So we are now just over a week away from the UEFA European Championships and the daily papers have been alive with speculation on the makeup of the England football squad for months now. The big debate has been over the inclusion of former captain, John Terry over Rio Ferdinand, but it got me thinking (and this is where I get back on topic)…
The issue over squad selection is a very public display of the importance of managing staff in an appropriate manner. The world’s press are micro-analysing everything that Roy Hodgson does, and it is sometimes hard to remember that for many of the players this is the defining moment of their career.
Take Joleon Lescott as an example. Only last week he was given the news that he had feared for months. He was not selected in the England squad. How do you deal a crushing blow like that, and still keep people motivated? Football is a cruel mistress, and as luck would have it, Gareth Barry picked up an injury and Joleon Lescott gets to go to the European Championships after all, sadly at the expense of his club mate.
The manager’s job is a tough one. Not everybody can get the big promotion, and without managing those who miss out as well, the whole company suffers. It is imperative in a situation like this to be frank and honest with those missing out. Explain your decision and thought process to them, and create a framework for development which will give them the skills needed when the next opportunity arises.
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