Managing athletes can be a delicate game sometimes. You have a star client and that person is crucial to your business, they bring in the big dollars and give you credibility in the marketplace. A lot of managers play a game of “keeping the client happy”. These type of managers are “yes men” and unfortunately they never make the tough decisions or have the hard conversations with their client(s).
If I’m an athlete I want my manager to be someone who is going to tell it like it is, who isn’t afraid to speak up to me when I’m being pompous or making bad decisions that will affect my commercial value in the marketplace. I saw the recent Britney Spears documentary and she talked about having “yes men” constantly around her, however she did mention one person who gives it to her straight. Guess who she respects and trusts the most?
Athletes and celebrities employ managers for a reason, managers know best, they have experience, they’re job is to raise the profile of their client, align them with good sponsors and guide them along a strategy that is in the best interests of the client. So athletes, let your manager do their job and managers, be candid with your clients, if this means showing tough love, then so be it, the athlete will respect and trust you a lot more then those yes men.
