Lessons from the NFL: Calling Plays in Your Operation

*“I go out there with whatever the coaches call, and whatever they do, I just go out there, and I’m the player. Coaches coach, and players play.”* – Wes Welker

Unlocking the value in your operation requires a specific work design that maximizes the utilization of resources. One of the key resources is labor. Much like the positions on a football field, each person in the operation needs a special role and their efforts coordinated to produce the best outcome.

There are two reasons why the NFL serves as a great model for utilizing labor: Plays change every down, and there’s emphasis on each player to play their role.

Plays Change Every Down

Circumstances change throughout the entire course of a football game. These circumstances are often described in terms of down and distance. There’s a big difference between second down and ten and fourth down and one. The strategy every team employs is to have a prescribed set of plays (standard work) for each circumstance.

Each play has a specific starting position for each person and a specific role for each person to play. The timing of activities is critical and closely coordinated. The team has a playbook with a visual representation of each play. The outcome is not certain, but the expectation is clear, which allows the team to learn and adjust during the course of the game.

Processes like changeover, preventative maintenance, and manufacturing cells all lend themselves to the same structure. Each specific role can be defined, timed, and tightly coordinated based on the circumstances. A playbook with visual representation of the work is possible.

For example, a hotel registration desk can have a play for a single guest check-in, multiple guest check-in, and tour bus check-in.

Play Your Role

There is a strong emphasis in the NFL for every player to play their role on the field. Many of the players are just that – role players. Success requires each player to do his predefined part for every play.

The same is true in operations. Each person has to execute the play as it was defined (follow the standard work). This way the team, or in this case, the organization, can learn and adjust plays based on the result. This very simple but powerful lesson from the idea of running plays in your operation is critical to utilizing labor effectively.

Finally, it Can Be Fun

Most people can relate to the game of American football and many have seen the charts of X’s and O’s that make up a playbook. Take the idea to your teams and ask them to draw up the plays as they see them – who should do what and when. Use terms like “Let’s run the tour bus play,” which gives the task a sense of competition.

And probably the greatest lesson from the NFL is the desire to win.

Learn more in Patrick’s book, “Facilitating Effective Change,” available online through Amazon and Barnes & Noble. He is also the founder of UTV Advisors, a business consulting firm based in Pittsburgh, PA.