So we all know I am a HUGE Tim Tebow fan. There is just no love lost once you meet him, shake his hand, and watch him take your university to two National Championships. A lot of what makes Tim such an impressive player is his determination. He knows he has weaknesses, but he works so hard to make up for those that people want to help him succeed.
Here’s the thing his determination is a start, but he is only part of the equation. The fact that his head coach and coaching staff have made adjustment in the game plane to take advantage of his strengths makes the success possible.
A recent blog post by Scott Eblin at The Next Level, discussed how this thinking can be applied to the workplace and I wanted to share.
Ignore Conventional Wisdom—the NFL says no one runs the spread option offense; but Denver is adjusting its offense to include it. Eblin recommends looking for the “we’ve always done it this ways” and then asking yourself what are we missing out on because of that conventional thinking?
Understand Your Tebow’s Strengths and Keep Adjusting—Tebow is not a classic NFL passer, great runner and a fast decision maker and an amazing leader. His coaches are making adjustments to play to his strengths and compensate for his weaknesses. Eblin says you have to commit to paying attention to coach your Tebow through the adjustments.
Be Clear About What You’re Really Trying to Accomplish—Tim doesn’t win pretty, in fact it’s not until “Tebow Time” (the last few minutes of the game) that he even wins the game. Something that really struck home for me was this:
“It’s a lot of work and can be heartburn inducing to make the changes you need to make to accommodate a Tebow. Fox and Elway appear to have crossed that bridge. They’re in it to win the game too. When you’re thinking through how to get the most from your Tebows, don’t forget about what you’re really trying to accomplish. Connect their development with the bigger goal.”
Five weeks after getting his opportunity the Broncos are 5 and 5, 4 and 1 with Tebow at the helm. One case study, but a heck of a way to demonstrate that you can get a whole lot if you are willing to adjust.