September 2012

2In a Row?

There was an internal battle I had to work through. Last month I wrote about Nick Saban and his approach to changing a culture. A few weeks back I read a very interesting article about him in the Wall Street Journal that once again caught my eye. A different publication, but a similar thought starter…

While I was uncomfortable referring to a football coach two months in a row, it was such a revelation and a great example, I decided to push forward regardless. Football fan or not, everyone can appreciate how much our time spent reflect the priorities we set.

Each day Coach Saban and his assistants set aside one hour for recruiting high school football players. They write hand written notes, send texts, make phone calls and do other tasks, according to this article, that help them build the talent base of the program in future years. It’s an investment – of time.

What It Means4You

We talk about how busy we are. Most of us really do have crowded schedules.

Few operate at a more hectic pace than a college football coach…let alone the coach of the defending national champs. Yet, there is Nick Saban, with one of the most talented programs in America, investing an hour of his workday – alongside the rest of his coaches – in development. It is not an accident he’s perennially a top recruiter in his industry.

It takes a strategy, structure, a plan and most of all discipline to break away and focus forward. No one said it was easy, but can you see how a similar approach would work wonders for you?