the training pitch. As a manager, you have to create a hard-working environment and attract players who thrive in that culture of hard graft and self-improvement.

In profile

After a successful 23-year playing career, Gary McAllister managed briefly at his former club, Coventry, and later for longer stints at Leeds United and, most recently, as caretaker manager at Aston Villa.

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The giantslayer

When Bradford City knocked out three Barclays Premier League sides to reach the final of the Capital One Cup, manager Phil Parkinson became the first ever manager to take a club from the fourth tier of English football to the final of a major cup tournament. Shortly after receiving a Special Merit award at the LMA Annual Awards, Parkinson shared his experience of this remarkable cup run. Words: Sue McKellar Photography: portraitcollective/Robbie Stephenson

You beat Wigan, Arsenal and Aston Villa to reach the final against Swansea at Wembley – how did you instil the belief in your players that you could overcome such opposition?

When you play a Premier League side in a cup competition you can’t predict who they will field, but you can prepare your players for the system they are likely to play. You have to equip your players with the belief and self-confidence to play like they belong there. Our players certainly did that. Whatever level we’re playing at, I can only sit comfortably if we play well, whether we win or lose. If we haven’t performed at our best or put what we’ve worked on into practice it hurts a lot more. Part of being a manager is getting the right state of mind in the dressing room. If you are playing Torquay away on a cold Tuesday night, your team talk will have a 28

completely different tone to it than if it is a home game against Arsenal. Players shouldn’t need to be motivated for the latter but they might need to be relaxed and reminded to focus on the game plan. It’s important to gauge the mood in the dressing room before you decide what you are going to say in your team talk. It’s about ensuring the players are still able to perform at their best when the spotlight is on them. Did sports psychology play much of a role during the cup run?

I have always worked with a sports psychologist – a friend of mine called Sam Kotaidis. Now, at Bradford, I also work with a businessman and leadership expert called John Muranka. He’s a Bradford fan and offered to help work with the players. At this level, there aren’t always the resources to appoint a full-time psychologist, so you

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major overhaul. We identified players who shared our desire to succeed, were looking for a fresh challenge and who we believed would help take the club forward. It has been very rewarding to be on the touchline and see that recruitment strategy bear fruit. As in any business, bringing on board the right people is going to be a major factor in how well you do and it has certainly been crucial to this season’s progress.

“We identified players who shared our desire to succeed, were looking for a fresh challenge and who would help take the club forward” have to be resourceful and rely on people to help you out. John has been a fantastic support to me and the club. I explain the benefits of sports psychology to the players and then let them have one-on-one meetings with the psychologist on a weekly basis. The players understand the importance of addressing the mental side of football and every player that I have thought would benefit from this approach has done so. I am very conscious that the way a manager and his coaches speak to the players – whether in team meetings or on an individual basis – is also very significant. We have a sports psychology role ourselves. In fact, as a manager you can spend as

CV in brief Player

1985-1988 1988-1992 1992-2003

Manager 2003-2006 2006 2008-2011 2011-

Southampton Bury Reading Colchester United Hull City Charlton Athletic Bradford City

much time thinking about what you are going to say to the players as you can about the content of the training sessions. That’s important because the players are always looking to you and watching how you react. I try to be very process-orientated in meetings, so instead of saying ‘we’ve got to win today’, I’ll phrase it ‘this is how we are going to win today’. The minute you start saying ‘this is a must win game’, ‘we have to do this’, ‘we have to score’ it creates an unwelcome tension. A small business would need a unique selling point to take on a multinational. What was Bradford’s USP this season?

We had a tough 2011-2012 season trying to keep the club in the division and I wasn’t happy with the mentality in the training ground. As soon as the season ended, my assistant, Steve Parkin, and I agreed that anyone coming to the club would need to show a real desire to succeed and a winning mentality, rather than just be financially motivated. I spent the whole summer meeting players from all over the country, because we needed a

While you didn't win the Capital One cup, getting to the final was an incredible achievement. How did you stop the players from dwelling on the disappointment and get them focused on the remaining League Two campaign?

Our preparation for the final was exactly the same as it had been throughout the competition - we gave the players the same self-belief and the same detailed game plan. However, sometimes you just come up against something that is better than you on the day or things don’t go your way, like our goalkeeper being sent off. Our priority then was to get into the play-offs and we still had a lot of work to do to achieve that. Going from the cup final back to the reality of life in League Two could have been a problem. We were unbeaten for five games after Wembley before being beaten at Exeter. At that point, we called the players together and we watched the Exeter game. We explained that they were still playing as if they were playing Premier League teams. We needed to get used to playing in our division again, taking into account the style of play, state of the pitches, etc. The players understood and responded well. So well that we were soon back at Wembley earning promotion to League One. Your Capital One Cup run earned you a Special Merit Award at the LMA’s Annual Awards dinner. what did that recognition mean to you?

It was a great honour for me to win the award from the LMA and I was very honoured to receive it at the Annual Awards dinner. While I collected it as the manager of Bradford City, I share the recognition with all of my staff – from the players to the people behind the scenes – because it was a team effort that got us to Wembley.

LEADERSHIP & MANAGEMENT

HOW TO...

PACK

As airlines impose ever harsher penalties for excess baggage, it's time we got smart with our packing.

Roll, don't fold Unless you want to spend the first day or so looking like you slept in the airport it pays to take care when packing your clothes. Tightly rolling shirts and trousers avoids unsightly creases. It also makes it easier to find individual items when you unpack your suitcase, because everything is on view rather than lying in layers. Choose a colour palette The key to packing lightly is choosing clothes and accessories that can be easily mixed and matched without clashes. Opt for subtle patterns or plain fabrics in a small colour palette – for example, everything in shades and stripes of blue, yellow and white. If everything goes with everything else it increases the number of clothes combinations possible and makes digging out an outfit less of a headache.

Glam it up How do you get two outfits out of one and avoid having to change between daytime and evening engagements? Accessorise. While it may be more difficult for men than women – there are simply fewer options of jewellery, scarves, shoes, make-up and hats available – it isn’t impossible. Patterned shirts that make a statement without a tie as well as with are a particularly good investment. Downsize We’ve all been there. For once, your plane has landed on time and it’s been a trouble-free journey. Then you reach baggage reclaim. As the crowd around you gradually thins out and your bags fail to materialise, all prospects of making it to your meeting on time disappear. The solution is not to pack a hold bag at all and skip smugly past the carrousels and into a waiting cab. Invest in a good suitcase, of the maximum dimensions allowed in the cabin, pack lightly and wisely and buy as much as you can on arrival. They do have toothpaste, shaving foam and underwear abroad you know. Make a list Frequent travellers will be clued into the fact there are certain things you need on every trip and some things that you never fail to leave behind. Make a packing list for your next trip, save it on your computer or mobile device and then add to it each time you go away with items you realise you always need. You’ll soon have a definitive list that you can print out and use as a checklist when packing.

31% 1hr 16mins of Brits repack at least twice

the average time taken to pack

(Source: Jet2Holidays)

Do your homework When it’s eight degrees and drizzly in Blightly that woollen three-piece might be just the ticket, but when you land in Hong Kong you’ll wish you could strip down to your boxers (Don’t, you’ll get yourself arrested). Furthermore, not all climates are as you might expect. Many very hot countries experience cold nights and, as recent years’ flooding incidents and heat-waves have shown, nowhere is immune to freak weather conditions. A little research can save a lot of discomfort and embarrassment.

LEADERSHIP & MANAGEMENT

Head of the House With 30 years' experience in the hotel industry under his belt, Stuart Bowery is now the proud custodian of Grosvenor House, a JW Marriott Hotel, Mayfair. But, despite having made it to the hospitality Premier League, Bowery knows that as a leader there's always room for improvement.

“P

roud and privileged,” says Bowery when asked how it feels to be the guardian of what is an internationally recognised, flagship hotel. Grosvenor House, a JW Marriott Hotel, on Park Lane opened to the public in 1929 and quickly became a favourite among the great and the glamorous, attracting everyone from Edward and Mrs Simpson to Ella Fitzgerald and Jacqueline Onassis. Its suites, Ballroom and Great Room – which is one of Europe’s largest – have since played host to countless high-profile events and it continues to be one of the capital’s leading landmark venues. It was recently

awarded Marriott Hotels Europe ‘Hotel of the Year’ and Marriott International’s Global ‘JW Diversity Excellence Award’. “I feel a great sense of responsibility, both in terms of leading the business and the influence I have on the team here,” he adds. “I’m ever mindful of the need to enable and support the team and develop our talent in order to have the resultant impact on our guests, who expect a certain experience from such a renowned hotel.” With such high expectations and a weight of tradition on his shoulders, it would be easy to feel restricted by the hotel’s colourful and successful past; a need to preserve rather

than progress. However, says Bowery, there’s always room to innovate. “While it’s our heritage that underpins our authenticity, we must remain appealing and responsive to the needs of the expectant global traveller.” The hotel must, he says, evolve with the current generation and stay culturally relevant. To achieve that constant relevance, Bowery and his team must continuously invest in improving their expertise – to find ways to improve and stay fresh. “For example, in our industry, we need to be very aware of what technologies are being used in the market,” says Bowery. “We need to understand what’s available and 35

LEADERSHIP & MANAGEMENT

“Having someone to push and challenge me has been very fruitful and has helped to shape and refine me as a leader”

where it can really enhance the experience for our guests, rather than just offering something because it’s fashionable to do so.” Lead and follow Despite having a wealth of experience and now managing in the top of his field, Bowery understands that there is always more he can do to learn and improve. Both today and in the past, mentors have played an important part in his development. “I think it’s important to have someone who isn’t your boss to provide impartial advice and a different perspective,” he says. “Having someone to push and challenge me throughout my career has been very fruitful and has helped to shape and refine me as a leader.” Bowery’s career in hospitality began at grassroots level in hotel operations, where he gained a broad and solid grounding in all

aspects of the hotel industry. He then joined a management development programme, which took him on a journey up through the ranks, from junior department head to head of food and beverage, up to assistant general manager and finally general manager. “I was also blessed to have a number of opportunities to work for great industry leaders in different communities and environments,” says Bowery. “I gained a real appreciation of what motivates people to come and work in this industry and an understanding of how to stimulate the culture of a great hotel,” he says. While still having his own mentor today, Bowery supports others, both at Grosvenor House and through his active membership of the Master Innholders, which invests a great deal in promoting the hospitality industry. “My advice to the people I mentor now is to relish every opportunity they have to take

more responsibility, every new challenge and every tough situation, because overcoming them gives such a sense of accomplishment, reward and personal fulfilment,” he says. Bowery has, he says, experienced many defining moments over his 30-year career in the hotel industry, all of which have helped to shape the manager and leader he is today. But what are the biggest changes he has seen in his leadership style and abilities? “Experience has enabled me to take a more considered approach to leading a team and managing more complex situations,” he says. “I’m also now even more passionate and excited about the things that underpin our business. While in management there may be various complex dynamics of business positioning and strategic direction, you can’t lose sight of the fundamentals – it is about our people, the way they present themselves and the experiences they create for our guests.”

