[TIPS] Business Playbook Checklist
By tung.nguyenthanh, at: Oct. 25, 2025, 11:44 a.m.
Estimated Reading Time: __READING_TIME__ minutes
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From AFL/NRL Grand Finals to SME/Startup Victory
This playbook translates the high-performance DNA of championship teams into concrete actions for Australian business leaders.
1. The Strategy Playbook (The Game Plan)
| Strategy Element | Football Parallel | SME/Startup Action Items (Checklist) |
|---|---|---|
| Mission Clarity | The Captain's Huddle: Ensuring every player knows the ultimate goal. | Define your One-Page Strategy: Can every employee articulate the company's 1-year goal in a single sentence? |
| Role Clarity & Alignment | The Position Map: Knowing your wing, your pocket, and your specific objective. | Create clear "Player Cards": Document the top 3 KPIs for every role in the business and ensure they align directly to the One-Page Strategy. |
| Scenario Planning | Quarter-Time Huddles: Preparing for the opposition's counter-attack or a change in weather. | Build a "What If" Map: Identify the top 3 external threats (e.g., interest rate hike, key competitor launch, supply chain disruption) and pre-define your team's tactical response. |
| Data-Driven Scouting | The Coach's Box: Analyzing the opposition's weaknesses and your own data. | Set "Interchange" Metrics: Track daily or weekly leading indicators (e.g., sales conversion, website traffic, support response time) that allow for *real-time* mid-week adjustments, not just quarterly reviews. |
2. The Execution Playbook (On-Field Performance)
| Execution Element | Football Parallel | SME/Startup Action Items (Checklist) |
|---|---|---|
| High-Quality Feedback | On-Field Call Outs: Instant correction from teammates and the sideline. | Implement a 48-Hour Feedback Loop: Ensure all project/task-related feedback is delivered and documented within 48 hours, eliminating the ineffective annual review model. |
| Minimizing Errors | Clean Handling: The basics of clean disposal and possession. | Map High-Risk Processes: Identify the top 3 processes that lead to customer or financial errors (e.g., invoicing, onboarding) and automate/document them to reduce human "unforced errors." |
| Leveraging the Bench | Rotating Players: Ensuring the bench players are match-fit and ready to inject energy. | Cross-Train for Critical Roles: Ensure at least one backup team member is trained and certified to perform the core function of every critical role (the CEO, the Lead Developer, etc.). |
| The Final Quarter Mentality | Pushing Through Pain: Maintaining intensity when fatigue hits. | Define the "Non-Negotiables": Establish a set of core delivery standards (e.g., quality control, client communication speed) that are *never* compromised, even under extreme deadline pressure. |
3. The Culture Playbook (The Club DNA)
| Culture Element | Football Parallel | SME/Startup Action Items (Checklist) |
|---|---|---|
| Caring Determination | The Coach's Balance: High challenge, high support. | Schedule "One-on-One Check-Ins": Dedicated, non-work-related 15-minute weekly sessions to discuss mental load, professional development, and personal life—separate from performance reviews. |
| 'Everyone Sweeps the Floor' | Egos Aside: The star player helps pack up the gear. | Enforce a 'No Job Too Small' Policy: Senior leaders must regularly participate in low-level, high-volume tasks (e.g., basic customer support, data entry) to model humility and identify process friction. |
| Resilience Mindset | Bouncing Back: Learning from a devastating loss, not dwelling on it. | Host 'Post-Mortem of Failure' Sessions: When a project fails or a client is lost, run a blameless 30-minute meeting focused purely on documenting 3 key lessons for the next attempt. |
| Celebrating the 'One Percenters' | Team Milestones: Acknowledging small wins that build momentum. | Institutionalize Instant Recognition: Create a public, peer-driven channel (e.g., Slack/Teams) for team members to instantly and publicly thank/recognize colleagues for small acts of high performance. |
Next Steps: Action Plan Flowchart
To maximize success, your SME should treat the Playbook as a dynamic tool, not a static document.
START: Assess Current Performance (Self-Audit)
↓
STEP 1: Implement Role Clarity (The Strategy Playbook)
Action: Define top 3 KPIs for every role
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STEP 2: Build The Bench (The Execution Playbook)
Action: Cross-train and document 3 high-risk processes
↓
STEP 3: Embed Caring Determination (The Culture Playbook)
Action: Implement weekly 1:1 check-ins
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END: Quarterly "Season Review" (Measure impact of changes)
