Psychology How can you boost your hard drive? By applying the sport mentality to business

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MEGAN O'TOOLE
FOR THE TELEGRAPH-JOURNAL

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Confidence, optimism and preparation - these are the fundamental building blocks of success in both the sport and business worlds, according to psychologist David Scott.

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James West/ FOR THE TELEGRAPH-JOURNAL

Sports psychologist David Scott, left, talks to University of New Brunswick women’s basketball player Laura Fowler about how to take a jump shot ... with her eyes closed. The drill enhances confidence in the player. ‘There’s a difference between people who win and lose,’ says Scott. Strategies for success in sport and business is ultimately one and the same.

It may sound like a simple equation, but the University of New Brunswick professor and consultant says these qualities are extremely important in today's financial climate, especially in light of the recent upheaval caused by the U.S. credit meltdown.

"Six months ago, a year ago, way back when - people just did not do the right things ... they were not well prepared, they took short cuts," he said.

Scott refers to those who approved risky subprime mortgage loans, all the way up to the top executives who ran some of the world's largest banks.

"We're in a hole here that should have been avoided way back when. We have to learn from this."

Scott's consulting has taken him all over the globe and put him in contact with some of the world's most influential people, including the Queen and the president of the Pakistan, both of whom he met while working with the West Indies cricket team.

One point he has seen illustrated over and over is the value of developing and sticking to a solid game plan.

"There's a difference between people who win and lose," said Scott, who has worked with a number of high-profile organizations over the years, including the West Indies cricket team, the Vancouver Canucks and the Florida Panthers hockey teams. "Winners think about things differently, approach things differently. Ultimately, the big difference is winners deliver."

As the economy reels from the American financial meltdown, Scott noted, many investors feel hopeless - and helpless to do anything about it.

But rather than succumbing to those feelings, he said, businesses should take the opportunity to learn from the mistakes that led to this ultimate economic implosion and devise strategies to mitigate the fallout and prevent a future repeat.

"You've got to do something, got to keep moving," Scott said, noting the same applies in the sports world. For example, when cycling champion Lance Armstrong faced gruelling, uphill portions of the Tour de France, Scott believes "one voice was saying stop and another was saying keep going." But focused on the win, Armstrong beat the physical strain to take the race time and again, said Scott.

"People have to be more disciplined in terms of thinking and doing the right thing," Scott said. "Winners don't rely on luck; they don't take chances with winning."

One company Scott touts as a good example of this strategy is Horizon Plastics, based in Cobourg, Ont. A fire several years ago ravaged the company's plant, but that did not stop Horizon from getting other products out for a delivery.

"The president says, 'We didn't miss a day - we didn't actually shut down,' " recalled Scott, who worked as a consultant for the firm. The company then became focused on how to keep things going and build a bigger, better plant, he added.

"What's happened there is a certain amount of resilience ... trying to look forward," Scott said. "That's the key in business and sports, and in life as well."

Terry Haggerty, dean of kinesiology at the University of New Brunswick, said Scott is an "exceptional" communicator and a favourite professor among students.

"What I think of David Scott - I call him Scotty - is he's probably one of the best teachers that I've every come across," Haggerty said. "Students tell me they want to take every class Scotty offers. They're enthralled with his presentation skills, the knowledge, the way he delivers it."

One of Scott's key concepts is the link between confidence and success, and through his presentations, he brings that inner confidence out in his audience, Haggerty added.

"When he says, 'If you believe it, you can do it,' people buy into that," Haggerty said. "He's exceptional. We're very lucky to have Scotty in our midst."