Historical highlights Family ties - The first building on the site of the hotel was a large detached house, which passed through various hands until, in 1808, it was purchased by Lord Grosvenor. He gave it the family name, as was customary at the time.

1808

Changing hands - At the outbreak of the First World War, the house was offered to the government. In 1920, the Duke passed it to an investor, Albert Octavius Edwards, who began converting it into a luxury hotel. The complex was broken up into separate blocks, designed to catch as much sun as possible.

1920

Special relationship - American construction methods were used to build the hotel quickly and the design was inspired by the New York hotels of the time. Edwards also opened an office in the big apple to make it easier for its US clientele - among them Orson Welles, Henry Kissinger and Jacqueline Kennedy – to book.

Icy Reception The hotel is the only one in London to have had an ice rink. Edwards closed the rink - in what is now The Great Room - in 1935 to use the space for banqueting instead.

1935

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LEADERSHIP & MANAGEMENT

A ouestion of preparation Preparing to manage is a central pillar of the LMA’s leadership and management model, Survive, Win, Succeed. Prospective managers should start by ensuring they fully understand the challenges of the job, says Howard Wilkinson.

a recent interview, the retiring Sir Alex Ferguson was adamant that fasttracking students through the coaching qualification process did nobody any favours, least of all the students. As a player, Sir Alex was already preparing himself for a life in management, attending coaching courses run by the Scottish FA and paying frequent visits to summer courses in England and abroad. By the time he was named as the man to lead Manchester United into a new golden age, he had already experienced 12 years of real practice at East Stirling, St Mirren and Aberdeen. Although Sir Alex might not approve of the comparison, Margaret Thatcher spent 20 years as an MP and a further four as a minister before she succeeded Jim Callaghan in 1979 as Prime Minister. When you look at modern-day great achievers, this same quality can be instantly recognised. Mourinho, Wenger, Capello, Hitzfeld and Sir Alex’s successor, David Moyes, have all invested considerable time in education, learning, self-evaluation and practice. Experience as a professional football player will be useful, but it is not a prerequisite. A player lives and works primarily in a group; his main responsibility is to himself and his own performance. For much of his time a manager works alone, but in view of the public. While as a player 38

you probably did it the manager’s way; as a manager, you can only do it your way. Are you ready? Preparation for the job of managing a football club is key to the LMA’s leadership and management model, Survive, Win, Succeed. The rate of attrition for first-time managers is horrendous, and surviving the first job is a must if you are to make your job your career. Over the last 11 years, only

two out of every 10 managers ever reached the 75-game mark. This is a critical cut-off point because, of the remaining eight, some never get another job in management and others leave the game. On a daily basis, the manager’s life is beset with problems, most of which are people problems. Real practice can only take place once you are in a job, so if you haven’t prepared well enough you will pay the price. To know, understand, empathise

LEADERSHIP & MANAGEMENT

and deal with others is crucial; you first need to come to know yourself or at least start the process of serious self-evaluation. To help would-be managers have a clear understanding of the profession and what it will demand of them, I have developed 11 key questions. These encapsulate the essential personal qualities that are so evident in the best of the best. By answering these questions as honestly as possible, prospective managers can get a clear idea of the essential qualities required in the job. It is also possible, and surely worthwhile, that some may discover it is not for them. Dedication and understanding Let’s start with the first three. The first question is: “Are you passionately in love with the game and driven by a need to lead and manage others in the constant pursuit of success? Are you ready to commit the rest of your life to the journey?” Arsène Wenger said, “If you are ready and prepared to wholly commit the rest of your life to the job, knowing that at any one time only a tiny, tiny few can be really successful, I would say yes, go ahead!” To emphasise the necessary commitment, Sir Alex Ferguson only ever missed one out of 2,154 games. The second question is: “Do you know and understand what you really value and believe in; what is important to you?” The work of the football manager is judged in public, week in and week out, based on the performances of the players. A manager can only affect those performances if he is able to positively interact with the players. To lead effectively, he needs to gain their trust in him as a person and in his ability to take them where they want to go. Your values and beliefs are the source of your behaviour and how you interact with others flows from there. Ask players what they think of the managers they respected and admired. They will predominantly respond with words like “trustworthy”, “honest”, “fair”, “a decent bloke” and “good at his job”. At the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst, where the selection and training of officers is critical, given that today’s officers will inevitably lead in combat, they assert: “Soldiers will follow a leader for one word. That word is ‘trust’. That trust is earned every minute of every day, piece by piece. Only when they believe that you

Are you passionately in love with the game and driven by a need to lead and manage others? Do you know and understand what you really value and believe in? Do you know your strengths and weaknesses and are you willing to change?

Real practice can only take place once you are in a job, so if you haven’t prepared well enough you will pay the price” will always place their interests above your own will they trust you. The soldier has to respect the person, not the badge.” Assess and improve Finally ask, “Do you know your strengths and weaknesses and are you willing to change?” Football management involves a constant stream of problem-solving and decision-making on a daily basis. A manager’s response to problems and the decisions he makes are almost entirely played out in view of the public. Your every move is reported, scrutinised, analysed and criticised. Pressure, and having to deal with pressure in these circumstances, comes with the job. And under pressure it is our weaknesses that are most easily exposed. If you don’t know what your weaknesses are and work to hide or improve them, you

cannot manage them. Your weaknesses will manage you. Without the desire to analyse yourself, seek feedback, improve and change, you will continue to do what you always did and get what you always have. Ottmar Hitzfeld tells of his early days as a fledgeling manager and the hours he spent in front of the mirror practising what he was going to say and how he was going to say it. Shy by nature, he knew that communication was probably the most important tool in the manager’s tool bag and that it was a weakness he needed to address. Likewise, Sir Alex was never too old to learn, practice, adapt and change. Before a manager takes that first job, preparation and practice are imperative. To practice properly, self-learning is critical; after all, if you can’t coach yourself, how can you expect to coach others? 39

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Pure inspiration As Sir Alex Ferguson calls time on his incredible career in management, we remember his 39 years of leadership through the eyes of those he inspired.

1986-87

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1 2 3

MUFC League position

4 6

If you are a young coach who is eager to learn, absorb everything you hear from your older colleagues, those who have survived, because they have a story to tell”

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Barclays Premier League FA Cup League Cup FA Charity/Community Shield

2012-13

UEFA Champions League UEFA Cup Winners' Cup UEFA Super Cup Intercontinental Cup FIFA Club World Cup

sir alex on management: If you are going to do it, don’t do it part-time!”

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what has been said about the great man Walter Smith “Sometimes you can create a winning environment that lasts for two or three years, but to make this happen for 26 years is massively impressive, true management and something that I don’t believe we will ever see repeated.” Gary Neville “The job was never complete; it was always the next challenge, the next phase... He’s the last of a kind. He really maintained a traditional value at that football club – a family value.” Sir Bobby Charlton “Alex is a born manager. He will say that he was a player that became a manager, but to be a manager was his destiny.” Steve Bruce “He’s got a fantastic humility about him – he’ll treat the grounds man just as well as he would his star centre forward.”

Building a winning team is about leadership, recruitment,team selection and decision-making” Sir alex ferguson, cbe 44

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We put the athletes in a stressful environment and then gave them the psychological support to learn to deal with it”

Britannia rules the waves Faced with intense pressure to perform at London 2012, the Great Britain sailing team needed a clear strategy and strong leadership skills. Step forward Stephen Park. Words: Matt Halfpenny Photography: Richard Langdon/British Sailing Team

etting to the top is difficult enough, but staying there is even tougher. Going into last summer’s London 2012 Olympics, the Great Britain team knew all about success at sea, having claimed 16 medals from their previous three Games in Beijing, Athens and Sydney. As Team GB looked to deliver once more, the man who oversaw the latter two of those campaigns, team manager Stephen Park, was still at the helm, and found expectancy buoyed further on home waters. It was a true test of the Scot’s ability to guide a talented team and their support network to further glory when under intense scrutiny from the national sporting public. Yet deliver they did, hitting Park’s self-imposed target of five medals – more than any other nation – and one that was exceeded when taking into account two first-ever Paralympic successes.

In training Park, himself a former racer, used a threepronged strategy to ensure his athletes remained focused, motivated and mentally strong in the lead up to the events at Weymouth. It’s a well-worn cliché in the world of sports management that if you fail to prepare then you prepare to fail, but at elite level it’s an adage that certainly rings true. “First of all, we tried to visualise and talk through what it takes to be successful and used past experiences shared by successful athletes and staff to help,” explains Park. “Not surprisingly, no-one had experienced a past home Games (last in Britain in 1948), but there were others on the staff who could talk of what it was like to compete in their own country. “Secondly, we encouraged athletes to have good routines to control the things it was possible to control,” says Park. “They each had an individual checklist to help

LEADERSHIP & MANAGEMENT

them plan. It was as detailed as having a strategy for if they won all of their first day races or lost all of them, what they were going to do if they had gear failure, or if they or one of their family got ill. It’s far easier to deal with such situations if you’ve thought about them in advance - and you’ll be far happier about the decisions you make.” Park also ensured everyone completed what he calls ‘stress exposure training’. “We put the athletes in a stressful environment and then gave them the psychological support to learn to deal with it. That was particularly important for first-time Olympians and was something we worked on for two years leading up to London 2012.” Gold standard Despite Team GB’s obvious successes, Australia and Spain, with three and two gold medals respectively, claimed more than GB’s one, famously won by Ben Ainslie. However, the overall haul has protected, and indeed, increased funding for the sailing programme going into Rio 2016 to £24.5m. Park is determined that he will help the team return to the top of the gold-medals table. “We try to operate in a logical world, rather than an emotional one,” he said. “We use performance profiling to establish 48

Olympic success for Team GB under Stephen Park: Athens 2004: Three gold medals, two silver, two bronze Total haul – five Beijing 2008: Four gold medals, one silver, one bronze Total haul – six London 2012: One gold medal, four silver, no bronze Total haul – five

an individual’s strengths and weaknesses, so they have a clear pathway for improvement, not just by focusing on weaknesses, but making strengths into super-strengths.” A clear focus for Park is to ensure his team are state of the art in every sense, which means being open-minded when it comes to trying something new. “Our sport has so many different aspects,” he said. “You have to look at analysing performance, the cognitive aspects and building experience, but also keeping up with the latest technologies and approaches. “We look to be a leader in technology, so we regularly meet with sail and mast makers and also technology experts, such as Garmin and McLaren,” he adds. “Sometimes things work and sometimes

they don’t, but you have to keep driving forward and experience things to see if they can work. “Our coach education programme generally has at least one person from another field to tell us about new techniques, whether that’s sport or business, and I speak to other coaches at a similar level in other sports,” says Park. “It’s great to have an opportunity to discuss things with them, because there’s always something to learn. Some of the small details can make a difference.” Having been in situ since 2001, it’s inevitable that Park’s leadership has evolved and, according to his colleagues, he has become less dictatorial. “You learn to work with people,” he said. “I’ve always been clear about what I’ve wanted, but I’m clearer now about how to talk to them to get the right outcome. You realise that no one person has all the answers and you need to get the support of those people around you and trust them to make the right decisions.” You have to get the right people to do the right things at the right time, adds Park. “They have to understand the process they are part of and believe in it. That creates a synergy that can result in success and is, I think, the key to being a successful leader.”

