My fifteen-point plan to help you become a better team and teammate:
1. TEAMS MATTER MORE THAN INDIVIDUALS
2. EVERY JOB IS IMPORTANT
To achieve greatness as an organization, every person must do his part. So often the head coach or quarterback gets too much credit when the trainers, the equipment people, and the secretaries deserve plenty, too. There's no such thing as an unimportant job.
3. TREAT EVERYONE WITH RESPECT
4. SHARE VICTORIES AND DEFEATS
There can be no separation in your organization. You win as a team, you lose as a team.
5. ACCEPT CRITICISM
6. KEEP THE BOSS WELL INFORMED
In certain organizations, the head coach might say, "If anything happens, I don't want to know about it." Let me tell you right now, you don't win that way. To me, you've got to know. Whoever is in charge must know everything that goes on in his organization.
7. FOCUS ON YOUR WORK ETHIC, NOT OTHERS'
People are always evaluating people. I tell me people to consume themselves with being the best at their job. Some people can get done in ten hours what others can do in fifteen.
8. ALLOW FOR DIFFERENCE IN LIFESTYLES
9. BE MORE CREATIVE THAN PREDICTABLE
Anyone who is too predictable plays right into his competitor's hands.
10. LET GO OF BAD IDEAS
A bad idea is a bad idea. Don't try to save it. Anybody who makes a decision is going to make mistakes. Just cut your losses and move on.
11. EMPLOY STRUCTURE AND ORDER
Players thrive on organization and regimentation. People, and particular players, love to be coached, to be taught, to be disciplined, for one simple reason: They know their livelihood depends on it.
12. REWARD THOSE WHO PRODUCE
13. FIND DIFFERENT WAYS TO MOTIVATE YOUR EMPLOYEES
14. KEEP YOUR EMPLOYEES FRESH
Instead of having players hit each other, we have them work on drills that emphasize speed, quickness and explosion. We also ask our players to practice at the speed we play at on Sunday. That takes the place of contact -- and, quite often, losing.
15. PROTECT YOUR SYSTEM
You cannot offer elements to others. That's why I've never done an X's-and O's football book, diagramming our plays. You'd have to be, borrow and steal to get at that. I would never do that to our team.
