If you are like much of the US sports fan population, you have likely been following March Madness over the past week or so. As a loyal fan of my Arizona Wildcats (Bear Down!), I have been watching the games leading up to the Sweet Sixteen. Many sports fans, myself included, have superstitions, theories and traditions that they follow in support of their teams. I was sharing my theory about team moral with some fellow fans on Saturday and realized that the idea worked not just for the basketball teams, but for individuals as well. Let me explain....
At the start of the game, all the players are full of energy and in general the points go back and forth with regularity and the score is usually even for the first few minutes of the game. From there, a team (hopefully AZ) will begin to take the lead. As that team scores points, a certain momentum is established and shared between the players. This excitement is a great part of the game and is contagious to the fans in the arena (and the bar as well). As the spread grows between the teams' scores, attitude and this 'energy' changes as well. At 10 points ahead, there is still room for a quick change with just a few small mistakes, at 15 points ahead, it is a lot harder to turn the game around, but still possible and at a 20 point lead, players may start feeling really comfortable with the lead.
My theory is that when the winning team is within a lead of 15-20 points, this is their "sweet spot." A level of confidence where they play their best. As a game continues and the winning team works within this 15-20 point lead, they play like a team with stamina working for a win AND with the confidence on a strong foundation behind them. When they drop below 15 points, they may struggle because they feel like they are losing their lead and they make more hasty decisions. Above 20 points, they become a bit less focused as they believe the game is in the bag. I am not claiming that players do not play with heart all the way through, they simply have a different level of confidence based on the point spread.
If you take this lesson of the sweet spot into your own goals and games, it works the same way. Going into an interview, image that you are already in the lead and you just need to keep working hard and show your passion to make the win. If you come in believing you are not qualified, your insecurity will show and a hiring manager may question their decision. Worse yet, in my opinion, if you come in thinking you are overqualified and the postion is already yours, that arrogance will show and might cost you the job.
Play your job search game in the sweet spot; with the confidence of a strong team and the passion to work for the win. There will always be a group of fans supporting you along the way!
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