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Setbacks and steps forward What can the football industry learn about dealing with failure? Successful entrepreneurs, business people and investors are rarely strangers to failure. In fact, learning the right lessons from these experiences is often a key factor in their success. What then can members of the footballing world learn from those who have bounced back? The list of business people who have experienced failure is long and illustrious. Henry Ford’s first company, the Detroit Automobile Company, went out of business in 1901 without selling a single car. Legend has it that when Walt Disney was seeking funding for his Disney theme park he was turned down by no fewer than 302 banks before finding an investor. Even Microsoft founder Bill Gates experienced the pain of a moneylosing operation. Staying the course over thousands of prototypes or bouncing back from failed ventures or investments takes persistence, optimism, a tolerance for risk and a degree of good luck. It also requires a willingness to learn from mistakes and to see failure not as an outcome, but as one step in a long process. Barclays Wealth and Investment Management worked with Ledbury Research to explore cultural attitudes to failure and look at how individuals draw valuable lessons from their mistakes, turning setbacks into successes. The report draws some interesting conclusions: Tolerance of failure is essential. The process of ‘creative destruction’, whereby old ideas, technologies and business models become obsolete as new, stronger entrants grab market share, is essential to economic progress and job creation. The most dynamic, fast-growing economies of the world have the highest tolerance for failure. More believe that the recent financial crisis has provided them with opportunities and more value persistence in the face of failure or setback than those in many developed markets. Persistence matters. Entrepreneurs are typically persistent individuals who use their tenacity to overcome obstacles to

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success. As well as helping them to bounce back from failures and try again, persistence has broader psychological benefits. Respondents who are satisfied in their lives are also more likely to consider it important to persist with a failing business endeavour than to cut losses and move on. Optimism spawns success. People who describe themselves as optimistic are more satisfied with life and more likely to describe themselves as successful. This link between optimism and success has financial as well as psychological value. However, too much optimism can lead to excess entry into markets when the opportunity does not warrant it, or the planning fallacy, whereby individuals find that projects take much longer and cost much more than expected. Entrepreneurs learn from failure. Most people say that they find failure a valuable learning opportunity, but the extent to which different types of people draw lessons from the experience varies. Those who classify themselves as entrepreneurs are more able to learn from failure than non-entrepreneurs. They are also more likely to say that failure helped to strengthen their character and that previous entrepreneurial failings increased the chance that a new venture would succeed. Financial investors can learn a lot from the approach to failure of successful entrepreneurs. Entrepreneurs use their persistence and optimism to create a healthy relationship with failure. Rather than being discouraged from starting a new venture, many entrepreneurs will bounce back quickly from the experience. They regard failure as a chance to refine their approach, draw valuable business lessons and perform better next time. Not every failure can be averted, but with the right frame of mind, entrepreneurs, investors and those in the football world can ensure that they respond appropriately to setbacks and increase their chances of long-term success.

To read the full report, entitled 'If at First You Don’t Succeed... Mapping Global Attitudes to Adversity', visit www. barclayswealth.com/insights/Volume16.htm

Barclays offers wealth and investment management products and services to its clients through Barclays Bank PLC and its subsidiary companies. Barclays Bank PLC is registered in England and authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority. Registered No. 1026167. Registered Office: 1 Churchill Place, London E14 5HP.

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INSPIRATION AT GRASSROOTS LEVEL A volunteer basketball coach has picked up the 2012-13 Barclays Community Sports Award. Manneh Elliott was recognised for his contribution to grassroots sport in his community, having dedicated over 40 years to developing young people’s sporting and life skills. Elliott has devoted his life to coaching, most recently in his role as U12’s volunteer basketball coach for Liverpool team the Toxteth Tigers. He also coaches basketball in local schools and runs week-long basketball clinics during the school holidays. His role at the club extends beyond being a coach and he is committed to encouraging development on and off the court, acting as a role model to the young people he coaches. While a volunteer he has also helped several players achieve basketball scholarships to colleges in the US. David Wheldon, Barclays Managing Director of Brand, Reputation and Citizenship, said: “Manneh has made an outstanding contribution to the development of young people on Merseyside. He has earned the respect and appreciation of many in the local community, and with this award we hope his work will become known to a much wider audience. We want to recognise community champions all over the UK and I hope Manneh’s voluntary efforts, and those of all the other monthly winners, will inspire other people to get involved in community sport."

“Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts” Winston Churchill

The Barclays Community Sports Awards are delivered in a partnership between Barclays Spaces for Sports, the Premier League’s Creating Chances programme and the Football Foundation. To nominate a person, group or organisation for the Barclays Community Sports Awards of the Month visit www. barclayscommunitysportsaward.com

hEALTH & HAPPINESS

head strong

Out of the blue

Management can be a lonely and isolated place and, when the going gets tough, you may need to dig deep into your reserves to stay positive and motivated. Investing time and effort in your personal well-being is key, says Roberto Forzoni.

ince early 2000, Martin Seligman has been at the forefront of the scientific study of human strengths, optimism and wellbeing. In his latest book, Flourish, Seligman identifies five elements for well-being: positive emotion, engagement, meaning, positive relationships and accomplishments. Which of these five elements do you actively address and which do neglect? Faced with the pressures of being a successful leader, staying positive can be a real challenge. What with managing upwards, dealing with the media, irate agents or clients, organising training and ensuring the team understands and is well drilled, managing your team may actually be the easiest part of your role. It pays, therefore, to follow some simple advice on staying positive and motivated: Gratitude Every time you arrive at work, remind yourself that you are doing a job that many would relish. You’re in a special position, so smile and enjoy it. De-motivation can arise when thoughts focus on negative aspects of your role rather than having a solution-

focused mindset. Gratitude helps create that balance. Thinking of three things you are grateful for every morning can help get you in a positive and productive state of mind. Personal balance We all need some down time, and making sure you have yours could be the key to staying successful. Many of your best ideas will come to you when you’re most relaxed and creativity is also enhanced. Stay fresh to stay positive. Develop, monitor and continually evaluate your goals Goals give us direction, and motivation is related to direction and commitment. Goals should be specific, measurable, attainable, relevant and time-sensitive (SMART). By ensuring you develop and focus on SMART goals, you can help maintain high levels of motivation. Work on acquiring a new skill Although it can feel like there is little time for anything other than management,

cultivating a talent is one of the most satisfying and rewarding changes you can make in your adult life. Share things with a trusted colleague The saying “a problem shared is a problem halved” is generally true. While managers may find it difficult to confide in staff and colleagues, as they feel they should have the solutions, don’t underestimate how useful it can be. Be aware of your negative talk or attributions In Self-Perception theory, Bern uses the statement “As I hear myself talk, I learn what I believe”. Be mindful of how you attribute what happens and how you speak about things that go well or poorly. For example, be careful when using irrational statements such as “this always happens to me” and “it’s a must-win game”. Do something you enjoy Making a list of things that you enjoy doing and ensuring you get to do them on a regular basis will not only help you

hEALTH & HAPPINESS

POSITIVITY

5 ways to turn your mood around... from Jeremy Snape, a former England cricketer and the founder of Sporting Edge.

Enjoyment

motivation

direction

balance

sharing

maintain your motivation in your work, but ensure you are in the best frame of mind to deal with what you need to. Watch and listen Much can be gained from reading (or listening to audio books) about performance psychology and also serious biographies of inspirational leaders. There are also some very inspirational videos available online, from people who have overcome difficult circumstances, to athletes, leaders and others giving an insight into the adversity they had to go through before achieving success.

Keep up the good work While it might seem easy enough to remain positive and motivated when things are going well, it’s important to actively work at it. Following a great spell of form or performance, managers may be hit by lengthy and sometimes catastrophic results, even leading to them losing their own position. Complacency takes root easily, so make sure you keep your eye on the ball just as much during successful periods as during difficult times. Your philosophy should remain strong, as should your ethics and morals. Consistency, along with strategic flexibility, is the key.

Focus on your strengths – it’s much more fun and you get far greater return for your efforts than trying to fix your weaknesses.

Surround yourself with realistic optimists, they are perfect company as they’ll tell you the brutal truth of the current situation then create an enticing light at the end of the tunnel.

Break down emotional mountains into rational molehills. Focus on short-term controllable targets to fight off the feeling of being overwhelmed and regain traction towards your goals.

Don’t be an ostrich. Reconnect with friends and family, as they see the bigger picture and will remind you of how quickly things can change.

