Tracy-Anne Barker’s Post

When teams square off against the All Blacks, New Zealand's powerhouse rugby squad, they're not just facing fifteen players in black jerseys; they're confronted with the haka. According to Māori tradition, the haka channels ancestors' spirits, giving the players a power that transcends the physical. By the time the haka hits its peak, the psychological battle is often already won. The All Blacks' 87% win rate isn't just an athletic feat. It's fueled by a shared identity, a belief system, and an outstanding sense of pride to be a part of the team and a culture. Shared identity and pride to belong to something greater than oneself is a driver of outstanding performance not just in rugby, however. When I delved into the experiences of over 3,000 people from varied backgrounds and generations, a striking pattern emerged: peak performance and deep fulfillment at work rest on three pillars, and one of them is an undeniable sense of shared identity. Tomorrow, in the new issue of the Culture Craft Newsletter, I'll show you how you can leverage your shared identity as a team to drive performance and a sense of fulfillment at work. Link to subscribe below. #culture #peakperformance #identity

It’s not how you start, but how you finish ✅ Focus on the end game - I’m back with another Rugby themed post, so you guessed it! It must be Friday 😀 In 1905 a match between England and other nationalities was played at Bradford. England won 26–11 even though they were losing at half-time. Wigan's Jim Leytham scored a record four tries in succession. Whether a team game or business, things aren’t always plain sailing. It can be hard work trying to achieve our goals. So, knowing what to say to your team, even when they have their heads down, can make all the difference. What do you think the England manager told the England Team at half time that made them come out fighting to win their game? Come on share your winning lines in the comments below ⬇️ #managementdevelopment #managementskills #managementtips

We do what we do best. When everyone talks we play the game. Simple

Interesting few weeks since rejoining The Halifax Panthers Rugby League board. Illness, a few "less than wonderful" results and all the current woes of the economic world.... However I've never been more optimistic about the opportunity for the team, its fans, and its commercial partners. Here's Why: - Commercial sponsors and partners are getting in at the Ground Floor on the journey to being "Super League Ready". Not only are we very early in the season, we are early in the journey to bigger things in this new era of Rugby League and how the wider game develops. Yes, there are some changes about promotion and relegation. While others bemoan a "closed shop" narrative, our Board and team are planning on how to take advantage and pounce on our opportunity when it presents itself - IMG Ratings are incredibly transparent. Any marketer wants KPI's, Likewise any sales person... now we know exactly what we have to do. (Unrelated to Rugby - But very surprising this week that gateshead have been ejected from National League playoffs due to lack of 10 year secured tenancy... Will be interesting to see how that came about to be missed/unable to remedy in time) - We have incrediby generous and supportive shareholder/directors, ego-less individuals, who have the long-term health of the club and fans at heart, and that of Halifax as a whole. - New faces, brains, and energy including myself, Rachel Garrod, Damian Clayton MBE. Yes, it will take a touch of time for me and Rachel to hit our stride, but rest assured, good things are coming. - Unity Staff, Directors, Players and everyone involved wants great things for the club. I've been involved in lots of large organisations, where you can have competing interests, and fiefdoms. Not here. Is it the finished article? No. Is it unified? Absolutely - Not just a "Boys club". A huge difference in the time I've been away from the club is the attitude surrounding how vital the Womens, Wheelchair, College Pathway and Mixed ability teams are to the future of the club. Having people such as Amy Hardcastle involved, and organisations like Calderdale College is incredibly positive. We're still early on the journey, but glad we're heading in the right direction PT1/2 See Pt 2 in Comment

Meet Mike Hester, the Participation Development Manager at New Zealand Rugby, tasked with the pivotal role of evolving the game to sustain interest and involvement in rugby. Balancing the weight of tradition with the evolving needs of today's youth and society, Mike faces the challenge head-on, charting a course for the sport's future. In our yarn, Mike peels back the layers, revealing the reasoning behind some of New Zealand Rugby's decisions around game modifications. As coaches and administrators, we often lack this crucial insight into the 'why' behind the changes. This yarn sheds light on the rationale behind modifications aimed at boosting engagement. I, for one, am a fan of adaptations that help increase engagement and joy in rugby / sport. I hope this discussion offers invaluable clarity to fellow enthusiasts in the rugby and indeed sporting community. We discussed:  - His role and why it exists - Changes to tackle height and the outcomes - Changes to Small Blacks rugby including 10 aside for U11s and future changes that are coming. - And more… Link in chat below

