World Cup Edition

GOAL! Once every four years, an unparalleled level of excitement and adrenaline comes through our screens via the World Cup. Audiences from all over the world tune in to watch teams fight it out for the title of “ best soccer team in the world”.

The unpredictability keeps us on the edge of our seats –Who will crumble under the pressure of a penalty kick? Will our favourite team win? Or will the underdogs go against all odds?

Within just the first week, Iceland and Switzerland both recorded unexpected draws against Argentina and Brazil respectively. Mexico also beat reigning champion, Germany in the opening match.

How did they do it? Was it the coach, the team morale, persistency, luck, focus or all of it?

Maybe we will never truly know the secret to winning a world cup match but there are lessons applicable to both the field and the corporate world. How can we ensure that we perform well under pressure, work well with our team and score those career goals? In addition, should you take extra precautionary HR measures during the football fever season? Let’s find out:

Are your employees feeling the pressure? Here’s 5 ways to motivate them instead of crushing them.

We don’t always get to pick the members on our team, and sometimes, we get assigned to work with a “toxic” member. Find out why a toxic team member can destroy an entire team and steps you can take minimise the damage of a toxic co-worker.


‘Goalkeeping’ is not going to be effective until you understand these 25 truths. Harsh maybe, but necessary if you want to score those goals

The 2014 World Cup saw 131 million working days lost as people skipped work or stayed up late to celebrate (or commiserate) their team’s performance and consequently missed work the next day. Here are five steps that companies should be taking to ensure your business doesn’t suffer during World Cup fever.

BONUS: HOW TO TURN A GROUP OF STRANGERS INTO A TEAM | AMY EDMONDSON

The best football teams work because of the synergy the players show on the field. But unlike sports teams who get time to bond and practise together, not everyone has the luxury of stable teams. Especially when you work with people from around the world or switch teams with every project.

Wouldn’t it be great to generate teamwork on the fly? Edmondson suggests that with “situational humility, curiosity (and) psychological safety”, it is possible to turn from a group of strangers to a team that can nimbly respond to challenges. Watch to find out more.

THE AUTHOR

Isabelle Larche

Managing Director, Recruitment & Executive Search at Timeo-Performance

Isabelle is a Human Performance expert, with over 10 years of professional recruitment experience, and 15 years of Business Management Consulting experience. Isabelle is the Vice President of the French Chamber of Commerce and Trade Counsellor (Singapore Chapter) to the French Embassy.

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