Self-pity is like quicksand, so pull yourself out fast by focusing on helping others. This boost to your self-esteem will create its own positive momentum and help to translate your mistake into a memorable lesson. Read Jeremy Snape’s advice on stepping up the career ladder on page 18.

hEALTH & HAPPINESS

Tick, tock Each season brings a new set of challenges for the football manager, from making sure their team performs to coping with the rollercoaster of emotions that goes with managing in the greatest game on Earth. But the constant lash of ambition carries with it an increased risk of heart problems for football managers. I have seen this over the 12 years that I have directed the LMA’s Fit To Manage programme. These risks include elevated blood pressure and blood cholesterol; raised blood sugars; cardiac arrhythmias that increase with both exercise and stress; raised plaque

Early results from the Fit To Manage programme show a significant increase in cardiovascular risk among football managers. But there are practical, preventative steps you can take, says Dorian Dugmore.

within the coronary arteries that require invasive surgery; and even damage to the main artery (the aorta) leaving the heart, both to the vessel itself and to its valves. Managers would benefit greatly from the opportunity to discuss their wellbeing with experts in the field, just as they might seek legal guidance and advice on other key areas of their work. It seems a logical step to increase the value of caring for this driven and high-achieving group of individuals. The end result would certainly benefit their heart health. But what else can managers do on a day-to-day basis to help protect their hearts?

“It is imperative that managers are regularly tested each year to measure their health performance numbers”

Drink alcohol only in moderation Studies have found that those who enjoy one or two drinks, three times per week tend to have lower cardiovascular risk than heavy drinkers. The latter can have increased risk of cardiac arrhythmias, which can be life-threatening.

Regular annual screening The value of ‘serial testing’ from year to year cannot be overestimated, because it provides a picture of risks that might change over time. It allows many potential problems to be either averted altogether or dealt with before they develop into something more serious, even lifethreatening.

Regular moderate exercise This simply has a cardio-protective effect. Managers should aim for a minimum of 2.5 to 3 hours of aerobic exercise each week, broken into 35-45 minute sessions. In addition, as we age it’s important to add regular muscular resistance training to our routines. This preserves strength, helps to keep bones healthy and enhances muscle metabolism. Many clubs will have strength and conditioning coaches who can help to guide this and the newly opened St Georges Park, with its dedicated Perform Centre, can help here. 54

hEALTH & HAPPINESS

Limit saturated fats, in particular, Trans Fats Foods with fats that harden at room temperature can be hazardous to your heart, helping to accelerate the development of plaque inside the coronary arteries. Foods that have been hydrogenated (treated to preserve their shelf-life) are also not good for you and have been linked to heart disease and cancer. Read the labels and avoid anything with the word ‘hydrogenated’ on it.

Look after teeth and gums Yes, looking after your dental hygiene is important for your heart. Gum disease, in particular, has been connected with potential inflammation of the heart muscle (myocardium).

Careful with the barbecue! The latest guidelines on nutrition have identified an increase in carcinogens in burnt and charred foods. They are not good for the heart either.

Get some sun Recent research has suggested that low levels of vitamin D may increase your risk of heart disease. Getting some sun by gently acclimatising and being sensible so that you don’t burn is now thought to be benefitial.

Coffee and eggs – don’t believe all the myths Studies have found that coffee gets a bad wrap, as it actually helps to boost metabolism. Recent research has even found that green, unroasted beans are packed with anti-oxidants. It is not advisable to drink coffee after 3pm, as its invigorating effect can keep you awake at night. Eggs also get a bad wrap; they are one of the purest forms of protein you can get. Just don’t have too many of them.

Take a supplement Top cardiologists in the US are increasingly recommending taking a multi-vitamin or a recognised anti-oxidant supplement if your lifestyle is hectic. Supplements can be combined with juicing, but not fruit juice alone, as it can be high in fructose. Mix vegetable juices together with fruits for the best antioxidant effect. Anti-oxidants help fight off free radicals, the molecular outlaws that help to inflame the plaque in the arteries and promote cancer-forming agencies within the body. Pomegranate juice and concentrates, together with the supplement Co-Enzyme Q10, have been associated with beneficial effects on the heart muscle and with lowering blood pressure. Always check with your doctor if you are already taking medications before going overboard on supplements.

Smile and relax Practice relaxation for 10 minutes every day. There are many studies that support the endorphin-rich value of happiness and the ability to promote positivity through being grateful and giving to others. It sounds like soft science, but it isn’t. Many of the banks under the most severe pressure during the recession used experts to change their fear culture into a more balanced and positive approach – with dramatic results. Add to this 10 minutes of deep, relaxed breathing each day and the adrenaline-driven rushes of the day can be changed into a more endorphin-controlled cardioprotective mode.

hEALTH & HAPPINESS

HONG KONG

Weighing up the options

There’s a growing understanding that personal well-being is essential in order to perform at our best. With stress so prevalent in business and sport, it is unsurprising that a growing number of managers are rethinking their work-life balance. Words: Paul Daniels Illustration: Cat Madeira nson

ver the past five years there has been a dramatic increase in the number of people in part-time work. This trend has not been solely among women, as many might expect, nor just among junior positions. A recent study found that 44 per cent of men would take up flexible working if it were available, while Timewise Jobs recently published a power list of 50 people working part time in top jobs. Among them were people of varying seniority and from a variety of industries, including the most senior female monetary policy official at the Bank of England and the managing director of Goldman Sachs’s investment banking division. While the demands on football managers mean flexible working is often not an option, it may be for other club staff, and there are numerous examples of part-time working at the highest level of sport, from coaches to board members. People’s motives for going part time vary, but stress and the potential health risks associated with it undoubtedly play a part for many. Mike Dean, a manager

hEALTH & HAPPINESS

HONGHONG KONGKONG

at Accenture, for example, chose flexible hours after collapsing at his desk and waking up in hospital. Previously seen as something for working mums, a raft of changes in recent years have made flexible working more feasible for both men and women. However these legal changes don’t exist in a vacuum. Society is also changing

so that men are expected to take on more responsibilities at home and some managers find they cannot deal with this while still excelling in a full-time job. Organisations are also starting to see the positives in showing more flexibility, not least the fact that it throws the net wider when recruiting for new talent. Other benefits include improved staff retention,

reduced absenteeism and increased morale. In the current economic climate, some employers may also jump at the chance to reduce overheads by agreeing to reduce employees’ hours, rather than having to make redundancies and lose experienced staff. And, if bonuses and pay rises are unaffordable, offering flexible working is a lower cost way to attract and retain staff.

Flexi-working FAQs Can I ask for flexible working? Currently, the right to make a request under the formal procedure is limited to employees with six months’ service or who have children or a grownup family member in need of care. But legal changes due to take effect next year will allow others to make a request too. What can I ask for and how? Flexible working doesn't just mean going part time. It can include all sorts of arrangements, such as

fewer hours, compressed hours (working the same number of hours a week, but squashed into fewer days), working from home, or any combination of these. Although there is a legal right to request flexible working, at present it is not an absolute right to have your request granted. Give some thought to how to frame your request so it is something your employer is more likely to accommodate. You can approach your employer informally, but

to have your suggestion considered under the formal process you will need to submit a written request. What are the risks? Many employers will embrace a request to work flexibly or to avail yourself of your rights. But it would be naïve not to point out that exercising your legal rights can have its risks. A recent survey of 1,000 women commissioned by Slater Gordon found that one in seven was made redundant after

taking maternity leave. One in 10 was replaced by their maternity leave cover, while one in seven was overlooked for a promotion. How is the law changing? The legal framework has changed considerably over the past decade and more flexibility is on the way. 10 years ago, new dads got just two weeks' unpaid paternity leave. Now they have the option to take up to six months’ paternity leave, and this is set to increase to 12

months in 2015. When the right to request flexible working was introduced 10 years ago, the only employees who could put in a request were parents of pre-schoolers. It has since been expanded to include those caring for adults, and from next year almost anybody will be able to apply, whatever their reason for wanting to work flexibly. Paul Daniels is Senior Principal Lawyer, Employment, at law firm Slater & Gordon.

hEALTH & HAPPINESS

AWAY MATCH

manhattan

the bronx

New York

Made up of five boroughs, each the size of a small town and with a distinctive character of its own, New York City could easily swallow up a week of your time. But, if you're on a tight schedule, here are our essential tips for the Big Apple.

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EATING A NY institution, the Carnegie Deli smokes and cures its own meats and is famous for its knishes, matzoh ball soup, stuffed cabbage and pickles, as well as its cheesecake. It is equally known for its enormous portions; its sandwiches are stuffed with at least a pound of meat! NYC ranks 4th in the world for Michelin-starred restaurants. Not only does Eleven Madison Avenue have three stars, but it has been ranked in the world's top 10 restaurants. Start booking now – front of house staff in New York eateries are renowned, so if your name's not on the list...

HIGHLIGHTS Can't afford a penthouse at Trump Towers? Other great views across the city can be found at: The Empire State Building - built in 1931, this 102-storey iconic skyscraper offers 360-degree views of Manhattan from its two observation decks.

SLEEPING Staying power - The Waldorf-Astoria Hotel has been housed in its current art deco building since 1931 and was one of the city's first grand hotels. Guests of the landmark hotel can dine in four distinctive restaurants and relax in its three lounges and Guerlain Spa. Room with a view – Stay at the 52-storey Trump International Hotel & Tower and you certainly won't forget what city you're in. The hotel has unparalleled 58

views of Central Park and the city, and is the only Forbes five-star and five-diamond hotel with a five-star and five-diamond restaurant in New York. A $30m renovation two years ago brought new life to the rich wood finishes, burnished gold leaf and bronze mirrors and handcrafted Schonbek crystal chandeliers. Film buffs should know that the hotel was used in the film Tower Heist.

The Rockefeller Plaza – from the 'Top of the Rock Observation Deck' you can spot the Chrysler Building, Times Square, the Hudson River, the East River, Brooklyn Bridge and the Statue of Liberty. The Ritz Hotel – pop into the 14th Floor Bar for a drink and stunning views of New Jersey and the New York Harbour.

LMA member? We’ll treat you like a VIP. Book Upper Class as an LMA member and we’ll give you 10% off your fare**. Not to mention the usual complimentary limo to and from the airport, and access to our award-winning Clubhouses. To book, call Virgin Atlantic Flightstore on 0844 811 1518 and quote LMA.

*Excluding taxes and surcharge. Chauffeur driven car service available at most destinations with selected Upper Class fares (J, D, I & C class). Mileage restrictions apply. Lounge facilities vary at each destination.

hEALTH & HAPPINESS

CITY OF SPORT NYC is a fantastic place to watch sport and there's always something going on. The city hosts numerous major sporting events, from the US Open and NYC marathon to the Superbowl (at the new MetLife Stadium in 2014). Get tickets for the New York Mets or Yankees for baseball, the New York Red Bulls for football and the New York Giants or Jets for American football. Head to Madison Square Garden to cheer on The Rangers (ice hockey), New York Liberty (women's basketball) or Knicks (basketball), or their rivals the Nets.

