So, Ireland for the Triple Crown this year? England for the World Cup? Inter Milan for the Champions League? Or SCAE for most improved online team?
I often enjoy using sporting analogies and metaphors when running businesses and projects, because it is a great thing to model excellence on. After all it is usually only in sport that:
- The best talent actually plays every time
- It doesn’t matter about politics or if anybody likes them
- The biggest contributor gets paid the most
- The best players don’t get promoted to manager
- You are only as good as your last few games
- You are measured in a very transparent way
- You have to deliver—or you are out
We at the SCAE, like all teams, recognise the need to reinvent ourselves, perhaps sign a few new players, look at the coaching staff and drive ourselves to become a driving force in a few new arenas. We want this year’s award for Leadership in Coffee Education through our courses and programmes, networking through our events (including our “Cup Final” at Caffè Cuture in June), and we are making big strides to be a true voice in Speciality Coffee and lead the communications through our new web and social media platforms. More on all this in the coming weeks . . .
So, continuing the sporting and competition feel, let’s just take the last big sporting event, the Winter Olympics, and match our players and teams to theirs for a bit of fun:
Downhill
Gwilym Davies, Current World Barista Champion (http://prufrockcoffee.com)
Slalom
Valentina Kazachkova, Current World Cup Tasters Champion (http://www.world-cuptasting-championship.com)
Ski Jumping
Peter Hernou, Current World Latte Art Champion (http://www.world-latteart-championship.com)
Giant Slalom
Marta Piigli, Current World Coffee in Good Spirits Champion (http://www.world-coffee-in-good-spirits-championship.com)
Alpine Combined
Christina Koumpouni, Current World Cezve/Ibrik Champion (http://www.world-cezve-ibrik-championship.com)
Cross Country
Stephen Morrissey 2008 World Barista Champion (www.stephenmorrissey.org)
Freestyle
James Hoffman, 2007 World Barista Champion (www.jimseven.com)
Speed Skating
Steve Penk, WBC Chairman (sgp@laspaziale.co.uk)
Figure Skating
Cindy Chang, WBC Executive Director (http://www.worldbaristachampionship.com)
Snowboard
Steffen Schwarz Chair, Competitions Committee (steffen.schwarz@coffee-consulate.com)
Short Track
Mick Wheeler , SCAE Executive Director (mwheeler@scae.com)
Bobsleigh
Barista Champions, World Barista Championship (http://www.worldbaristachampionship.com)
Four-man Bobsleigh
Gold Cup Brewmasters, Gold Cup Programme (http://www.scae.com/the-scae-gold-cup-programme.html)
Luge
Latte Art Champions, World Latte Art Championship (http://www.world-latteart-championship.com)
Skeleton
Cupping Champions, World Cup Tasters Championship (http://www.world-cuptasting-championship.com)
Biathlon
Cezve/Ibrik Champions, World Cezve/Ibrik Championship (http://www.world-cezve-ibrik-championship.com)
Ice Hockey
UK Team, Best Nation Competition (http://www.scae.com/news/gallery/category/17-best-nation-prize-2009.html)
Curling
SCAE Communications Committee (colin@smithscoffee.co.uk)
Nordic Combined
Nordic Barista Cup (http://www.nordicbaristacup.com)
The main point is to see how many of our ‘players’ you know or recognise. You might decide to look a few of them up and see what they are doing, how good they are and perhaps how they could help your business or organisation.
Above all, we are asking for your support because—again, like all great teams—we are only as good as our supporters. I hope you can see progress.
Hope you all had a Happy St Patricks Day.
From Hugh Gilmartin, who has helped deliver the new Online Strategy with a great team – Mike Segal, Victoria Bishop, Mick Wheeler and Dean Salisbury.