Mother in Law: Football lessons

Another bank holiday weekend. On this occasion, the extra time meant my husband was able to watch a whole game of football on the TV. I mean, it was sunny outside for the first time in about four years, and he was inside watching TV, but whatever. The game was Ipswich v Huddersfield and we have a vested interest in that my husband’s uncle lives over that way and is fanatical about Ipswich Town. I came in to watch at the 90 minute mark and within about six minutes was welling up. For the avoidance of doubt, this says a lot more about my inability to control my emotions than it does about my love of football or indeed a football team I’ve barely heard of. For those that don’t know, as of Saturday, Ipswich Town FC have gone up two leagues in two seasons.

My tears were for the pride, happiness and camaraderie that was so evident in the celebrations as the whistle blew. You don’t hear me say this a lot, but we don’t see enough decent men doing good things these days. But what made me pick up my pen to write this article (yet another on a subject I know little about) was something the commentator said. He said that the club was like 'one beating heart, from the top to the bottom'. After the match I read further into their story over the last few years (and spoke to my uncle-in-law willingly about football for the first time) and they clearly have some lessons for us all - if we want successful businesses, that is.

The first lesson is to have a strategy and stick to it. Work out your goals and values and work hard to attain them. This is not the same as agreeing something at a partners’ strategy day at Go Ape and then forgetting all about it. Every member of staff, from the very top to the very bottom, should be singing from the same hymn sheet - projecting the correct image. CEO Mark Ashton arrived on his first day at the club to find the reception had been closed for three years to save money, essentially projecting to the outside world that they were not open for business. Now, of course, there is no doubt about that. ('Are they sponsored by maths?' asked Deceptively Angelic Child 2 on Saturday. I know I’m in my forties but surely I’m right that it is cooler to be sponsored by Ed Sheeran than, like, TeamViewer?)

What should that strategy look like? For Ipswich Town it has included being at the heart of the local community. Unlike that TeamViewer club, its supporters are generally local. They have made a decision to stay in the town centre - which is also a decision law firms need to grapple with, of course. If your clients are generally people who go into town to do their shopping, it must be of benefit if you are visible on each and every one of those shopping trips. If that’s not possible, can you be visible in other ways, such as supporting local causes? Of course, if those aren’t your clients, maybe being out of town with lots of parking is the better option.

Investment in training - and training facilities - has been ramped right up, and the manager Keiran McKenna’s approach to improving the players’ skills has been forensic. I know at my firm recruitment and retention of staff is a big issue. 'Growing our own' has become very important, as well as giving staff the ongoing training and resources they need to be the best lawyers they can be - to help them fulfil their professional goals without having to leave the firm. That is much better for morale than recruiting the odd hot-shot.

Mark Ashton also changed the business structure so that it was less flat and everyone always had managerial support. Communication has come up time and time again as an issue in law firms I’ve worked at, and the bigger you are the harder this can be. He has prioritised communication with all stakeholders, including (previously) disgruntled fans.

I think, for a long time, lawyers didn’t realise they were business-people just like the green grocer and the newsagent and everyone else along the high street. Of course, football has long since realised it is a big business but the key is to make sure - as far as possible - that you take a holistic, attention-to-detail approach to running the business to ensure everyone has the best possible chance (whether staff or client) of having a long and positive relationship with the firm.

Some facts and identities have been altered in the above article