SHOPPING Head to Macy’s or Barneys’ Madison Avenue flagship store for edgy fashion or battle through the hoards at the legendary Bloomingdales for allAmerican brands. An unexpected find in the middle of the city sprawl is the Greenmarket at Union Square, which hosts an outdoor farmers’ market, with flowers and fresh produce from as far away as Vermont.

GETTING THERE New York is something of a special venue for Virgin Atlantic as it was the destination for their first ever flight in 1984. Direct flights to JFK from London Heathrow recently increased to four per day in addition to the two flights to Newark. The first flight of the day is 09:30, arriving at 12:15 New York time, with the final 20:30 flight still getting you in with time to enjoy the city that never sleeps. Premium Economy flights provide a dedicated check-in, a greater weight allowance for luggage, priority boarding, extra leg-room and wider leather seats. Further details can be found at www.virgin-atlantic.com/gb/en.html

Snack attack – 5 not to miss (or tell your cardiologist about) Bagels - pop into one of NY's countless bagel shops for breakfast, lunch or a snack.

Black and white cookies - half with chocolate frosting, half with white citrus icing.

Pastrami sandwich - opt for rye bread with mustard for maximum authenticity.

Cheesecake denser than its Italian cousin, NYstyle cheesecake is rich and creamy.

Pizza - available by the slice on every street corner and usually great quality.

THE LMA MEMBERS’ SUMMER CASE OFFER Net a case of award winning wines It’s certainly been a long Winter, but with the prospect of lazy Summer evenings ahead we are delighted to offer a hand picked selection of highly rated wines to LMA members at an exclusive price of £240 delivered The LMA Members’ Summer Case contains 3 bottles each of the following: Champagne Henri Giraud ‘Hommage’ Aÿ Grand Cru NV Robert Parker 89/100 Elephant Hill Sauvignon Blanc, Hawke’s Bay, New Zealand, 2011 IWSC 2012 Bronze Medal Alma de Tobia Rosé, Bodegas Tobia, Rioja, Spain 2010 Robert Parker 90/100 Clarendelle Rouge, Bordeaux, France 2007 IWC 2012 Bronze Medal

One dozen bottles delivered to your UK mainland address for £240 Price includes VAT and delivery

To order contact Ceri Walden at Coe Vintners email:

ceri@coevintners.com

mobile: 07814 704085

hEALTH & HAPPINESS

ESSENTIAL KIT Lost and found According to O2, more than 700,000 mobile phones are lost or stolen in the UK every year. These days, losing a smartphone for even a short time is more than just annoying - it's debilitating. They are often not only our telephones, but our calendars, alarm clocks, notepads, maps – the list is long – so it's not surprising many of us feel lost when they're not within reach. Fortunately, technology now provides quick and easy ways to ensure we never stray too far from our digital devices.

01 The Kensington Proximo is an app-enabled monitoring system designed to help users keep track of their iPhone, keys and valuables. Users download the Proximo app and attach the fob to their keys. Then, when they move a set distance away from their iPhone, the key fob alerts them with a customisable alarm. http://bit.ly/17M1Khu

hipKey has been designed with the same aim. The size of a small keyring, it connects with Apple devices via a free iOS app and sounds an alarm when the device it has been paired with is beyond a set distance. It can even be placed in a child’s pocket to alert you if they stray too far. The hipKey also has built-in motion sensors. Put it in your bag and the Bluetooth 4.0-enabled alarm will go off if someone moves it. www.hippih.com/hipkey

Sounds good

The latest audio player from Naim Audio has fully embraced the wireless trend, allowing music stored on PCs, Macs or servers to be streamed to it and played in high quality. The slimline UnitiLite can play in brilliant quality everything that the new era of music delivery can throw at it - music downloads, high-resolution music files, internet radio, network music, UPnP servers, iPod/MP3 players and Wi-Fi streaming. It also features a CD player for the traditionalists among us. www.naimaudio.com

hEALTH & HAPPINESS

What to drink this summer, from Coe Vintners

On the road

Elephant Hill Pinot Noir Rosé, Central Otago, New Zealand, £11.23

Whether due to unexpected delays or just a very busy schedule, it's easy to find yourself behind the wheel when you need to take an important call. When it's not practical or safe to pull over, technology lends a hand, or should that be mouth. The SuperTooth HD-VOICE is a Bluetooth in-car speakerphone, which is equipped with voice features in 12 languages. Two speakers and two microphones optimise voices, in emission and reception, and there's an easyto-reach volume-control button. The device is compatible with all Bluetoothenabled mobile phones and smartphones and no installation is needed – just clip it to the sun visor and you're ready to go. http://bit.ly/ItSKRD

Jordan Cabernet Sauvignon, Sonoma County, California, US, £31.22

ESSENTIAL READ The Management Book – Richard Newton, Published by Prentice Hall / FT

thinking “yes, that relates to me” or “yes, I had better work on that”. Don't be surprised if you find yourself making notes while you're reading.

If one of the key priorities of good management is clarity in communication then a book on the subject really should characterise this particular trait. The Management Book, from management expert Richard Newton, is as clear and simple a guide to the twin disciplines of management and leadership that you'll find.

The book is clearly structured, delivered in bite-sized chunks and offers practical advice and areas for improvement across the spectrum of management. The section on creating and defining your role is particularly insightful, especially as it is an area often overlooked by books of this nature.

The book is a no-nonsense guide to the key roles, skills and issues present in everyday management. Although written as a generic guide, all readers in a management role will find themselves

This young but multi-awardwinning winery has been rated 100 per cent sustainable by the Sustainable Winegrowers of New Zealand and produces wines that are fast-becoming some of the most prestigious of the country. This delicious rosé, made from the Pinot Noir grape, has a beautiful deep salmon pink colour, while on the palate it delights with notes of raspberry and strawberry. Perfect for those long summer days and evenings.

For any would-be managers this book should be top of the reading list. It will challenge you to ask whether management is for you. If the answer is yes then it provides a clear understanding of the road ahead.

Situated 20 miles from the Pacific Ocean, this awardwinning winery is organised in the manner of a traditional French château, in an appellation renowned for producing world-class wines. This particular wine has been voted the Best Cabernet Sauvignon 11 times in the Restaurant Poll of Wine and Spirit Magazine and is a true heavyweight of a wine. A perfect blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot and Malbec, it shows stunning cassis and black cherries on the nose with an aristocratic palate of plum, blackcurrant and creamy sweet fruit with soft, round tannins. A great accompaniment to your Sunday roast. For offers open to LMA members contact Ceri Walden on 07814 704085 or email ceri@coevintners.com

hall of fame | in association with the fa

SIR WALTER WINTERBOTTOM Words: Graham Morse

the age of only 34, Walter Winterbottom was appointed as England’s first team manager, having never managed any football team before. It might have seemed an unlikely appointment by FA secretary Stanley Rous, but it turned out to be an inspired decision. Winterbottom was a pioneer of coaching and an outstanding teacher. For 16 years he worked tirelessly to overcome resistance to coaching and drag English football into the modern era, encouraging players, clubs and administrators to change the way they thought. “Nobody believed in coaches at first,” he said. “I wanted to change the whole attitude to coaching in this country.” He remains the only England manager to qualify for four World Cups, taking England to the finals in Brazil (1950), Switzerland (1954), Sweden (1958) and Chile (1962). However it was his contribution to coaching that is his lasting legacy to English football. Winterbottom’s combination of the scholarly and the practical owed much to his background as a teacher, a lecturer in physical education and a wing commander responsible for physical education in the RAF. He played 23 consecutive first team games for Manchester United in the 1936/37 season before a spinal disease cut short a playing career of great promise. Winterbottom was the founder of the FA national coaching scheme and persuaded his international players to qualify as coaches at his summer courses at Lilleshall. Managers such as Ron Greenwood, Bill Nicholson, Jimmy Hill, Bobby Robson and Don Howe became known as his disciples; 64

he guided their careers and was influential in placing them in clubs, where they changed attitudes to coaching. He inspired a generation of coaches and they, in turn, have continued to spread his philosophy. For example, Bobby Robson said of Winterbottom in 2002, “There is no doubt that I owe to him my entire international career, both as a player and a manager.” Then, as recently as March, 2013, Andre Villas Boas wrote, “At 17, I met Sir Bobby Robson and my life changed... he inspired me.” Winterbottom brought about radical change within the national team set up, gradually having his own way with the selection committee and chipping away against widespread scepticism about coaching. He encouraged players to analyse the game more deeply, and changed the slapdash, unrealistic and haphazard habits of many in terms of fitness, training, diet and match preparation. There were humiliating setbacks: losing 1-0 to the US in the 1950 World Cup and 6-3 against Hungary in 1953. But he turned these setbacks to his advantage, warning that England were no longer the best in the world and that in order to compete at the highest level England had to be more professional in its preparations. He introduced B and Under-23 teams and more squad training sessions. The team formation was changed to 4-2-4 and the foundations were laid for World Cup success under Alf Ramsey in 1966. His contribution to the development of English football is immeasurable. As Sir Bobby Charlton wrote in 1967, “There cannot be many people in the game who see the theory, practice and politics of football as clearly as Walter does.”

hall of fame | in association with the fa

The complete story

BIOGRAPHY / SPORT

9 781782 191384

A NDR EW DAGNE LL

ISBN 978-1-78219-138-4

Until now, the story of Walter Winterbottom has gone untold. A new book by Graham Morse, Sir Walter Winterbottom: The Father of Modern English Football, has been published by John Blake to mark the manager's 100th anniversary. Visit www. sirwalterwinterbottom.com for more details. Sir Walter Winterbottom was arguably the most influential man in modern English football. He is known as the first England team manager, but more than that he was an innovator of modern coaching, sports administrator and a man ahead of his time; a man who had a profound effect on English football and who laid the foundations for England’s success in 1966. Walter managed them all, from Lawton to Charlton, and inspired many to become coaches: Ron Greenwood, Bill Nicholson, Jimmy Hill and Bobby Robson were amongst his disciples and took his gospel to the clubs they managed.

GRAHAM MORSE was born in Swindon in 1940 and married Janet Winterbottom in 1963. He had a career in sales and marketing before retiring in 2000 to realise a dream of sailing across the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. His first book, The Islands Time Forgot, told the story of people and places in the remote islands of the South Pacific. Graham has always enjoyed sport as a player and a spectator but has a special interest in football. He lives with Janet in the Cayman Islands.

