When in Doubt…Communicate
Steve Adubato, Ph.D.

Some people say that football (or any sport) in many ways resembles life. Athletic coaches and managers from Joe Torre to Bill Parcells are paid big bucks to lead, resolve conflict and build their teams. By the same token, some things happen in sports that provide excellent opportunities to learn what not to do regardless of the arena in which you compete.

We're all sick of hearing about how the football Giants blew a 24-point lead against the San Francisco 49ers last Sunday. While there are countless reasons for it, in the end it still came down to one final play. In that play, there is so much for any manager or coach, be it in a department store, sales operation or hospital, to learn from.

Great leaders have a clear sense of the chaos and confusion surrounding a situation and then calmly and coherently communicate direction to those on their team, particularly those who are very inexperienced. That's not what Giants coach Jim Fassel (or his special teams coaches) did right before that final, fateful botched field goal attempt. Again, this is not about football, but rather about working under stressful and difficult circumstances.

Even though there are two time outs called before the field goal attempt and lots of time to go through possible scenarios with holder Matt Allen, neither Fassel nor any of his coaches, did that. Trust me, Allen or anyone under such stress would likely appreciate the direction and guidance. Wouldn't you? Of course, there is a bad snap, Allen panics, throws the ball down the field, incomplete, and time runs out. When asked why Fassel never talked to Allen during the timeouts about how to handle a potential bad snap, he responded that Allen knew what to do, after all this is the NFL, not "Pop Warner." Fair enough, the holder probably should have known what to do and probably should have done it.

This sort of thing happens in the world of business all the time. Smart and visionary leaders play out worst case scenarios. The first rule in life is don't ASSUME. Now, many of you reading this might say that this approach is ridiculous, that you can't go through each scenario with everyone on your team. True, but you CAN, in this all or nothing situation, discuss a very distinct possibility and consider the limited range of options you have because afterwards it is too late. At that point, all you are left with is finger pointing, scapegoating and Monday morning quarterbacking.

So whether you like football, sports or even the Giants, there is a lesson here for any manager or leader. COMMUNICATE! If you think there is a possibility that something might go wrong, talk it through with your people. Ask them how they would handle it. Get their feedback. Clarify any misunderstandings. Go through the options. Could some of your people think you are insulting their intelligence by doing this? Possibly. But trust me, they'll get over it and in the end they would rather be part of a winning team than have to explain why they didn't do the right thing.

One final point, this is not an excuse to micromanage or drive your people crazy by checking and rechecking. Asking and re-asking as a matter of routine. However, this situation was anything but routine. In football it was do or die with a few seconds left. In business, it could be a potential crisis costing the company millions or reeking havoc on your operation. When the stakes are that high, don't assume. Don't count on the fact that you have gone through a situation before-especially when time allows for a brief but direct conversation. When in doubt, COMMUNICATE. While there is no guarantee how the game is going to end, you increase your chances of winning big time.

Dr. Steve Adubato coaches and speaks on the subjects of communication and leadership and is the author of the book "Speak from the Heart." Write to him at The Star-Ledger, 1 Star-Ledger Plaza, Newark, NJ 07102, visit his Web site at www.stand-deliver.com, or e-mail him at sadubato@aol.com.

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