Show us an activity you enjoy doing. Tell us how you think it contributes to your personal and professional development.

Express Yourself:Selected Question

| Football:The Beautiful Game |

I love playing, watching, reading or talking about Football. An activity that is a universal language, it unites people all over the world, something I found to be true when I first moved to England

Some of the first new friends I made were met having a kick-about on the university pitches or watching the premier league in the common room

The camaraderie, the competition & the excitement are all reasons I love to be involved in the sport, but there are many benefits to be had through involvement in this activity

| Teamwork |

Football is first and foremost a TEAMsport, and is a great microcosm of what working alongside different colleagues (both teams) to deliver for a client (crowd) in an office is like

I’ve played 2 games a week for over 10 years with different people for recreation and local competition

Doing this, I have developed an understanding of the importance of communicating efficiently, working together with a clear plan and

playing to your strengths (while addressing any areas for improvement)

All the above directly translate off the pitch and into the work environment

| Leadership&Inspiration |

The outcome of any match is also highly dependent upon how well a

team is LEAD

The leader isn’t always the captain. He or she is a source of inspiration for team-mates. That could be by

Scoring vital goals | Achieving stretch targets

Last ditch tackles | Rescuing a sinking project

Or simply working harder and harrying the opponents to deny them any opportunity to win

I always try my best to be that kind of person on the field & feel this translates into my professional life, where just as in football, I am seen

as dependable and someone you turn to for help

| Networking |

Football is also a great opportunity to NETWORK and connect with different people, some of whom who you might not meet in normal circumstances

You make a great bunch of friends who you meet regularly and socialisewith in personal time, an aspect of this activity I really enjoy

Additionally, these connections can prove to be invaluable in professional life too

There are a few Jaguar Land Rover employees playing for some of the teams in the league and I frequently utilise this network to get tasks

done quicker & with less hassle, reciprocating when asked

| MakingGreatDecisions |

Football also helps develop important life skills:

Decision makingBravery in pressure situations

To call for a change in tactics while watching a match on TV and then see the team’s manager do the very same is a satisfying vindication of my skills in analysis

There are very few experiences more nerve racking than taking a decisive penalty with all around watching on expectantly. If you can keep your head when under such strain, few other situations will cause much discomfort

| Extra-curricular Fun & Fitness |

A huge part of why I enjoy Football is the FUN and FITNESS factor associated with the sport.

Whether this be playing matches, kicking back and watching the matches on TV, or even post-match discussions about controversial decisions & who did what – They are all enjoyable experiences.

I find going for jogs to be tedious and a high cardio sport like football is a great substitute for this

Healthy body equals healthy mind & the confidence obtained from this can be of immense importance

An iota of narcissism can do wonder and flows into every aspect of my personal & professional life

| Success&Failure |

Football is about Winning & LosingIn experiencing either, you grow & learn more about yourself

Winning brings joy & teaches you to celebrate successBut also brings focus for the next match and the larger picture No space for Complacency

Losing is particularly hard but you learn to get back up from failureHow to deal with disappointments & learning from mistakes to get back to winning ways

| SUMMARY|

PERSONAL

Fun

Fitness

Social

Dealing with Pressure

PROFESSIONAL

Leadership

Teamwork

Network

Decision Making

Communication

PRACTISE does

make

PERFECT

In Football, as in most cases of Personal & Professional life :