Becoming a Professional MVP: Help Me Help You

As athletes, we all want to perform at our best when it comes to game time; and so we strive to be as ready as possible through tireless hours of practice and preparation. One specific area of preparation that is rarely talked about amongst the average fan but is an understood necessity between coaches and athletes to be on the same page relates to their time spent in the film room. 

Coaches (insert your Supervisor/Boss) use the film room to relay useful information to their athletes (you) that will hopefully prove to be helpful in their next big game. However, as we all know, the time they will spend together reviewing tape will only be beneficial to all parties if the athlete is ready, willing and able to take full advantage of this opportunity. Today is a Monday – and for those of you entering the working world will soon realize that Mondays are typically full of meetings to review that week’s agenda and tasks, along with your responsibilities. To make the most out of those meetings moving forward, approach them with the same eagerness you would as if it was your own ‘film room’ session. Your Coach (Supervisor/Boss) came prepared, so now it’s your turn:

ARRIVE ON TIME! Personally I am generally not a huge fan of meetings because inevitably someone is always late for one reason or another. But, I do see the value in having meetings versus an email thread when needing to accomplish a task collectively while providing clarity to the problem, project, etc. Nevertheless, I urge you all to appreciate and understand the importance of your colleague’s time. If you are one of those people who doesn’t think arriving 10 minutes late to a meeting is that big of a deal, change your perspective to the following. If 6 total people are waiting for you to show up and the meeting started 10 minutes late because of your tardiness, the time now wasted for that day is not 10 minutes – it’s an entire hour! 6 individuals x 10 minutes each = 60 total minutes now wasted. We all have busy schedules with multiple items on our checklist, so please arrive on time to show your respect to everyone involved.

LISTEN! I know you hear me, but are you listening?! We’ve all heard that phrase at one time or another from a parent, peer, supervisor, coach and the like; but what we must remember is that your career (and personal) growth will be propelled greatly if you follow that advice. “Most people do not listen with the intent to understand; they listen with the intent to reply” – Stephen R. Covey. Make sure you learn how to listen so that your responses are effective and meaningful – also remember that the word listen contains the same letters as silent.

PASSION! The biggest piece of advice I can give someone who is looking to get noticed within their company is to have a passionate focus and relentless desire to deliver the absolute best work – no matter how big or small the task – as this will help you in the following two ways: (a) advance your knowledge of the business/organization and (b) help you to keep a balanced approach for when change and adversity comes knocking on your door.

Be an athlete today. And know the importance of what the ‘film room’ can do for the advancement of you and your company – help me help you.

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 Patrick is a MS, Sport Management candidate at Drexel University set to graduate in Summer 2014. He is the Business and Operations Graduate Assistant for Drexel Athletics and is responsible for supporting the Administration and Operations staff of Drexel's Athletic Cabinet this year. Gallagher graduated with a Bachelors of Science in Business Administration, majoring in marketing and management, in May 2006 from Villanova University. During his enrollment, he was named Captain of the men's varsity soccer team and was appointed President of SAAC. He is looking to use his professional experience as a media sales consultant in New York, coupled with his passion for sports, to pursue a successful career in athletic administration.
You can connect with Patrick Gallagher on LinkedIn