Did you watch the ‘snore-fest,’ I mean Superbowl last night? In looking back, I think I wasted about 4 hours of my time. Congrats go out to the Seahawks, who did play up to the challenge, especially their defense who forced 4 turnovers and made big scores. I saw a lot of negative posts on Facebook, mainly directed towards Peyton Manning and the lack of success in the game. Now, one thing I know for sure is that the quarterback is key on the team but he can’t win alone. His offensive line did not protect enough – at least two of his interceptions were due to his arm being hit by a defense man from Seattle; and the defensive line barely showed up. Add to that some very lack-luster commercials and a good, but not stellar, half-time show and it made for a rather boring time (unless you happen to be a Seahawks fan).
In reflecting today, a lot is being written about the domination of the game but not so much about Peyton Manning and his loss. I think he is so loved and respected by millions that it is easy to ‘forgive.’ I’m sure today he is reviewing footage and wishing he could have some ‘do-over’s’ that could have lead to a more positive outcome. How many of you have been in this situation? Maybe you had a big presentation at work that didn’t go as planned, or you had an interview for a job or promotion and you got nervous and tanked it, or you had a meeting set up with a potential new client and you weren’t able to close the deal. I think we all can relate – ‘stuff’ happens that we often can’t predict or control; but what happens after is.
So, if I were to imagine what is going on today in the Bronco’s facility, or if I could provide some coachable moments – and how you can deal when something hasn’t gone well:
- Dealing with a variety of emotions as each player moves from sadness, to anger, to disbelief, and back again in trying to reconcile what has happened – they can either wallow in the loss or choose to create a more positive future
- Taking ownership for their part in either not being mentally or physically prepared, to allowing nerves to get in the way, to not playing to their best, to admitting loss/defeat – this is the fastest way to get to acceptance
- Planning for the future as each player will face on off-season as well as the new season; how will they spend their time in recognizing and learning from their ‘mistakes’ and to hone their craft through practice and repetition to play better and stronger
- Coming together as a team, no matter what; Peyton Manning did not lose the game alone, nor did any other player on his team, so coming together in support and unison to continue and carry on will lesson the ‘sting’ of the game outcome.
If you have ever messed up an important situation, it is best to own it, learn from it and move on. I suspect this is what Peyton will do, although we don’t have to live with the press; but, as people are more forgiving than we care to believe, this loss will fade just as your personal or work error will. You don’t want to be remembered for how you handled the loss but for how you handled it after.
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