The Sport of Management

Management is like fencing. Management is like swimming. Management is like…

by David Zinger

Here are 5 sports metaphors for management created by Slacker Manager readers. Management is like:

1. Baseball. Baseball, because its a team sport, but allows individuals to excel; also, there is a lot of strategy involved in baseball similar to the competition in the workplace 
2. Fencing. The sport I have selected is fencing. Fencing is a cerebral sport, requiring not just a primary plan and approach, but contingencies and on-the-fly responses. It can be extremely fast with explosions of activity and fury, or it be slower, methodical and tactical – as when you are sizing up your opponent. At the end of a bout, you can expect to be exhausted and exhilarated, just like a good day in the office. 
3. Chess. Not sure you’d classify this as a sport, but … I think management is like chess – you always need to be mindful of where the pieces are, where they’re going, what will happen when they get there and what’s likely to be happening three moves from now. 
4. Swimming. I would compare management to swimming. Why? Because there is a lot of stroking & kicking involved. 
5. Skeet. Management is like skeet – you have to pick your targets.

Take your shot. How about you? What sport is management like for you? Feel free to write your response in the comments.

Photo Credit: A clean hit by http://flickr.com/photos/erikcharlton/220370166/