What Does It Take To Win?

It’s a question asked by sports teams across the country. What can they do to ensure they win, time after time?

It’s a question that Dave Brailsford and his professional cycling team, Team Sky, ask on a daily basis. And one that has resulted in them winning the world’s most prestigious cycling race, Le Tour de France, three times in the last four years.

Sir Dave Brailsford has put this down to marginal gains – small incremental improvements in any process that add up to a significant improvement when they’re all brought together. It’s a concept that has become commonplace in sport.

So how exactly does this apply to business?

In cycling every aspect is explored, from a rider’s sleeping position and the number of hours they spend in the gym, through to hours in wind tunnels, aerodynamics and changes to riding positions. The same can be applied to business.

By identifying all the things that impact on business performance and where improvements can be made, your organisation can begin to make marginal improvements which, added together, will garner more significant gains. But don’t be tempted to ignore any area. It’s these areas that’ll likely bring forth a greater competitive advantage.

In business, an organisation that is keen to adopt marginal gains and create a winning team need to approach it with a united mindset and attitude towards improvement. In other words, all aspects of the business need to be seeking marginal gains at all times. It needs to become your philosophy. That way a high performance culture can flourish.

As with most great ideas, marginal gains isn’t rocket science. Identifying areas where your business can improve and developing plans to do so can have a significant impact on you, and your business performance.