As most Fantasy Football leagues are entering into their playoffs, I thought I’d share some thoughts around the interesting parallels I found between being a Fantasy Football Commissioner and skill sets needed at work. I definitely think Fantasy Football Commissioner needs to be added to your Linkedin Profile immediately! (mildly serious on this, of course)
As a Fantasy football veteran of over 10 years, I have witnessed the popularity of grow exponentially, especially in the last several years. I know there are some reading this that have been involved for way longer than I have and were “pre-internet” with their leagues. From office pools, to online fantasy gaming sites, to getting more people in the seats at sports bars, Fantasy Football has taken the NFL experience to another level.
Fantasy Football is the most played of all fantasy sports due to the popularity of the NFL, easy scoring set-ups, and a short season schedule. However, running any fantasy league can be challenging!
With the popularity, comes the challenge that someone has to take the lead and manage a diverse group of individuals during the season. Enter the role of the Commissioner. Having been a Commissioner for a few years now, I can tell you that some of the skills needed to do this are directly in line with what any organization would love to get with a future team member.
So…I thought I’d share my insights and I’d love any feedback if you agree or disagree.
You Are Well-Organized
There is no question that any fantasy league, especially Pre-Draft, requires you to be very organized and prepared. From the first time you see the “Sign your league up” email in June, it is “Go Time” with a lot of moving parts until the draft a couple months later. From getting everyone signed up, to collecting fees, and most importantly getting a draft date set. It is tall order for many and the ones that are well organized look like a champ to the other league members.
In an office setting I have learned that being organized is extremely important and ultimately helps stay ahead of the game and succeed time after time. I have rarely met a successful individual that is all over the place and not organized throughout the day. Have you?
You Work Well Under Pressure
During any draft there are going to be multiple curveballs thrown your way. I’ve had guys show up plenty late, internet connection issues, and the worst…the slow drafting team owner. It is imperative to keep calm in these situations when you are putting fires out all over the place.
In any career, you are going to be pushed to the limit and you have to keep a calm head about it. When pressured, it is the individual that can think clearly and quickly that will prevail more times than not. Especially in sales, if you cannot think on your feet and act fast you can completely lead your prospect down the wrong path and have the deal blow up right in your face.
You Handle Conflict Well
It goes without saying that trying to manage 11 grown adults is a challenge in itself. Now, managing 11 grown adults that often act like teenagers, that’s where it becomes a challenge. Anyone that is managing a fantasy football league knows exactly what I am speaking of. When poor trades get accepted or there is some “spicy” trash talk going back and forth it is the Commish that has to come in and lay down the hammer.
Being able to hear all points of view and come up with a sound judgment call that is fair goes a long way in both keeping talent in-house and ultimately landing better hires as you grow. Additionally, being able to be respectful to people that have opposing views and understand their positioning helps keep a happy workplace and grow your relationship with your team members going forward.
I could probably go on and on about other parallels between Fantasy Sports and Work, but I’d love to hear your thoughts. Hopefully this lends some slight humor to your day but also gets you thinking about some creative things you could add to your resume or Linkedin Profile as a fun conversation starter!
I shared a few ideas of mine but what other ideas can you contribute to this topic?
Thanks for reading!
Brian