Do the Good Things and Don't Be Surprised

Recently I was asked to go to the local middle school and talk with a former player who was struggling.  I reluctantly agreed, I am awfully busy to be bothered with such trivial things as helping to keep a good kid moving forward.  

The meeting had not been over for ten minutes when the phone rang. It was a call for which  I had been anxiously waiting.  When I hung up, I smiled and realized it had happened again.  I did something good and was almost instantly rewarded beyond what I deserved.  Sound familiar?  If you want a good squad, do good things.  Build beyond the W.  Then don't be surprised when the ball bounces right to your guy.

It Happens So Fast

Here in Minnesota we are about to enter the long, cold Winter.  I am referring to the time between the end of football season and Spring.  It happened so fast.  Seems like 10 minutes ago when I was looking at a new squad, trying to get names right.  Now another season is gone.

So today's tip is this, be aware that the clock runs fast.  Procrastination kills, indecision kills, it's way better to make the wrong move than make no move.  So identify and attack.  Find your opponents weak spot.  It's there, find it.  Once you have found it exploit it, right now.  Not next week, not tomorrow, right now.  The clock and the calendar are never your friend.  Act.

First and Ten

Once every three hundred sixty five days, the calendar brings a fresh set of downs.  First and ten, the whole field in front of you, all options available. 

Good coaches know how to use downs.  For me I like a first down that results in the defense have to defend everything and anything on the next play.  For instance, an in-completion on first down leaves a run play on second down a generally bad idea.  So I like a higher percentage pass on first or a run that I feel good about.  I hate second and ten, love second and two and can deal with second and five.  My goal with the early downs is to have the other coach have to defend my whole playbook on the next play.

I'll do the same in the early weeks of the year with my marketing.  I'll do things which create maximum opportunity for the entire year.  Primarily, I'll make as many new contacts as I can effectively follow up on. Lots of people won't be at the right place in the buy cycle right now.  I will know them, however, and I'll have the chance to put myself in the way of later opportunity.

You don't need touchdowns on first down.  You need effective.  You need opportunity generation.  Generate enough opportunity and you will get touchdowns.

The Option

I have taught and used option plays with kids as young as 5th grade.  I like the outside run option and the play action bootleg with a run/ pass option.  The key to effectively running the option is to reduce the number of decisions to one.  On the outside run option we teach our Q to find the D-end on the play side, pre-snap.  Once the play goes all he needs to see is if the D-end comes across the line of scrimmage or stays flat.  If he comes across, the Q keeps and cuts it up inside him.  If he stay flat it's a pitch and the RB beats him to the corner.  One the run/ pass option, it's just if the safety comes forward throw it.  If not run it.  We don't ask our Q's to make too many decisions.  We want them to see one key and make a fast decision.  Even at the older levels, it's read one player and go.  If a player gets too tied up in trying to figure things out during the play you get no decision and no gain.  In fact, it becomes a prime situation for a turn over.

We teach this, make a decision.  We don't care if it's wrong, just make the decision.  Wrong is easily corrected.  Making no decision, now that's tough to fix. 

The same is true for your marketing.  When you roll something out, particularly when you aren't sure what the market is going to do, leave room to read a key factor and change on the fly.  This does not mean roll it out and let your people ignore the play.  It means let them read a key and go to a specific option you have already built in.  I knew a great general contractor who would bring 3 separate envelopes to a bid opening.  When he got there and saw who else was there, he knew which envelope to turn in.  Specific options for specific keys.  Remember we call it the option, not the indecision.

Expect to Win in the New Year

Some teams hope to win, some say they expect to win.  Some, and this is a small number, really expect to win.  These teams have done enough of the right things that their inner being broadcasts a message of confidence while others hear doubt from within.

You probably know what those right things are for your situation.  If not, pay attention to those, "man I shoulds," that cross your mind.  Plan to win, prepare to win, expect to win.  Happy New Year.

Finish Strong

Last two minutes of the game, last 2 hours of the week.  It's Friday afternoon.  Are you one of the last people in your office?  Are you working when you know your competitors are at Happy Hour?  Welcome to impact time, those moments when being smarter, focused and engaged have the biggest influence on results.

If your way ahead or behind, use the last minutes for coaching, getting players experienced and teaching how to win with class or lose with grace.  If it's work, make that extra call, send that e-mail that can probably wait until Monday, write that blog post.  There is no better time to grow than the last minutes...

Your creativity needs to fit the plan.

I had a presentation, yesterday, with a very well run home improvement company.  They brought in reps from almost all of the media outlets in the area to hear ideas, get rates and start their 2011 budget planning.  I centered everything I did on those items which I determined to be the linchpins of their marketing program, getting leads, and closing sales.  Sounds simple, I know, but so often we can get so fascinated with our own creativity that we wind up all over the place.

A trick play works if it gains big or scores.  It also works if the possibility of it keeps the safeties back for an extra second off the ball.