What's a Madison?

Perhaps you've already gathered that the name of The Madison Group is inspired by the type of cycle race of the same name. So what's that all about? And why do we think it's appropriate to what we do?

The Madison is just about the most exciting form of cycle racing there is. It takes place at high speed on an oval track, usually just 250 metres long, and there are ten or eleven teams of two riders each.

One rider in each team is racing at any particular time - the other rider in the team "rests" by circling the track more slowly. The riders change over at regular intervals by means of a spectacular "hand-sling". In addition there are intermediate sprints every ten laps where the riders are awarded points. The points will be used to decide the winner if two teams are equal on laps gained.

There are a number of possible strategies for winning the race - which is best depends on the strengths and weaknesses of your team - but it also depends on how the other teams perform, so you might have to change tactics during the race.

Here's why we think the Madison is a perfect metaphor for the world of management. Put simply, to do well in the Madison:

• You need a good team - and a good strategy - and the right preparation
• You need to be aware of what's going on so that, even though you can't control everything, you can respond in the right way
• The winning team is the one that rides the best race - not necessarily the fastest or the strongest

...which is just like managing an organisation, or a team within an organisation