Football Coaches - the Ultimate Managers

“…ANYBODY WHO WANTS ANYTHING NEED ONLY DO THE WORK.” Swami Chetanananada, Dynamic Stillness

What is the work that is to be done? To most readers, the Swami’s comment would be interpreted as simply working longer and harder to attain the desired goal.

In the E-Myth series of books, Michael Gerber points out that the master manager works “on” his business, not “ in” his business. Let’s say for instance that you own a small auto repair shop. You have successfully operated for a number of years but all that you have to show for your labors is a small amount of cash in the checking account and the emotional reward of a job well done. You have been working “in” the business. You have been an employee of your own business. You could even make the argument that the business owns you instead of the other way around.

The “work” that the Swami refers to is the same work that Gerber calls “working on your business”. It is dissecting the operation and breaking the operation down into its smallest functional components. Within each of these components, you then need to detail how each works. All of this must be reduced to paper and introduced to the employees. At this point, you become the manager of these components. You are now working “on” the business.

Are the Swami and Gerber wrong? Hardly! Football coaches have been using this management technique forever. The more successful the head coach, the more adroit he is at working “on” the business. The head coach has assistant coaches that manage each department (position). The head coach manages the team through his assistant coaches. Each assistant coach creates a specific training program for his department. Each and every day, all of the employees (players) in his department execute this training regiment. The training regimen occurs over and over and over again until the assistant coach knows that a predictable result will occur on every play. Then and only then, is the player allowed to play in a game. In football speak, the coach would say that his player has practiced his technique so many times that the player no longer thinks about his actions. He only reacts to play as it unfolds – in a predictable manner.

As a manager, isn’t this what we are looking for? If you have predictability, then you have the key ingredient in planning and subsequent execution. Working on your business daily will create an organization that generates consistency and predictability. Check out your local high school football practices and learn how the Pros manage. It will be fun and educational.

Steve Cook is the managing shareholder of Cook and Associates, PLLC, Certified Public Accountants with offices located in San Antonio and San Marcos, Texas.
www.cookcpas.com