It’s Cup Day. Melbourne Cup. The final field of 22 horses is running around the Flemington Race Track until they’ve clocked up 3200m. It’s in its 154th year.
I remember we’d stop whatever we were doing in class and Mrs Tomkinson would put on the radio at 3pm so we could listen to the race. The only other time I recall that happening at school was to hear these words live: “It’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind”. (Yes, I was at school in 1969!)
It’s a big deal here. It’s a public holiday. It’s the race that stops a nation.
Listening to the commentators about the race this morning got me thinking about some of the similarities with the workplace. Here are my 14 entries:
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The 2014 Melbourne Cup
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The Workplace
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This year it’s about “the foreign invaders”
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It’s a global marketplace
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There’s only room for 24 starters
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Not everyone gets to the top
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It’s the richest handicap two mile race in the world
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It’s worth getting to the top, at least financially
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The horses range from young (3 years) to old (9 years)
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It’s inter-generational in the office too
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Youngest does not mean fastest – it can take time for a horse to mature
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Same for humans, it’s never too late
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Good breeding helps
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Having raw ability and talent is an advantage
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They always talk about the horse’s connections
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They say your network is your net worth
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Nothing beats preparation
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Yep, nothing beats preparation
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The barrier draw can be crucial – wide barriers suit those who like to make their run later on
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Music to all late bloomers
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Male horses (geldings/colts) win more often than females (mares/fillies)
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Unfortunately true at work too
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It’s handicapped so the competition is as even as possible
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I wish it were a meritocracy but it’s not
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Silks – referring to the colors the jockey wears
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It can help to look the part
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We haven’t been training our horses for longer distances – it takes longer to start earning. It’s starting to change.
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Again, music for late bloomers
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The best trainers are celebrities here – hats off to Bart Cummins and Gai Waterhouse.
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Do you have the best trainer for you?
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If you feel like you haven’t run your race yet, there are a few entries here for late bloomers. There’s plenty you can do.
If you’ve had success and still want to be in it, don’t rest on your laurels. If you do, I fear you’ll end up at the back of the field.
But never forget your successes. They serve to remind you that you’ve got what it takes.
Remember them while you’re running your own race this week.
Image by Rencie Horst from Pixabay
