Management lessons from Euro 2004 - Part 7
We are there, the finals of Euro 2004. A lot of unknown teams, smaller teams, less famous teams, or however to call them, have made it to the finals – Greek, Czechs, Danes – okay, some are more famous. The Danes made it last in 1992, the Greeks never, and the Czechs, well, I don’t remember, but I think Germany beat them sometimes in the end of the 1990s.
What is happening? Well, it is partly the result of the demography – many countries in Europe are aging, and as such, there is no “young blood” anymore that could replace the older guards.
Other sporting events that became more famous, replaced the traditional soccer games – tennis, golf, racing etc.
Complacency – the “no one can beat us” feeling that settled onto the teams that were always there – Germany, Italy, England, France, and may be, every now and than, Spain. As they lost, they looked for excuses, the best by Beckham and the moving soil. These are the signs of those who cannot look into the mirror and need to find excuses somewhere else.
Isn’t it also fitting to say that especially the Greeks worked like a “disruptive technology” – well, they didn’t play that excitingly well, like new stuff often does – it doesn’t work that well – think camera phones. Everybody from the older players dismisses them – it will never replace my product. But they cannot believe that there is some growing momentum on their side – the winner’s feeling, so to speak. And that once you got the drive, it just keeps coming. What is than happening is that old products get replaced – Germany in football, and companies like Polaroid go into bankruptcy, and Kodak struggles to get into the footing.
Globally, we can actually also say that the Western world and its thinking get replaced by the rise of Asia, and, ultimately, by Africa as well – ever thought of Africa as a power to come?
Isn’t it an exciting world?
We are there, the finals of Euro 2004. A lot of unknown teams, smaller teams, less famous teams, or however to call them, have made it to the finals – Greek, Czechs, Danes – okay, some are more famous. The Danes made it last in 1992, the Greeks never, and the Czechs, well, I don’t remember, but I think Germany beat them sometimes in the end of the 1990s.
What is happening? Well, it is partly the result of the demography – many countries in Europe are aging, and as such, there is no “young blood” anymore that could replace the older guards.
Other sporting events that became more famous, replaced the traditional soccer games – tennis, golf, racing etc.
Complacency – the “no one can beat us” feeling that settled onto the teams that were always there – Germany, Italy, England, France, and may be, every now and than, Spain. As they lost, they looked for excuses, the best by Beckham and the moving soil. These are the signs of those who cannot look into the mirror and need to find excuses somewhere else.
Isn’t it also fitting to say that especially the Greeks worked like a “disruptive technology” – well, they didn’t play that excitingly well, like new stuff often does – it doesn’t work that well – think camera phones. Everybody from the older players dismisses them – it will never replace my product. But they cannot believe that there is some growing momentum on their side – the winner’s feeling, so to speak. And that once you got the drive, it just keeps coming. What is than happening is that old products get replaced – Germany in football, and companies like Polaroid go into bankruptcy, and Kodak struggles to get into the footing.
Globally, we can actually also say that the Western world and its thinking get replaced by the rise of Asia, and, ultimately, by Africa as well – ever thought of Africa as a power to come?
Isn’t it an exciting world?
posted by Andreas @ 10:56 am
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