Gareth Southgate: lessons in project management

Professor Adam Boddison at the Association for Project Management describes some of the lessons that management can learn from the fall and rise of English football

 

Every two years, we all become project managers.

 

During every major football tournament that grips the nation with religious zest, we become self-appointed England managers: selecting the squad, setting realistic goals, delegating wingbacks and ‘false 9s’, and telling everyone in the office, pub or bus station why the traditional 4-4-2 formation will always be superior to the modern 4-3-3 approach.

 

But we are all living vicariously through the project manager in situ – the England men’s head coach. The toughest job in the country, it is often proclaimed.

 

Despite the familiar heartbreak of Euro 2024, Gareth Southgate, who has since resigned, has been credited for reinvigorating a sense of pride, joy and optimism surrounding the national team. Others argue it is better to be lucky than good and he has certainly enjoyed his lion’s share of good fortune. Either way, he leaves behind a legacy of positivity and solid foundations for future success.

 

As we reflect on the latest chronicling of English football, set against the backdrop of the rise of the ‘megaproject’ with the new Labour government placing infrastructure and net zero at the centre of their economic growth plans, it may be a timely exercise to apply and discern some of the key project management lessons – the good and the bad – from the Southgatian style of international football.

 

Change management

All projects have a defined endgame. As we kept hearing this summer, tournament football is a results-based endeavour. You don’t need to play well. You just need to win.

 

And the end justifies the means.

 

Project professionals operating across all sectors of the UK economy, delivering railway upgrades, affordable housing developments and West End musicals, know change must be confronted. Actions to respond to new business strategies, technology or hierarchies must be approved, implemented and tracked against budgets and timescales.

 

But during turbulent times, Southgate has a mixed record of piloting his side to victory.

 

One of the most vociferous strands of criticism he faced was the perceived notion of his poor decision-making and problem-solving when it mattered most during his eight-year reign, falling on the wrong side of the ‘reactiveness vs proactiveness’ pendulum.

 

The typical narrative is that he responded too late or ineffectively, or both, at the World Cup 2018 (semi-final, Croatia), Euro 2020 (final, Italy) and Euro 2024 (final, Spain). Despite finding ourselves in winning or otherwise positive situations, it was clear the tide was turning as our opposition adjusted tactics and personnel, wrestled control and piled on the pressure. Despite the clamour for change in pubs and living rooms back home, England were unmoved until our advantage had ebbed away. Stubbornness or loyalty? A failure to realise the threat? Beyond his capabilities to adapt accordingly?

 

Change management ensures survival and business relevance. It links strategy with execution; deployment with results. It forces the project manager to define the change, create a change vision, and ask themselves: Do I understand why? Do I intend to co-operate? Do I know what to do?

 

Change is inescapable and successfully navigating unexpected scenarios, whether that’s on the pitch or within ever-changing markets, requires the right strategy, tools, mindset and organisational buy-in. It also requires early, decisive action – not waiting or wishing for changing winds to revert back.

 

Leadership and communication

The politics that surrounds the England manager job is rife: media criticism, supporter unrest and player rifts are just some of the barriers separating success from failure.

 

The best project managers are the best team leaders. The ability to develop and lead teams towards a common goal is of vital importance.

 

This is where Southgate excelled, demonstrating impressive leadership qualities.

 

Setting aside the cauldron of the dug-out, where his tactical tinkering wasn’t the unmitigated disaster that some portray, he made brutal decisions when needed, such as leaving major stars and team fixtures like Jack Grealish and Marcus Rashford out of the Euro 2024 squad.

 

In difficult circumstances, he personified effective communication by maintaining a calm, composed and resilient demeanour. He provided a clear vision and plain instructions to play attractive, positive football. His values of humility, respect and integrity were mirrored on the pitch.

 

He fostered a positive and inclusive team culture that emphasised unity and shared purpose. He embraced an open dialogue, empowering his players and making them feel valued.

 

He embedded youth and brought out the best of everyone. Principles weren’t recklessly and wholly abandoned. They were reviewed and steadily improved upon. He took the bodybuilding concept of progressive overload and applied it to the sporting arena.

 

Southgate incorporated social values, using his platform to raise awareness of mental health, inclusivity and other issues close to his heart.

 

He was reliable, predictable, gave each player the attention and affection they deserved, wasn’t afraid to show his emotions, and set realistic targets.

 

And it is quite remarkable that despite a decade spent in the most intense environment, he didn’t offend anyone. Everyone wanted him to win.

 

But did he make his dressing room truly believe? We’ll have to wait for future autobiographies.

 

Governance

Within project management, governance is defined as the framework of authority and accountability that defines and controls the outputs, outcomes and benefits from projects.

 

It is seen by some as the critical success factor in delivering successful outcomes and benefits.

 

It is characterised by others as ‘Goldilocks Governance’: too much and you risk stifling innovation and personal accountability; too little and anarchy can pervade.

 

Where should we place Southgatian project management? We know it didn’t end with a fairytale triumph but I think it’s neatly nestled in the Goldilocks zone.

 

With a refreshing air of transparency and honesty, Southgate never refrained from taking ownership of bad results or underperformance.

 

Take conflict resolution as an example. Southgate enjoyed an immensely happy and harmonious relationship with his biggest stakeholders – the England fans.

 

But this bubble was briefly popped when he was pelted with plastic beers by some supporters after a drab draw at Euro 2024. However, rather than escalating the situation in his post-match press conference, he stayed true to his values, assumed responsibility for the poor performance and called for unity. He even innocently – some might say strategically – painted himself as the ‘victim’. This caused a stir, changed the headlines and tapped into the English sense of fair play and sympathy.

 

Effective governance provides confidence to the board of directors and trustees that investments in projects are being well managed. That the English FA never leaked any disgruntlements into the media, and hailed his tenure as a success, speaks volumes of Southgate’s extension of authority.

 

Will it ever come home?

Project management was conceptualised in the early 1960s – the same decade as England’s men’s only international victory to date, as we’re periodically reminded with grainy nostalgic footage.

 

Indeed, the Association for Project Management (APM) was formed in 1972. We’re a young institution compared to the likes of The Institution of Civil Engineers, formed in 1818 when the nascent recreational activity of football was reserved for the upper classes and promulgated by the British Empire to help instil and spread globally its values of order, discipline and sophistication.

 

More recently, project management has suffered from myths and misconceptions, particularly in the board room where it needs to be shaping strategy from the outset rather than being viewed by some business leaders as an after-thought that only serves unclear, unimportant technical purposes.

 

So it is pleasing to see that Southgate’s stewardship of England has, if nothing else, elevated the status of project management and crystallised its importance and role. From national newspapers and podcasts to LinkedIn and TikTok, there has been informed debate of his project lifecycle: turning the disillusionment of 2016, when he took on the job no-one wanted, into exciting hope in 2024.

 

Ultimately, Southgate has repaired old wounds, recaptured our hearts and reconnected the nation.

 

For the estimated 2.32 million UK project professionals poised to prop up Sir Keir Starmer’s economic revival, the Southgate era can provide essential blueprints to help deliver complex megaprojects.

 

Will ‘it’ ever come home? Time will tell. But if the next England manager applies effectively some of the key principles of project management, whatever it is will hopefully happen during our lifetimes.

 

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Professor Adam Boddison OBE is Chief Executive of the Association for Project Management (APM)

 

Main image courtesy of iStockPhoto.com