Can Paolo learn from Ferguson's Formula

Anita Elberse from the Harvard Business School recently interviewed Sir Alex Ferguson and published an insight into how to become a successful manager in 8 lessons.

1. Start with the Foundation
"When you give young people a chance, you not only create a longer life span for the team, you also create loyalty. They will always remember that you were the manager who gave them their first opportunity."
2. Dare to Rebuild Your Team
"The hardest thing is to let go of a player who has been a great guy -- but all the evidence is on the field. If you see the change, the deterioration, you have to ask yourself what things are going to be like two years ahead."
3. Set High Standards -- and Hold Everyone To Them
"I constantly told my squad that working hard all your life is a talent. But I expected even more from the star players. I expected them to work even harder."
4. Never, Ever Cede Control
"There are occasions when you have to ask yourself whether certain players are affecting the dressing-room atmosphere, the performance of the team, and your control of the players and the staff. If they are, you have to cut the cord."
5. Match the Message to the Moment
"For a player -- for any human being -- there is nothing better than hearing 'Well done.' Those are the two best words ever invented."
6. Prepare to Win
"I am a gambler—a risk taker—and you can see that in how we played in the late stages of matches. ... If we were still down—say, 1–2—with 15 minutes to go, I was ready to take more risks. I was perfectly happy to lose 1–3 if it meant we’d given ourselves a good chance to draw or to win. So in those last 15 minutes, we’d go for it."
7. Rely on the Power of Observation
"I came to see observation as a critical part of my management skills. The ability to see things is key -- or, more specifically, the ability to see things you don't expect to see."
8. Never Stop Adapting
"Most people with my kind of track record don't look to change. But I always felt I couldn't afford not to change."

Seems like Paolo is on the right track, maybe he needs to apply lessons 5 & 6 and we're onto a winner.
Full article: http://hbr.org/2013/10/fergusons-formula/ar/2

 

Defo can see Paolo following some of those rules that served Fergie so well. PDC is a student of the game, he knows what's needed and wont take any bullshit to get there. I know when Fergie started was a long time ago, but look at how Atkinson managed... the players had control, were always drunk, didnt turn up for training... Do you think Fergie was popular when he took over? Nope. Have faith in PDC, he will never stop trying - of that I have 100% faith in him.

 

Wise words , I think the majority of people could learn from them in any walk of life . PDC is still learning his trade and I am a fan of his . One of the best words of wisdom is pride before a fall . Hopefully Pdc as the ability to swallow his (pride ) when the times arrive .

 

Paolo di Fergio!

 

Disagree with him needing to learn lesson 5 and 6. He's praised players countless times in his short time and he has a passion for attacking football. He always wants to win.

He's going to be a top class manager in time. Still a young manager but he has his head screwed on.

 

Agree I was a bit dumb founded about the questions of 5-6

 

Not sure about 5 and 6 either mate, piss easy when you have a team winning week in week out in all competitions however, at Sunderland I reckon Fergie would have run out of tea cups and hairdryers within a month.