Born in 1913, Winterbottom started out as a teacher and physical education instructor, playing amateur football in his spare time. He was soon signed up by Manchester United, playing his first game 1936 and winning promotion to the First Division in 1938. A spinal ailment curtailed his career, but during World War II he served as an officer in the Royal Air Force before the FA appointed him as national director of coaching and England team manager in 1946. He remains the only manager to have taken the national side to more than two World Cup finals and was created an OBE in 1963 and a CBE in 1972 before being knighted in 1978. Walter died in 2002 but his legacy continues to inspire many in football today, especially with the opening of the new St George’s Park football academy. With interviews and insight from top football names, this book – written by Winterbottom’s son-in-law – also draws on personal diaries, photographs and letters. However, this is more than just a biography of one man – it’s the story of how modern football came about.

978-1-78219-138-4

£17.99

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At 26, Exeter City's Kevin Nicholson is the youngest professional youth team manager in the country. Meeting the studious Under-18s manager, we discover the determination and ambition that underpin his success. You are one of the highest qualified coaches in England. What compelled you to take so many formal qualifications?

I enjoyed a bright start to my football career, having joined Derby County at the age of eight and spent eight years there as an academy player. Following spells at Sheffield Wednesday, Rotherham United and Burton Albion, I spent a year and 66

a half at Kidderminster Harriers before turning my focus to coaching. Football was my passion and I wanted to further improve my understanding of the game and learn techniques that would allow me to teach other players. It was very important, especially as a young coach, to gain as many coaching qualifications as possible. Every course I have attended has allowed me to develop new ideas

and has given me the opportunity to meet with other coaches to discuss thoughts around the game. The FA has a fantastic coaching pathway, which allows coaches at every level to progress. I am a product of this system and it has helped me become a better coach. What are the most important things you've learnt through these courses?

The earlier qualifications, FA Level 1, 2

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and UEFA B, gave me a solid foundation and taught me the basics of structuring, planning and organising a session with a specific theme, and working with individuals, units and a team on the pitch. The UEFA A Licence was great for developing my understanding in certain areas, such as paying attention to detail when providing information to players; analysing the game at top speed and using quick, relevant and detailed interventions. More recently, I was selected for the inaugural FA Elite Coaching Award. This has given me the opportunity to learn from the best coach educators and working coaches in football. More importantly, it has helped me develop my blueprint – the guiding principles, values and beliefs that form my coaching, training and playing philosophies.

You've coached different ages groups and in a variety of contexts. What stage of your coaching career did you find most rewarding and what period taught you the most?

The most rewarding stage was my time at Derby County. I worked with the players

How about what you've learnt through on-the-job experience?

I’ve learnt a huge amount and continue to every day. It’s important to treat the players with respect and build a rapport with them, so I talk to them individually, find out what they want to achieve and get to know them. I’ve learnt that you have to create a professional, competitive and balanced environment to get the best out of the players. The experience of managing teams has developed my tactical knowledge; using different systems and styles of play when competing against teams from this country and across Europe. Because my journey so far has been successful it has given me the confidence to keep progressing and to coach at the highest level. You're the youngest professional youth team manager in the country. Does youth confer any advantage in working with the players or does it make it more difficult?

It has its advantages and disadvantages. The main disadvantage is that some people may see my age before my experience; I have 10 years’ experience in coaching and managing players and teams. It is vital that they see me for my coaching abilities and not just my age. Essentially it’s about earning the respect of the players and staff that you work with. Once you have that it doesn’t matter if you are 26 or 46.

for a number of years and watched as they progressed up through the age groups and into the first team, even making international appearances. It was great to work with some of the best young players in the country and to have the opportunity to compete against some of the biggest clubs in England and Europe. However it is my time at Exeter City that has taught me the most. I’ve had the chance to implement my ideas with slightly older players, to see them working day in, day out and observe how those ideas can affect the players in training and during matches. I’ve also had the experience of working under Nigel Clough and now Paul Tisdale, two of the longest-serving managers in English football. I’ve learnt a lot from both - about getting the right characters in the squad, being strong-minded and sticking by your beliefs, and having the confidence to give young players an opportunity to play in the first team. How would you like to see youth coaching improve in the UK?

“I’ve experience of working under

Nigel Clough and now Paul Tisdale, two

of the longestserving managers in English football. I’ve learnt a lot from both”

I’d like to see more quality time spent with the players. It can’t just be about the number of hours you spend with them; there has to be purpose in your practice. There should be a definitive link between training and playing. Players value this link and it helps them have the confidence to transfer what they have learnt in training onto the pitch during a game. Also, I think the art of defending is disappearing from the game. Given that the average Barclays Premier League side spends half the game without the ball, there has to be a balance between coaching players in possession and out of possession. Could coaches be doing more to develop their own abilities?

My advice is become an obsessive observer. Study football matches at all levels, all around the world, constantly seeking new ideas, tactics and systems of play. Coaches should design coaching practices and drills that replicate these ideas. Also, whenever a coach works with his or her players or the team, their philosophy should be evident and consistently communicated. 67

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SPONSORED BY

LMA news, views and events

Hodgson in the hotseat LMA President’s Dinner

The LMA, along with Lead Sponsor Barclays, Senior Event Partner Castrol and Event Suppliers Coe Vintners and Forte Village, hosted the 2013 LMA President’s Dinner in April. Over 300 guests convened in the prestigious Ballroom of London's Grosvenor House, a JW Marriott Hotel, for fine dining and a memorable question and answer session with England Manager and LMA President Roy Hodgson. The evening, hosted by Jim Rosenthal, also provided an opportunity to highlight the work done by LMA members in supporting Coaching for Hope, a charity partner of the LMA – with a cheque presented to the charity for £10,000 – and to raise more money through the LMA Training and Education Fund.

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SPONSORED BY

Anglian Elite 70 conference As part of the commercial partnership between the LMA and Anglian, 70 of the best salesmen and saleswomen in the country attended a two-day conference at St George’s Park in recognition of their achievements over the past year. LMA non-executive board member Jeremy Snape facilitated two leadership and management seminars, focusing on resilience in sport and its applications in the business world. Delegates then had the opportunity to use the world-leading football

facilities for a five-a-side game before enjoying some fine dining. Joining them were two LMA members, West Bromwich Albion head coach Steve Clarke and Tony Pulis, then manager of Stoke City, who participated in an illuminating and funny question and answer session. LMA chief executive Richard Bevan said, “We are delighted to be fully integrated into our new home at St George’s Park. It is a privilege to be able to share the truly world-class facilities with our commercial partners.”

Yahoo! coaching Following on from fellow LMA members Sam Allardyce and Steve McClaren, Roberto Martinez hosted a coaching session for lucky Yahoo! competition winners. 22 players, selected out of the 5,000 who entered the competition, were put through their paces by the Wigan manager, assisted by LMA coaches Dave Penney and Jimmy Bell. After the session, Martinez hosted a Q&A session and signed autographs for the winners. This event was the final of three coaching sessions facilitated by the LMA in partnership with Yahoo! this season.

Above Competition winners were coached by Roberto Martinez.

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SPONSORED BY

Dining in with Barclays Through its Lead Sponsor partnership with the LMA, Barclays recently hosted dinners in Southampton and Leeds for their Barclays Wealth division. The evenings were hosted by Matt Lorenzo with former England teammates Glenn Hoddle and Steve Coppell attending the Southampton event and Gary McAllister and Gareth Southgate joining him at Leeds. The managers posed for photos, shared their management insight and experience and their thoughts on the game, and recalled some of the colourful characters they have encountered in their careers.

Business Club tees off The LMA Business Club met on the golf course for the first time this year. At an event hosted by LMA Commercial Partner The Grove, 40 players made the most of the upturn in weather to network and compete on one of the best courses in the country. The team comprising Tom

Berresford (Barclays), Jonathan Haines (Yahoo!), Paul Daniels (Slater & Gordon) and Tim Munton (LMA) were victorious, with prizes also awarded for the longest drive (Mel Chappell) and nearest to the pin (Stuart Collier). Tom Berresford capped a very successful day with the highest points tally of 41.

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SPONSORED BY

In the spotlight John Gorman

LMA member John Gorman retired from football last season after 44 years in the professional game as a player, manager and assistant. Gorman has always been a keen artist and was renowned for his caricatures during his Tottenham playing days. A painter since his school days, Gorman used to sketch the Celtic players when he was a young professional. He continued his work at Carlisle and even more so at Spurs, where he produced a calendar for the team and sketched a player in the programme each week. Now that he has more time to concentrate on his art, Gorman has become more adventurous in his use of different materials and styles and has produced some work to raise funds for charity. Fellow LMA member and former management colleague Glenn Hoddle, who is also launching a new website, will promote John’s work. "While I enjoy my art and like to turn my hand to any type of painting, it is the caricatures that stuck because of my time at Tottenham when I was injured,” says Gorman. “You can improve at anything, even at my age.” For more information, visit www.johngormanart.com or email John@johngormanart.com

New LMA Partnership LG Electronics

The LMA is pleased to announce LG as an Official Partner in 2013. LG is a global market leader in the field of electronics and identified the LMA as an important partnership to build its continued involvement in English football. An innovative brand, the LMA looks forward to developing exciting opportunities for both members and partners.

County FA

Lancashire event Former Bradford and Wigan manager and LMA member Chris Hutchins ran a CPD coaching session for over 50 FA Licensed Regional Development Coaches at The FA's headquarters in Leyland, Lancashire. The event was part of the continued development of the LMA's relationship with The FA across all facets of the game. Hutchins presented a session on how to prepare a team to attack, passing on the knowledge he gained both as a player and through coaching at the top level. Jim McGrath, one of the coaches who benefited from the session, said, ”The sessions were excellent and gave a lot of the coaches a good idea of how training sessions are run within a pro club.”