The Power of Teamwork: Life Lessons Learned from Football In this video, we delve into the invaluable life lessons that can be learned from playing football and the unique bond and trust that is built within a football team. Discover why football is unparalleled in developing teamwork, camaraderie, and trust. #Teamwork #FootballLessons #LifeSkills #Camaraderie #TrustWithinATeam #LessonsLearned #Sportsmanship #FootballBond #BuildingCharacter #FootballIsMoreThanAGame

The New Zealand All Blacks rugby team is the most successful sporting franchise in history. Why? It’s because they have established a team-first ethos that prioritises cultural alignment, shared values, and character over raw talent. In short, no matter how good you are, no one person is bigger than the team. Their 'No Dickheads' policy ensures they only select individuals who fit their non-negotiable principle of 'Whanau' - meaning 'our family, our friends, our tribe. You need the right culture to be successful, so don’t be a Dickhead and just as importantly, don’t hire a Dickhead! #teamculture #values #sharedvalues #success

What do these things have in common❓ Missed 9000 shots Lost more than 300 games Missed the winning shot 26 times Failing over and over again... They are the stats from Irish rugby legend Brian O'Driscoll. Despite these failures, Brian attributes them to his learned experience to help him to become a legend in the game. It's Friday and the linkage to rugby continues this week. What learned or lived experience have you harnessed to propel you forward❓ I'd love to hear from you, please comment below ⬇️ #managementdevelopment #managementtips #managementskills

🏉 Another Rugby League life lesson for everyone... You have to earn the right to play! 🏉 I've said it before, any business that I have going forward will run like a sports team, not a family. A collective group chasing the same objective and common goal. Integral to that is the values that RL has taught me over the years. "You have to earn the right to play" is central to that. I see many people, businesses and agencies alike, looking ahead to the next win, they sign a client and their focus is already on the next win. I'm here to preach that for me, you have to earn the right to focus on the next win, the next attacking set! And that means getting some fucking graft done. So, when you are trusted by a brand: 👉 Go and do some awesome work deliverables 👉 Develop a clear strategy 👉 Implement changes 👉 Hell, OVERDELIVER And, as always, MAKE SURE YOU DRIVE VALUE. If you don't, you haven't earned the right to play and that's usually when the game starts going against you! You throw passes out your arse, you take shortcuts and you ultimately... lose. I'm sure you can think of the business examples to replace these rugby references, they also suck. So, when it comes time to re-pitch or discuss new SOWs with a client, when your team becomes obsessed with chasing new clients, ask yourself. Have we earned the right to play yet? Not sure? It looks like you have some graft to do then. PS: Answers on a postcard for what happened to this lad here (My bet is went the length and scored)

It is fair to say that Welsh Rugby is firmly under the spot light and has been for a little while now, that said, having sat through key note speakers yesterday whilst on course, it is evident that there are still many selfless,determined and passionate people in our game doing everything possible to ensure that the spotlight finds someone else soon. Head Coaches "triple hatting" while in professional environments, Pros and Ex Pros positioning themselves in thankless positions to encourage grassroots development and investment by increased exposure. Quite humbling once the media is peeled back and you see that these recent cracks are no longer being papered over....but the root problem being established, corrective actions implemented and long lasting review methods installed. Many tough decisions come with the aforementioned points, It would do us all good as humans to take a step back sometimes and ask could we do it, do we have the attributes, that continuous drive everyday, the patience and most importantly the support set up from family or friends? Resilience theory argues that it’s not the nature of adversity that is most important, but how we deal with it. When we face adversity, misfortune, or frustration, resilience helps us bounce back. It helps us survive, recover, and even thrive in the face and wake of misfortune, but we need complete buy in and not criticism to achieve this.