FIELD NOTES

FIELD NOTES

Lately, I have noticed that, for whatever reason, I’m meeting a lot of new people. Inevitably, they ask me what my profession is. Have you ever had this moment? Maybe while taxiing on the tarmac? Those working in the sports tourism industry know how hard it is to answer this question.

For example, we do not work in one department, the accounting department. A true sports tourism professional must be skilled in budgeting, accounting, marketing, advertising, event planning, technical aspects of each sport, and possess many other business attributes…including management, the theme of this issue. These skills make us exceptionally well-rounded as business professionals.

The usual response from someone you have just met is: “Wow, what an amazing job!” And of course, it is, but not because we are attending an endless amount of athletic events as a VIP, which most of these individuals seem to think. I’m thrilled to have a career that continually taps into my creative passions. But the reality is that working as I do, wearing many hats, involves much time spent indoors.

Therefore, I can find myself wrestling with the same work-life balance challenges that most of the workforce experiences. Our society stresses and demands productivity. Long hours, early morning, late nights, the threat of burnout, and unused vacation time have tormented sports tourism organizations for decades.

Unfortunately, the pandemic has made the problem worse. We all thought work from home flexibility would turn the tide; however, we work more hours on average than before. There is no separation between work time and personal time with offices now in our homes.

So, how do we, as an industry, find ways to avoid burnout, get moving, and create a better work-life balance? I, personally, am taking on this challenge as a goal in 2022 specific to time management. Are you?

We hope you enjoy The Management Issue!

x Matt Dunn