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Watch this space “We’re looking to create a channel that is not just a 'nice to have', but a 'must have' for sports fans,” says Marc Watson, BT Sport’s CEO of television and the man charged with heading up the telecoms giant’s muchheralded move into sports broadcasting. Words: Ciaran Brennan

hen the UK’s legion of armchair football fans switch on to witness the first televised game of the 2013/14 Barclays Premier League season on August 17th, much of what they see will be reassuringly familiar; their favourite players in (reasonably) recognisable strips picking up where they left off in pursuit of the biggest prize in English football. One thing, however, will be very different... they’ll be watching the game on BT Sport. Although it didn’t pick up the keys to its state-of-the-art production facility in the iCITY development at the Queen Elizabeth Park (the part of East London formerly known as the Olympic Park) until February, BT’s ambitious new sports broadcasting network is on course to hit the ground running in time for the forthcoming football season. And the network’s ambition matches its speed. The fact that the 2013/14 season will kick off on BT Sport shows just how serious the corporation is about this venture. “We’ve got big hopes for the network and we want it to be part of the public consciousness of sport very quickly,” says Watson. 72

Essential viewing Each Barclays Premier League season has 38 ‘rounds’ and, for the duration of its threeseason broadcasting agreement, BT Sport will have first pick of the televised games in 18 of those rounds. “That’s very important,” says Watson. “It’s the first time that any company other than Sky has had access to top picks. It means that we’ll be able to pick some of the very best games; it’s a powerful thing and a real point of difference.” BT Sport’s output will be delivered through three channels; BT Sport 1, BT Sport 2 and ESPN Sports; rights to the latter brand having been acquired in a deal that saw the network take control of the international broadcasting giant’s TV channels business in the UK and Ireland. While the Barclays Premier League agreement is undoubtedly the jewel in BT Sport’s crown, it’s just one element of

a broader football offering. In addition to games from England’s top flight, BT Sport has also secured the rights to show live matches from Serie A in Italy, Ligue 1 in France, Brasileiro in Brazil, Moto GP and MLS in the US, while the ESPN acquisition brings with it the rights to show live games for the FA Cup, Scottish Premier League, Europa League and the German Bundesliga. While Watson is understandably proud of, and excited by, the network’s football offering, he’s quick to point out that the network will be about more than just football. “We’re particularly interested in the wider interest in sport that’s out there, which was clearly demonstrated during last year’s Olympics,” he says. “The Olympic Games was a special case, of course, but if we get our offering right we know we can tap into some of the extra demand that’s

“live sport is unique in that there’s only one place and one time to watch a match. It’s a genuine appointment to view”

Before taking his role with BT, Watson was a director at Reel Enterprises, a media deal-broking firm. At Reel, Watson was chief media rights negotiator for both the Football League and Scottish Premier League and worked closely with a variety of broadcasters, including Channel 4, the BBC and Fox. Prior to this, Watson, a qualified barrister, worked as a legal advisor and as head of legal and business affairs at publisher Northern and Shell. While there, he was responsible for the acquisition of several high-profile celebrity magazines, TV channel distribution negotiations and provision of legal advice across the business, as well as general business development. Marc is also a non-executive director of YouView; BT’s joint venture with the BBC, ITV, Channel 4, Talk Talk, Arqiva and Channel 5 which has created a next generation, broadband enabled, TV service.

out there and take televised sport to a wider audience than it currently enjoys.” To achieve this ambition, BT Sport has made initial forays into rugby and tennis, snapping up the rights to broadcast up to 69 live rugby union games a season from the Aviva Premiership and signing an agreement with the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) to show up to 800 hours of live tennis (including the TEB BNP Paribas WTA Championships). “We think there’ll be a real groundswell of support for, and interest in, rugby over the next two years and our aim is to both help to drive that further and benefit from it,” says Watson. “The WTA agreement gives us a lot of good content throughout the course of the year and, more importantly, helps us to reach a broader demographic.” Right place, right time BT’s interest in televised sport is, according to Watson, very straightforward. “Although BT is a multinational corporation operating in 170 countries worldwide, our UK retail business is very important to us,” he says. “We currently serve 11,000,000 homes with a mixture of fixed line

telephony, broadband and, increasingly, television. Our BT Vision product has been the UK’s fastest-growing TV business over the last couple of years, but only about one in 10 of our customers takes television from us at the moment so we see that as a really big growth opportunity.” Live sport, Watson believes, is what will spark that growth. “In a world where technology means there are more and more ways to access movies and TV from different companies and on different platforms, it’s increasingly difficult to differentiate yourself,” he says. “But live sport is unique in that there’s only one place and one time to watch a match. It’s a genuine appointment to view; fans aren’t willing to wait – it’s got to be now – and if you’re the only company that’s making that match available because you’ve got the exclusive rights, that’s a very powerful thing indeed.” Brand awareness is also a powerful thing – and while BT Sport may be unfamiliar to those football fans who tune in for the first game of next season, that’s unlikely to still be the case by the time the season reaches its climax. 73

FROM THE POST ROOM TO THE BOARD ROOM, EVERYONE THINKS THEY CAN BE

THE MANAGER How do you manage outrageous talent? How do you turn around a team in crisis? What’s the best way to build long-term success?

The biggest names in football management reveal the secrets to successful leadership and surviving under pressure SEPTEMBER 2013 Available in hardback, ebook and audiobook Published with the support of the LMA, Barclays and Deloitte

www.themanager2013.com TheManager2013 |

@ The Ma na ge r 2013

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England’s summer – diary dates 24-29 May UEFA European U19s Championship, Elite Round Qualifiers 29 May England v Republic of Ireland, Wembley

A summer of football While this year – The FA’s 150th Anniversary – may not hold any major tournaments for the Three Lions senior team, a hectic summer lies ahead for Club England’s 24 national teams. “It was the kick-start to everything that has happened over the last couple of years,” says England goalkeeper Jack Butland. “The U20 World Cup [in Columbia] got me into the Under-21s, led me to play for Birmingham and got me my senior call-up to Euro 2012 and London 2012.” Peter Taylor returns to the England fold to take the U20s on their latest World Cup crusade in Turkey. The Three Lions are in a group with Iraq, Chile and Egypt in a competition that has initiated the likes of Diego Maradona, Michael Owen, Luis Figo, Lionel Messi, Thierry Henry and Andres Iniesta into international football. With 24 nations making it through the tough regional qualifying campaigns, the tournament, which FIFA regards as its second most significant, promises to be an extravaganza of top-class action. England will be hoping to go even further than their round of 16 showing in 2011. “So many players have started their international careers in this competition,” says Peter Taylor. “That’s

2 June Brazil v England, Rio de Janeiro

how big it is and anybody who goes to it will leave a better player.”

5-18 June UEFA European U21s Championship, Israel

High hopes Even before the U20s head to Antalya for their first game against Iraq on 23 June, Stuart Pearce’s Under-21s will be hoping to be in celebratory mood following the UEFA European Championship. The squad goes to Israel at the start of June looking to extend its awesome winning streak of nine wins from its last nine matches. The team hasn't conceded a goal during that run and also sealed qualification for the finals in style, topping its group and seeing off Serbia in the two-legged play-off. Pearce will know exactly what to expect, England being the only nation to have reached the main event for the fourth time in succession. They face Italy, qualification rivals Norway and hosts Israel, with the top two teams in each group taking their place in the semi-finals. It’s also a busy summer for England’s Women’s sides. First off, Hope Powell and her team fly to Sweden to take part in the UEFA European Women's Championship in July. The team qualified for this year’s Championship in convincing fashion - unbeaten and top of its group - and started 2013 by winning the Cyprus Cup, an annual friendly tournament. As a warm-up to their first game against Spain on 12 July, they meet Japan in a friendly at Burton Albion on 26 June. Mo Marley’s U19s team doesn’t have too far to travel for its European Championship. Having qualified for the finals with elite-round victories over Norway and Hungary, following a narrow defeat to Serbia, it now prepares for the main event in Wales, which begins on 19 August. The team is in a group with Denmark, France and its Welsh hosts and will be hoping to repeat its success of 2009, when it was crowned European Champions.

12-23 June IBSA European Blind Football Championship, Italy 23 June-13 July FIFA U20s World Cup, Turkey 26 June England Women's v Japan, Burton Albion 1-6 July Women's U17s Nordic Cup, Iceland 12-29 July UEFA European Women's Championship, Sweden 20 July-1 August UEFA European U19s Championship, Lithuania (TBC if England qualifying from elite round in May) 24 July-11 August CPISRA Cerebral Palsy Intercontinental Cup, Spain 14 August England v Scotland, Wembley 19-31 August UEFA European Women's U19s Championship, Wales For more information about all 24 England teams, visit www.TheFA. com/England

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Exchange and return What impact do different types of substitutions have on the result of a match? Castrol's Decision Technology team investigates.

he ability to make a good substitution is regarded as one of the tests of a good manager. Read the papers each week and you will see a manager congratulated for their tactical brilliance, changing the game with a deft replacement. And you will read of disgruntled fans singing, “You don’t know what you are doing”, because the manager has failed to throw on a new player or, more usually, because they have taken off one of their favourites and brought on someone the supporters regard as a duffer. So a manager throws on one striker for another just as stoppage time begins. How can that make a difference? Then, with the last touch of the ball, the new man scores. Is that a result of the substitution? Might it have happened anyway? Was it just a coincidence? Over the years, the Decision Technology statistical team, which now works with Castrol on some of the most respected and useful rankings, has turned its attention to substitutions. Its first piece of research came down on the side of randomness – finding that some 76

substitutions just deliver a result, as you would expect statistically. Clearly, when that happens, it’s memorable. However, the data suggests that replacing one player with another in the same position doesn’t alter the game in any significant way. This is not because of the timing of the substitution, it is down to its nature. Replacing one player with another very similar player doesn’t change anything. Why would it? That doesn’t, of course, mean the substitution is completely pointless; there may be considerations around injury protection, team morale, resting players, stopping bookings and so forth. However, according to the data, the overall obvious impact on the scoreline appears to be negligible.

Decision Technology team looked at 4,384 substitutions between the start of the 2010-11 season and the end of last year; 2,333 involved replacing a player with someone else in the same position. Only 284 involved an all-out change – a defender for a forward. There were 756 mildly defensive changes (a defender on for a midfielder or a midfielder for an attacker) and 1,011 mildly aggressive substitutions – an attacker on for a midfielder or a midfielder for a defender. Most of this takes place late in the match. In other words, managers are pretty conservative. But is the less conservative approach worth it? Does it make a difference? Yes.

