Welcome to Wrexham – 10 lessons in change management

I don’t watch much TV as a rule, however, recently I spent a weekend binge-watching Welcome to Wrexham. If you’re neither a football nor a Marvel superhero movie fan, Welcome to Wrexham is a documentary programme that follows American actors Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds’ purchase of a football club in North Wales. The show was a surprising masterclass in organisational change management, accessible even to viewers who aren’t sports superfans like me. I’ve pulled together ten of my favourite lessons below.

Warning – spoilers abound!

  1. Embrace community involvement. No person or company operates in isolation. Whether your organisation is a charity, sports team, multi-million-pound corporation, or corner “mom and pop shop,” you must always be aware of the impact you have on your physical environment and the people who surround it. Wrexham AFC has a storied history and a legion of passionate fans who care deeply about the team, despite its recent history of relegation. In fact, Wrexham AFC wouldn’t have survived without its community, as fans purchased the team in the early 2000s with a volunteer-led Trust managing day to day operations until the McElhenney/Reynolds takeover. A failure to improve the team therefore has ramifications well past the players on the pitch. To their credit, both Rob and Ryan frequently address the importance of the Wrexham community in the documentary, even stating it was one of the driving reasons they chose to purchase the football club. A passionate community might result in frustrations and strong opinions, but it can also be your greatest strength.
  2. If you don’t know what you’re doing, hire someone that does. Early in the documentary, Rob and Ryan admit that neither one of them knows anything about managing a football team. Even their Chief Executive was a TV writer and actor rather than sports manager. So, they made sure that one of their first actions was to hire someone overqualified for the job in whom they could trust to guide them for the near future.
  3. Choose your partner well. One of the last episodes focuses on the relationship that developed between Rob and Ryan. They didn’t know each other well before purchasing Wrexham AFC, yet it appears to have been a successful collaboration (so far). A business partner – like a life partner – is one of the most important relationships you can form. Here at AAB Consulting, we’re lucky enough to witness how Lesley and Mark lead a business while balancing their different personalities and skill sets. Choose your partner wisely, otherwise disaster awaits.
  4. Change horses, if need be. The greater the change that must occur, the more likely your team will need to change to meet your long-term vision. To quote the show, “not everyone can come along on the journey.” Once Wrexham’s focus was on promotion, “what was previously an acceptable level of performance is no longer that.” Any choice involving personnel is emotional and difficult, but poor organisational fit will leave everyone dissatisfied. That said, it’s important to bring people along on your journey, so attempt to keep as many existing team members as you can and upskill when necessary.
  5. Be inclusive. One of my favourite parts of the documentary was the appointment of Kerry Evans as Disability Liaison Officer. She was a volunteer whose efforts centred on making the team more accessible to disabled fans. After Wrexham AFC made her position paid, she was able to expand attendance and recreational opportunities to supporters in wheelchairs. Accessibility isn’t always easy, but if you sincerely make the effort, you’ll be amazed at the impact you can achieve.
  6. Everyone is going to have an opinion, so follow your own North Star. As the famous saying goes, “Everyone is a critic.” Or to quote the show, “People have beef with every element of this team.” It’s important to welcome and value others’ opinions, but they may be focused on short-term results or be swayed by interpersonal conflicts. Remember your number one goal and be laser focused on achieving it.
  7. Budget time and resources for when things go wrong. Rob and Ryan invested £100,000 on the Racecourse pitch, only to have to spend £200,000 to fix the grass. Even when you think you’ve solved a problem, things are bound to go wrong – and potentially be even worse than before. Pad your budget accordingly.
  8. Control your narrative. As stated in point #5, everyone is going to have an opinion on your actions. Do as much as you can to control perceptions. Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds were clearly well aware of this fact, so they chose to make a documentary about their purchase of Wrexham to provide an additional framework for their desired narrative. The structure of the show is centred around the experiences of individual members of the Wrexham AFC community, from players and management to fans and business owners. The very format of the show is therefore an attempt to reiterate Rob and Ryan’s interest in the community. It also shows them diligently preparing before meetings, attempting to learn Welsh, watching early morning games with their families, and more. The overall picture is one of sincerity – it’s almost easy to forget that this is a cunningly crafted television show. Which leads me to my next point…
  9. Remember ducks: calm on the surface, paddling furiously under the water. Welcome to Wrexham covers many topics from the history of the Racecourse stadium to hooliganism. What the show barely discusses, however, is team sponsorship. Wrexham originally had a local Welsh trailer company as their primary sponsor. Once Rob and Ryan took over, they landed Expedia and TikTok as sponsors (as well as Ryan’s own Aviation American Gin). These negotiations couldn’t have been easy and were likely highly lucrative, but the filmmakers chose to ignore the amount of effort Rob and Ryan undertook to ensure investments in the team. A lot may go on behind the scenes that you’re unaware of. And leaders: don’t underestimate how many resources may be needed to make change stick.
  10. Know thyself. The most important thing you can do for your organisation, your community, and yourself, is to know who you are. Change is challenging and will force you to revaluate every aspect of your life. So be sure to maintain a clear picture of your beliefs, your motivations, and your priorities. For most of Welcome to Wrexham, it appears that the goal for Rob and Ryan is to achieve promotion to Football League Two. What becomes clear, however, is that isn’t either man’s true priority. But that’s one spoiler I won’t share…

Curious as to what other lessons in change management you can learn from a Welsh football team? Welcome to Wrexham can be viewed on Disney+.

Photo by Peter Glaser on Unsplash

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