Aren’t sports analogies great? They’re always available–no matter what situation you find yourself in, there’s a sports analogy for that. Plus, even if you’re not a sports aficionado, you can usually follow along. And it’s true, they are particularly useful for examples of teamwork, discipline and working through pain to achieve your ultimate goal.
But they also have a weakness.
Sports analogies will most likely let you down at some point in business and in life. Why? Because nowhere else in the expanse of human existence are we governed by such clear, strict rules and protected by refs, flags and such a uniformed acceptance of consequence and retribution. We may argue with refs, but they have the final word and in the end we follow those rulings. In business and in life, things aren’t so clear cut in such immediate and ‘in the moment’ ways — and when we think they are, there’s rarely, if ever, a whistle-blowing, flag-ready ref on hand to make sure we know the second we’ve stepped out of bounds, gone off-sides or fouled an opponent in unsportsmanlike conduct. Such guardians in business, politics, and life would sure come in handy now and again. Don’t you think?
