Every NFL coach dreams of going to the Super Bowl with their starting quarterback but the smart ones understand they won’t get there without some help from the backup. According to The Ringer only four of the 32 NFL teams had their starting quarterback play every down this season.
A team needs a backup quarterback who is in shape, can handle unexpected pressure, and knows the game plan. Have you ever watched a game and the backup is unprepared for the opportunity? You understand that he won’t be as good as the starter but sometimes the difference in ability and execution is vast.
No matter the position, the need for effective backups is important and the reserves may be pressed into duty at any time. An NFL coach knows the most successful ones have a mindset that says, “Let’s go,” instead of “Oh, no.”
Think about your world and the people who perform backup roles at work. Can they step into a starting role, when someone misses work due to illness, a family emergency, or leaves for a different job?
In most cases, there is a big gap between the two. It’s not unexpected that the main person can do the job faster and better than the backup. But is the backup so overwhelmed that productivity plummets? This can impact the fill-in job and the backup’s main role within your organization.
Why Training Matters
Think of your normal person as a full sized washing machine. Now think of the backup like a bucket full of suds. Both can do laundry but one can do it faster and more effectively.
Your goal isn’t to turn the backup into a laundry machine but maybe help make the bucket a little bigger and better. Consider these tips to upgrade your backups:
- Have employees write down the critical, reoccurring tasks they perform. Don’t let these be a mystery.
- Every business has slow periods during the year. Use this time for your team to get together and walk through the duties of their positions. Usually, what happens is that employees rely on a one-time training session that took place years ago to guide them in a backup situation.
- Finally, create a culture where people are judged on how well they’ve prepared their backup. If it’s their job, then they should accept responsibility for it when they’re out of the office.
An NFL coach can lose his job based on the performance of a backup. Preparing the backups in your organization is an investment that will save you time, money and headaches.
Maybe it’s time to bring Ken Okel to your next meeting…
Read any good books lately?
