With the 2010 World Cup starting in a few days it was hard to conceive of any other worthy topic for the first "Be More Effective" Blog..

Sport often provides business with some great examples, metaphors or lessons encouraging us to improve personal of team performance.   

I've been struck this time, more than before, with the almost daily news on injures to key players. In business we would also have key staff and when they are unavailable...things can get tough.

Whilst its the pinnacle for all players to represent their countries in a World Cup there must be Team Managers all over the world who see things a different way, should a player be selected he may get injured, or he may excel and come back expecting a pay rise...

In business Leaders sometimes have one of their people seconded to a project and in a similar way - get burnt-out or come back as a hero... 

I'd love the chance to interview a National Team Manager and ask about how they go blending a group of people together so quickly as so often the National Team rarely play together, and play different roles in their own teams.

In business we have to pull project teams together for a short time - we often don't want to donate our best people and there are often "team - in not interpersonal - development issues" to be addressed whoever is nominated. I remember one of my clients had a mission critical change programme to implement and each department was asked to nominate people, they would be on the project full-time for 6-9 months. Not one top player was offered, everyone selected in the end was considered second-string and the Board thought - "this is going to be a disaster.."  Actually - the guys did a brilliant job and excelled - with a little bit of "development" along the way - but they beat every target the Board set them. Some even managed to integrate back into their previous role...Although most were promoted.

Whilst exploring that thought I wondered if some of the injured players, now excluded, from the world cup could form a team strong enough, to beat any of the National Teams...

It might be possible to create a fantasy team of those injured players that on paper are good enough to have won any match.

So my Fantasy World Cup Crocks Squad is currently (Friday 11th June)

Goal-keepers

• Thomas Sorensen (Denmark)
• Julio Cesar (Brazil)
• Rene Adler (Germany)

Defenders

• Rio Ferdinand (Eng-er-land)
• Yasuyuki Konno (Japan)
• Martin Skrtel (Slovakia)
• Heiko Westermann (Germany)
• Simon Rofles (Germany)
• Jose Bosingwa (Portugal)
• Wayne Bridge (En-gerrrr-land)

Midfield

• Sir David Beckkam (Eng-er-land)
• Valon Behrami (Switerland)
• Arjen Robben (Holland)
• John Obi Mikel (Nigeria)
• Diego Milito (Argentina)
• Michael Essien (Ghana)
• Andrea Pirlo (Italy)
• Michael Ballack (Germany)
• Owen Hargreaves (Eng-er-land)
• Lassana Diarra (France)

Strikers

• Didier Drogba (Ivory Coast)
• Jozy Altidore (USA)
• Samuel Eto'o (Cameroon) - OK he's not injured - just throwing his toys around
• Humberto Suazo (Chile)
• Michael Owen (Eng-er-land)
• Nani (Portugal)

I reckon this team could win... if they were fit..! ~ What say you..?