Preseason 2012: What We Can Learn
Last year at this time, I wrote a blog called “My Love/Hate Relationship with NFL Preseason Football.” And it’s that happy time of year again and I still feel pretty much the same way. Yesterday, I watched my Chicago Bears lookin’ good! The first quarter anyway . . .Cutler to Devin Hester; Cutler to Matt Forte, and Michael Bush! Ran in 2 touchdowns—awesome. But then, the second string came in, and it looked like Football Follies.
The Preseason is the “trial” period. Much like your company’s 30 to 90-day probationary period, it’s a time all about learning. Wikipedia says the probation status of an employee “allows a supervisor or other company manager to closely evaluate the progress and skills of the newly hired worker, determine appropriate assignments and monitor other aspects of the employee—such as how they interact with co-workers, supervisors, or customers.” So that’s what we have in Preseason—except that these “employees” are paid millions of dollars, and we get to witness—up close and personal—their probationary period.
A valuable lesson for us: one of the most obvious—and painful—“aspects” of the players’ interaction was the failure of some offensive lines to PROTECT the Quarterback. Just as they are supposed to protect him so he can TAKE THE TIME– do his job, so are we corporate types charged with protecting our leaders—taking care of our business, not creating problems, anticipating the leader’s problems and taking care of the ancillary things, so he/she can calmly cope with the big leader-type decisions and actions. The best teams in the NFL always have the best offensive lines. What a revelation to the business world! Leaders can only analyze and plan, when they know they don’t have to worry about being hit upside the head.
Another valuable lesson from the Preseason: what makes it hard for me to watch is the inconsistent pace: the stops and starts that come with penalties being called! The guys are literally chomping at the bit, and a lot of “false starts” are called. This is when an offensive lineman moves before being signaled or otherwise permitted by the rules to start. It results in a dead ball, and a penalty of having to move back five yards. It’s almost excruciating to watch! So I tape the games, and then fast forward through all the penalty calls and the do-overs. The life lesson for me is always patience. Most of my “penalties” come from jumping the gun in my life: interrupting someone mid-sentence, talking over them, taking the first offer without pausing. Sigh. Do you do that too? When you have a “fast motor,” like a football player, no matter what your age, it’s best to consciously blow that internal whistle. I literally MAKE myself stop, look at what’s going on in the conversation or negotiation, and listen to my inner voice, which says, most of the time, “Mimi, slooooow down. . .take it easy . . .listen all the way through . . .”
Except in Zumba class! There, I am SO grateful for my fast motor . . .I’m twice the age of most of the class members, and still in the second row. Woo-hoo!
How’s your motor? Still fast? Are you blowing your internal whistle when you need to? Hope so.