5 LESSONS OF SUCCESS FROM THE WORLD CUP 2014 FOR HUNTERS

Extracted from THS Tulip newsletter (Jul-Sep Edition 2014)

THE WORLD seemed to grind to a standstill every four years, when most people were somehow caught in the magic of The World Cup.  

During June and July recently, the talks around the ‘mamak’ stalls invariably revolved around the favorite squads, star players, wonderful goals and defining moments during the matches in Brazil.

As the football fiesta came to an end with Germany crowned as the champion, it is interesting to reflect on the tournament and how this can relate to our world of treasure hunt.  

For treasure hunters, there were also 3 World-Cup hunts during this period. First we have the World Cup Fever Motor Hunt 2014 on 15th June; followed by World Cup Rhythm Treasure Hunt 2014 on 22nd June. Lastly there was Time Out World Cup Hunt 2014 on 5th July. 

However I believe that there are more associations between this FIFA event and treasure hunts; especially the lessons we can glean from the successful teams. 

1. Preparation before Match 

Behind every successful team, there are usually countless hours spent in preparation and practice.  

Before Germany’s semi-final match against Brazil, German assistant coach Hansi Flick was queried about the team's preparation for the match. Flick's response provided an insider's view of SAP database, Match Insights' genesis and strategic utility. They have been studying Brazil in great detail and put every play they have run, every newspaper article on them, and everything about them out there under the microscope and made all that data available to their players. 

"We've got this enormous database to draw upon and, together with our scouts, we're able to take a close look at our opponent and make our plans for the match,” Flick told reporters. “It's a project we've been working on intensively for the last two years. We've been able to cull some very high-quality information from all the data. It's very much helped us prepare."

Germany's preparation paid off handsomely, as it went on to demolish Brazil by a score of 7-1, a result that was partly due to their detailed well-thought preparation.  

For hunt teams, it is vital to know about the hunts details, the clerk-of-course (COC) and other pertinent info. More importantly, they must research and prepare before the event, especially so if there is a hunt theme.  

For example if the teams have familiarized themselves with the COC’s style in advance, it would be easier for them to handle his questions on hunt day. 

2. Teamwork Outweigh Individuals 

Before the start of World Cup 2014, much publicity has been made of the famous footballers; such as Ronaldo (Portugal), Rooney (England), Suarez (Uruguay), Messi (Argentina), Neymar (Brazil) and Xavi (Spain) and how these superstars would influence the outcome of their team performance. Yet it wasn’t these individuals that won the trophy.

 

To excel and win in football, you would require a team that is well-balanced; a strong goalkeeper, resilient backs, flexible and creative midfielders, pacy wingers and reliable strikers to tuck in the ball. Most importantly, the team members must understand the importance of their roles and be able to work with each other. 

The same applies for hunt teams. You would require a team that can function superbly. A driver who can handle the vehicle well, a reliable navigator who knows the way and can bring the team to the right sectors without getting lost, a researcher that can efficiently get the data, thinker(s) who can cryptically work out the clues, a time manager who knows when to stay the course or when to quit the poser and move on! 

Regardless of how you perceive each role, having a glitch in any function can possibly cause defeat to the entire team. A driver who drives too fast at question sectors may cause answers not to be spotted. A navigator that gives wrong instructions may waste precious time. A researcher who slacks in his duty may miss crucial information. A negligent time manager may run into time trouble.
 

3. Different Match Requires Different Tactic (and Team Members) 

Successful managers know that team formations are crucial. They will employ different strategies and players against different opponents. Not all tactics can be repeatedly used for every game.  

Argentina’s manager Alex Sabella decided to make 2 key changes for the quarterfinal match against Belgium, dropping centrehalf Frederico Fernandez for Martin Dimechelis and midfielder Fernando Gago for Lucas Biglio. The changes added extra strength and balance to the team, making them even harder to beat.

Before the France fixture, Joachim Low’s use of Phillip Lahm in defensive midfield had disrupted Germany’s structure and caused them to be more porous. Lahm’s return to left-back brought an immediate and assured step-up in every area. 

Likewise for treasure hunt, you would need to know whether it would be pure cryptic event, a combination of questions and physical challenges, or wholly amazing race in nature. Different hunt type would require different tactics if one wants to excel.  

At times, you may switch the team members, in accordance with the hunt nature. If the hunt is very physically demanding (eg NST Streets Race), you may opt for someone who has lots of stamina to last the distance. 

4. Be Flexible and Able to Adapt DURING the Game 

A team coach can plan all he wants before the match, but sometimes things may not necessarily work out. Suspensions, injury to key players and bad decisions by referee will disrupt the plan.  

Under such circumstance, the ability of manager and players to adapt DURING the game can rescue the game.

 

As a penalty shootout between the Netherlands and Costa Rica looked inevitable, Louis van Gaal replaced his No 1 keeper with the reserve goalie Tim Krul (who has been specially trained for penalties) at the last minute. This tactical brilliance won Holland the match and a place in the semi-final, with the substitute eventually stopping 2 of the spot-kicks. 

Sometimes unexpected incidents may happen during treasure hunts. Your hunt car may break down, the hunt challenge may require different skill, your teammate may suddenly become road sick, your team runs short of time etc. 

How do you deal with such situations? Does your team have the flexibility to adapt during hunts?

5. Winning, but not necessary as Champion 

Winning doesn’t necessary mean that you must become champion all the time in the World Cup. As long as the team has given its best performance and fought to the very end, there is no shame in not coming out numero uno. People will recognize the great effort and applaud the team.

 

Take a look at Colombia and Costa Rica teams in World Cup 2014. Though they were not football powerhouses, their never-say-die attitude, sterling performance and outstanding achievement of reaching quarter-final have been widely lauded as a success; even though they didn’t win the trophy.  

Similarly in treasure hunts, as long as you know your team has prepared well and performed to your best ability, you can be proud of your achievement, regardless of your finishing position. The key takeaway should be what you have learnt from the hunt, the areas of improvement and how you can perform better in future.