Tactical switches But the research team have probed deeper, looking at the effect of substitutions that replace one player with another in a different position. The first point is that the greatest number of substitutions are of the seemingly tactically neutral type, i.e. replacing a like-for-like player. The

Defending the defensive The most obvious finding – and one that the data allows one to make with confidence – is that defensive substitutions reduce the number of goals you concede. And the more defensive the substitution, the greater the reduction. One of the things fans tend to worry

ALICE TO CONFIRM

about is that when a team or managers “defensive sit on leads, it will allow the other side to come on to them and eventually score. substitutions They are therefore against defensiveness reduce the and defensive substitutions. But, naturally, number of goals defensive tightness works. doesn’t work all the time of course, you concede. And butItpeople’s eyes often deceive them. the more defensive Naturally, when team A scores it is quite to be at a moment when team the substitution, likely B is playing defensively. The issue is the greater the causality. Fans think that team A is attacking because team B is defending. It the reduction” is, if you think about it, more likely that

team B is defending because team A is attacking. Fans should, in fact, be worried that managers sometimes don’t sit on leads enough; that they don’t bring on defensive players to close out the game. In other words, fans who worry about their team trying to defend for the last few minutes may be worrying about the wrong thing. They should be more worried about the manager keeping a winning and attacking team on the field and not changing because the team is ahead. 77

CMYK pitch side

PRIMARY LOGO

SECONDARY LOGOS

Ringing up the changes

Despite the prevailing economic conditions, English football continues to enjoy relatively good financial health. But what have been the major trends in the transfer market? Words: Prozone

he 2012-13 season has been another year of big spending, with £655m – an amount comparable to the GDP of the Caribbean island of Dominica – invested in new players by Barclays Premier League and Championship clubs. One of the most obvious trends in these signings has been a reliance on domestic talent. Despite the global nature of English football and several high-profile foreign signings, clubs still conduct the majority of their business closer to home. 78

In the Barclays Premier League, 44 per cent of signings came from other English clubs, with that figure rising to 74.4 per cent in the Championship. The trend is even more marked regarding sales, with 86.4 per cent and 95.8 per cent of outgoing players moving domestically in the Barclays Premier League and Championship respectively. This is best illustrated by the 10 most expensive outgoing transfers from the second tier, every one of them having been a sale to a Barclays Premier League club.

EPL and Championship (Incoming deals – Top 5 nationalities) Nationality English Scottish Irish French Spanish, Welsh

# Deals 213 28 27 22 18

% 42.2% 5.5% 5.3% 4.3% 3.5%

We can also break down transactions by player nationality. In total, 57.3 per cent of all incoming players in the top two divisions were British or Irish, with the next most common nationality being French at 4.3 per cent. Again, this suggests that Barclays Premier League and Championship clubs are perhaps more comfortable recruiting players that are tried and tested in English football, or are limiting the scope of their scouting operations for financial reasons. However, despite domestic players being the most commonly targeted, only two of the 10 most expensive signings this season (Joe Allen and Wilfried Zaha) were British players. This indicates that, while there is a general preference for British players, the wealthiest clubs are still looking elsewhere for their biggest signings. Searching for value As well as generally favouring domestic recruits, clubs are frequently using loans and free signings in order to conduct

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there are signs that clubs are being more conservative in their spending than in previous years” transfer business on a tight budget. Of the 965 Barclays Premier League and Championship player transactions this season, 524 (54.3 per cent) were loans and 264 (27.3 per cent) were free transfers. With only 175 deals (18.1 per cent) seeing money change hands (and only 53 of those for more than £5m), the data indicates that clubs are exercising a certain amount of caution with regard to their spending. While the biggest transfers understandably dominate the headlines, the amount of coverage they’re given can skew perceptions of the market. The reality is that a large number of clubs are constantly looking for value and scouring the leagues for loan deals and out-ofcontract players. In fact, as a reflection of this activity, we can see that the top five per cent of the most expensive transfers this season have contributed 69.6 per cent of the total cost of all deals. The Barclays Premier League may have registered a net spend of -£315m this season, but there are signs that clubs are being more conservative in their spending than in previous years. When we take into account the fact that the current top five clubs account for 49.9 per cent of league spending, it becomes clear that others are having to be more frugal in their recruitment. This trend shines through when we look at the percentage of players signed by Barclays

One of the season's most expensive signings, Wilfried Zaha, in action.

Premier League clubs from other English leagues. For the top five clubs, the figure stands at 34.4 per cent, rising significantly to 46.21 per cent for the other 15. One possible explanation for this focus on domestic players outside the very wealthiest clubs is the introduction of the Elite Player Performance Plan (EPPP). Designed to encourage the development of home-grown players and improve the standards of academies, EPPP is an incentive for clubs to invest in youth and add domestic players to their squads. The prevalence of domestic players being transferred and their relatively young average age (24.9 years) suggests that clubs are adapting their strategies to meet the demands of recent legislation. With more than half a billion pounds having been spent over the last 10 months, it’s clear that English football continues to be a source of huge transfer spending. However, with clubs adapting to legislation and trying to recruit with relatively small budgets, a number of interesting trends are emerging that may become more established in the seasons to come. The pioneer in performance analysis, Prozone has been empowering data with meaning since 1998. Working with football’s elite, it provides expert technology and consultancy to create world-leading insights. Analysing objective data from more than 10,000 games every season, Prozone helps 250 clubs across five continents to achieve genuine on-field advantage.

And in business... According to recruitment and talent management specialists Randstad, trends in business recruitment in 2013 will be driven largely by austerity. Organisations need to balance short-term survival with the need for a long-term development strategy. As a result, we're likely to see: • Targeted recruitment and identification of talent in places and markets that they'd like to develop the business, including on a global scale. • Increased in-house development and employee engagement to retain and realise the full potential of existing staff. • Innovative recruitment and development strategies. • Greater diversity in the workplace.

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A league of their own How do you create better footballers? It is an age-old question, but one proven way of improving standards is to ensure players are constantly kept competitive.

“The analysis and data has been fed back to the coaches at the participating clubs

nd how do you create a successful competition? Add the latest performance analysis technology, bring in some of the most experienced coaches in the English game to provide qualitative analysis of those players, encourage clubs to retain their players rather than send them out on loan, and you’re well on the way. That is what has taken place in the inaugural Barclays Under-21 Premier League, which replaced the Premier Reserve League at the start of the 2012-13 season. 22 clubs entered, of which 17 were from the Barclays Premier League and five from the npower Championship. The competition is split into two group stages, Phase 1 and Phase 2, before the end-ofseason play-offs decide the overall champion in May. From vision to reality Responsibility for the competition was given to Head of Professional Development Terry Westley, who joined the Barclays Premier League from Birmingham City, where he was Academy Manager. For Westley, the league is the result of a long-held ambition to see the best young players take each other on in an information-rich environment. “When I was at Birmingham, we brought together U14 players from a number of clubs to train once a week. It was very noticeable that the standard of play increased when the best players from each team went up against one another and different coaches. You could see that it tested them mentally. So we thought about how to create a league where the very best players competed against one another on a more regular basis.” To help evaluate how players are developing on the pitch, each match is monitored by data analysis company Prozone. Meanwhile, selected matches are assessed by Technical Match Officials (TMOs), such as former Tottenham Hotspur manager David Pleat and former Aston Villa coach John Deehan, who provide a more qualitative analysis of fixtures. Focus areas Analysis from the TMOs and the data from Prozone suggests the style of play in Barclays Under-21 Premier 80

League matches resembles that of the Barclays Premier League more than the Football League; there is a much higher proportion of passes made and a greater level of technical quality on display. However, while the degree of passing may have increased, where that play is occurring is a concern, as most passes take place in the defensive third. This suggests teams need to develop more of a cutting edge. “David Pleat saw that the game was being played out from the back and trying to be played in midfield, but that there were not too many creative midfielders,” says Westley. “Possession was good, but it was going sideways and backwards. There weren’t too many of the [Jack] Wilshere types to get the ball through to people.” The analysis and data has been fed back to the coaches at the participating clubs to help them understand how they might break through the defensive lines. The standard of play shown also means coaches and managers have a dilemma as to where their younger players learn the game. “We are trying to build a league that is comparable to the Barclays Premier League,” says Westley. “When on loan, of course, there is the element of playing in front of a crowd in a stadium every week and having to win the match, so a combination of going on loan to a lower-level club and a spell with the Under-21s is the way forward.”

Arsenal take on Tottenham in the Barclays U21 Premier League.

Barclays U21 Premier League

19.46

Average age of player

64%

the number of English on-field appearances

72%

the number of British on-field appearances

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PARK LIFE It’s been another busy quarter at St George’s Park. Here are some of the highlights... 1

1. March 2013 England U17 v Portugal U17 - Elite Round Qualifying Group Six 2. April 2013 Roy Hodgson helps to unveil a bronze bust of Sir Walter Winterbottom 3. March 2013 Joe Hart in action, preparing for the World Cup Qualifiers 4

4. April 2013 St George’s Park hosts a UEFA study visit 5. February 2013 England Rugby captain Chris Robshaw in action 6. April 2013 Nigel Adkins and Ray Clemence speaking at the FA Licensed Coaches’ Club Goalkeeping conference

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JUST A MOMENT Oldham Athletic's Lee Johnson, the youngest manager in the Football League at only 31, squares up to his father, Gary, manager of Yeovil Town, in a landmark family dual. 84

Residential Training Camps at St. George’s Park This £105m easily accessible facility, set in 330-acres of Staffordshire countryside, is the new home for England’s 24 national teams. With 11 outdoor pitches, a full-size indoor 3G pitch, a suite of rehabilitation and sports science areas, an indoor Futsal sports hall and two on-site hotels, St. George’s Park provides world-class facilities for all England teams and a host of other clubs and individual players. St. George’s Park has already welcomed over 50 teams from the Premier League and Football League as well as international teams. Training Pitches: • 12 full size football pitches and a goalkeeping area • Five with floodlighting and under soil heating • Five natural grass pitches • Four grass/fibre stitch pitches • Indoor 3G pitch – full size 105m x 68m Desso I-DNA fibre pitch built to the FIFA 2 star standard

Sports Medicine Centre: Perform at St. George’s

Park is a world-class sports medicine, rehabilitation and human performance facility. Included amongst the centre’s cutting-edge facilities and services are: anti-gravity treadmill, altitude chamber, underwater treadmill and hydrotherapy suite, strength and conditioning gym, biomechanical assessments and applied GPS and heart-rate monitors.

Accommodation: With two on-site hotels to choose

from, our innovative concept will provide options to suit any budget. Adaptable catering options can be provided to support a travelling team with unprecedented levels of comfort and service. Bespoke packages and tailor-made itineries are available on request.

TheFA.com/sgp

For more information or to discuss your individual requirements please call

01283 576200 sara.harding@thefa.com

@StGeorgesPark