Do HR lessons from Rugby World Cup add up?

It’s not enough just to sit back, glass in hand, and enjoy the Rugby Union World Cup final – HR professionals are being asked to consider the ‘lessons’ from it for their practice…

Rugby is a favourite sport for the “upper echelons” in business, including many in HR, so doubtless quite a few of the profession’s number will be glued to their TVs on Saturday night for the World Cup final between the New Zealand All Blacks and South Africa, beer or wine glass in hand.

An early warning, however: Strictly Come Dancing doesn’t finish until 25 minutes after the rugby kicks off, and is followed up on BBC1 by Survivor, so negotiations may ensue in many HR households – perhaps leading to a pub foray for the more rugby-inclined.

There is much about the game that is baffling – the rules around the scrum, what constitutes a knock-on and the awarding of penalties and so on – which often leads to the commentators and pundits themselves sounding a bit flummoxed.

And if the rules were not enough to furrow one’s brow, there are also HR ramifications to consider (apparently). André Spicer, dean and professor of organisational behaviour at Bayes Business School, claims to have revealed five key traits that are common to both successful rugby teams and business operations.

He tells us: “As we enter the final weekend of the World Cup, it is clear we’re about to witness a clash between two closely matched teams.”

Er… yes, go on.

“Although a contest of such…