CARDS, the secret sauce that separates the best from the brilliant

CARDS originates in the world of Rugby and describes the most important skills for the players to work on on and off the field.

The acronym stands for:

• Creativity
• Awareness
• Resilience
• Decision-making
• Self-organisation

How can you apply CARDS in your day-to-day work?

Creativity is the skill to devise different solutions to the same problem. It’s about exploring and trying new things.

You don’t have to stick to the same ways of working we’ve done in the past.

You need to explore new ways to be the best you can be.

For individuals to fully achieve their potential, they need good awareness.

Good awareness helps with decision-making.

Awareness is another word for information. To have good awareness, your job is to be as informed as possible.

Resilience is the ability to adapt under pressure.

By working outside your comfort zone, you become more resilient to your challenges.

Decision-making is intertwined with awareness and creativity.

The fastest and easiest way to get things done is to give people the answers. However, real learning comes from exploring and finding the best way forward.

Having the correct information and creativity allows you to make good decisions.

Self-organisation is about problem-solving.

Rather than sticking to rigid structures, use information, creativity and the team around you to self-organise.

Self-organisation leads to greater efficiency and effectiveness.

Applying the CARDS framework can help you align your personal goals with broader organisational goals, ultimately contributing to your success and your teams.