Managing Partner, Isha Patel, shares her thoughts on the parallels we can draw from sport in the way we approach risk protection.
There are no shortages of sporting analogies in business. Since joining Partners& in December 2022, I can’t stop thinking about the parallels between what we do and the art of defence in sport. Name a sport and I’ve probably spectated or tried my hand at it least once (never has “jack of all trades, master of none” been truer…).
Most businesses want to, and should, be focused on the attack. Whether it’s Bazball, route one football or last-minute drop goals – can you believe that was 20 years ago!? It’s the attacking players that get pinned up on walls and make the memories that stay etched in minds forever. It’s equivalent to fighting off the competition, landing the deal, winning the hearts and minds of clients. This is progress, this is victory. It is tangible and it is rewarding.
On the flip side in any sport, there is still a job to be done in defence and preparation here is key. Are we zonal marking with our players being assigned to cover areas of the field instead of directly marking an opposition player? How can we force the turnover? A solid defence is arguably less glamorous, but it is still an essential ingredient for sustained success – every Ben Stokes needs a Jack Leach.
In the sport of business, the threats are varied – theft, fire, cyber-attack, mistakes, credit risk, staff turnover, absence or at worst, death. That’s only the half of it, so it can be hard to know where to begin.
In business, the art of defence is often lost. Perhaps due to not having the right coach or simply never making time to focus on it at the training ground.
This is where Partners& comes in. As a risk advisory business, we are here to work with you in partnership and help you to form your defensive strategies. We want to understand your challenges in the present, and the future, to ensure that you and your business is prepared.
Our aim is to create the best risk advisory business in the UK and that means working alongside you to ensure your defence is organised and ready to react efficiently, whatever the challenges may be.
In short, we are here to bring back the art of defence. We help you to build resilience to protect tomorrow. This is our difference.
