Why Did You Pass?Comment0ShareTweetShareprintemail

 

Wow! After the 2015 Super Bowl, the position of Armchair Quarterback has never been easier to occupy. 

Even the most inexperienced football fan is asking, “why did Seattle pass?” 

I also questioned the decision to pass. Especially with one of the best running backs in the NFL in your backfield. Millions of salary and wage dollars were paid on the Monday after the game while workers discussed the decision to pass. Many on social media are calling for the termination of the daddy of the decision to pass. 

It is the role of a coach, quarterback and every member on the team to put their team in a position to win. There is a Seahawk receiver that put them in a position to win. He then passed the responsibility to others. They chose to pass on that responsibility and it resulted in an interception and loss.

I teach leadership seminars and I would like to ask some direct questions to managers and supervisors about passing. 

• Have you ever had a team member that was frequently late and should have been placed on a Performance Improvement Plan or level of discipline but you passed?
• Have you ever had a team member that was excessively absent and should have been placed on a Performance Improvement Plan or level of discipline but you passed?
• Have you ever had a team member with numerous complaints and should have been placed on a Performance Improvement Plan or level of discipline but you passed and said “just ignore them, that’s the way they are”?
• Have you EVER ignored a poor performer on quality, performance or safety that should have been placed on a Performance Improvement Plan or level of discipline but you passed? 

We have all been in one of these positions above. Should we be terminated? Did we pass on our responsibility? Did we Pass or Fail? 

Passing on the four basic job responsibilities above does not put your team in the best position to win. In fact, it puts livelihoods in jeopardy. If we have been allowed to consistently pass on the four basic job responsibilities, there is a problem. There is a lack of Education, Engagement or Accountability. 

Our main responsibility as a manager or supervisor is the same as that NFL coach. It is to build a team that is Educated, Engaged and held totally Accountable. We sometimes make mistakes. The role of a true leader is to be able to distinguish between a Mistake and a Performance Problem and handle them appropriately. 

In life, we are faced with many choices where the right choice is extremely obvious. How many times have we passed on the right choice. When the choice is unclear, we can call it a mistake….ONCE. When the right choice is obvious and we pass, we have a serious performance problem and this will lead to an eventual train wreck without personal Education and Accountability. 

Circle One.

Are we stepping up to our role and;

 

1. Putting ourselves and our team in a position to win?

 

OR

 

1. Are we passing?

Greg Gilbert conducts Keynotes And Local Management Development Sessions On-Site and at locations around the country.  He is committed to assisting the willing to “Lead Like You Own It” through increased Education, Engagement and Accountability.

Visit GregGilbertCoaching.com for more information.

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