Failure – a Key to Success

By Imago Group
Monday 9 July, 2007

A knowledge system that tolerates failure is a cornerstone of Australia’s remarkable success, according to one of the country’s shrewdest sports mentors, Jim Ferguson.

Executive Director of the Australian Sports Commission (incorporating the Australian Institute of Sport) for over a decade, Ferguson can lay claim to being a chief architect of this country’s elite system. He will be a key presenter at next month’s Sport Knowledge Australia’s (SKA) course on High Performance Unit Management.

Speaking on the likelihood of Australia retaining a leading role in world sport, Ferguson says that constant reassessment of scientific and management practices will be critical as will good junior development and grooming of athletes.

“You have to have a knowledge system that tolerates failure,” he says. “If you are not failing, you are not innovating. Pushing the margins and constant innovation are characteristics of the system that has been built.
“The Sports Commission and AIS have always encouraged coaches and scientists to ‘have a go’ – a sensible ‘go’. And, if it doesn’t work the attitude is that we will learn and do it better next time.”

Reflecting on the tenet of his recently published book, “More than Sunshine and Vegemite,” Ferguson summarises, “We have not been successful based on just a good diet and lots of sunshine. The reason we have been successful is because we have the system which has allowed it.

“In the 1970s we were unsuccessful but since the early 80s and through the 90s we built, without doubt, the best sports system in the world.

“Japan, the UK, New Zealand, Canada, Germany and Italy have all been trying to learn from our system.

“What’s important is vision; vision to be the best in the world and that’s pretty tough in sport. It doesn’t happen by accident; it takes strong strategic planning.”

Ferguson, who guided the ASC and AIS from 1990-2000, will be joined at SKA’s High Performance Unit Management course (Sydney Olympic Park from 7-9 August) by renowned scientists and administrators who play leading roles in sport’s current direction.

Presenters:
• Dr Donna O’Connor, Associate Professor, Faculty of Management at University of Sydney
• Dr John Orchard of the Sydney Roosters
• Kenneth Graham, Head of Sport Science at the NSW Institute of Sport
• Phil Borgeaud, Assistant Director of Sports Programs at AIS
• Morag Croser, Senior Systems Manager, the National Talent Identification and Development Program
• Ray McLean, Director of Leading Teams Australia - leadership trainer and consultant to Australian Basketball team, NSW Waratahs and Sydney Swans

For more information on the course, please visit here.

ABOUT SKA: Launched in June 2005 with a Federal Government grant, SKA is jointly owned by the University of Sydney, University of Technology, Sydney and the Sydney Olympic Park Authority. SKA assists the continued global growth of the sports industry, helping more communities around the world to benefit from Australia’s strong sporting culture. Since its launch, SKA has delivered sport management programmes at the prestigious Indian School of Business in Hyderabad, run facility management courses in China and various seminars and courses in Australia on topics as diverse as player valuation strategies, genetic doping in sport, player welfare, executive sport management, elite sport coaching, major event management and facility management.

ATTENTION EDITORS AND PRODUCERS: Presenters are available for interview by contacting –Imago Group – Liz Herbert, Mobile: 0407 234 221 Tel:+61 2 9331 7222.