ABSTRACT
We have all been to business meetings that are more like pep rallies. It’s almost always a situation where we are being asked to try harder or to do more with less. We might hear things like:
This is a third and ten situation.
Or, with this plan we are “throwing a Hail Mary,” or even combinations like “this won’t be a layup so we need to keep our eye on the ball.”
Today, sports metaphors are way out of favor. They may not work because lots of people are not sports fans and, in a global economy, not all sports are understood by all. Instead, we need to use more generic metaphors to get our message across.